On Your Mark, Get Set . . . Volta Place

Sometimes inspiration strikes in the strangest places.  Back in February, I was lined up at the start of the Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon in St. Petersburg, Florida, wishing that I had dressed for the 34-degree temperatures (seriously, Florida in February?  I was expecting IDEAL running weather) when I noticed a woman just ahead of me wearing an awesome purple, white, and yellow running jacket.  I was struck by the unexpected color combination, and I practically warmed myself up thinking about how I could design a sweater with those same colors. 

Fast forward (some might say "slow forward") five months, and here is the Volta Place sweater!  I love the colors just as much as I did that cold morning in Florida. I think they're both sporty and surprising, and I adore the two little pockets in the front, as well as the slightly mismatched sleeves.

The fabulous pictures are courtesy of Stephanie Cotta Photography.  Stephanie is an immensely talented and (based on her Facebook page) highly prolific photographer in St. Louis.  Check out her website, where you'll find--among other treasures--the most gorgeous newborn pictures!   Thanks to Stephanie for sharing her skills with YHK. 

Lollipop, Lollipop

I work with photographers all over the country, so I'm always happy to find someone in my own back yard.  Photographer Shey Marin is just up the road, near Frederick, Maryland (which is so worth a trip for history buffs and those who like to visit quaint cities and towns (I am in the latter group)).  I was particularly excited about working with Shey--both because her images are just gorgeous and because the Linnean Avenue sweater has always been one of my personal favorites.  So I couldn't wait to see what she would do with the pictures. 

And, Oh. My.  They turned out to be fantastic.  Shey's little model is just adorable with her white blond hair.  The light around her seems glow in that way it does when the day is absolutely perfect.  And the purple flowers in the background really complement the pink and apple green in the sweater.  I wonder if the lollipop was her reward for looking so pretty?  Seems like a pretty good reward to me!

Shey, next time I need a photographer in the area, you'll be hearing from me!

Pink for Boys and Blue for Girls?

I spend a lot of time trying to decide whether a particular color palette is "right" for a baby boy or baby girl.  Not surprisingly, my sweaters for girls tend to include shades of pinks, and my sweaters for boys have various shades of blue.  So I was fascinated by this article from smithsonian.com describing the evolution of gender-specific clothing.

I was particularly interested to learn that, not only did boys in the 1800s wear dresses until about age 7 (that's future president FDR in a white dress and party shoes below), but that blue was traditionally reserved for little girls and pink for little boys. The reason was that pink was viewed as a stronger color, better for boys, and blue was thought to be more delicate, so more suited to girls. The colors didn't reverse until the 1940s, when manufacturers and retailers determined that consumers "preferred" the colors the other way around.

I've often thought about offering a blue sweater for girls, but I'd probably dress it up with a ruffle or flower buttons or some other more feminine trim. But I'm having a harder time envisioning a pink sweater for little boys, even with fire truck or dinosaur buttons. I see lots of men wearing pink shirts (and think they look pretty sharp), so why no pink for little boys? Does anyone dress their little boys in pink in 2012?

(photo courtesy of smithsonian.com)

New Sweater: Geranium Street

I'm so happy that the Geranium Street sweater is FINALLY available (find it on Etsy here).  This sweater has been in the works for forever, but the universe seemed to be conspiring against me to get it finished.  But it's finally ready, and it's spectacular (if I do say so myself!).  All of the sweaters I knit are my favorites, but this one might really be a favorite.  The colors (light and bright pink, lime green, orange) are so vibrant and cheerful.  The overall look is sort of tropical--as tropical as a wool sweater can be!

The absolutely gorgeous photographers are courtesy of the immensely talented Trish McCoy, who takes wonderful pictures of Yellow House Knits sweaters.  See more of Trish's work here.