It’s mid-May, so you know what that means…
The Outfit Along is officially back for 2016! Yay!!
Once again, I’m teaming up with knit designer extraordinaire, Andi Satterlund, to host a combination knit-along and sew-along. The idea behind the Outfit Along (OAL) is to make a complete outfit by sewing a garment and knitting a garment. This is a great opportunity to fill your wardrobe with more beautiful handmade pieces, and we’ll have two official patterns that we will hold your hand with should you need it.
The official sewing pattern will be the Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt, and the official knitting pattern will be Andi’s newest summery top pattern, Zinone. I will be blogging about the official sewing pattern and Andi be blogging about the knitting pattern, so we can all sew and knit along together. If you don’t love the official patterns, you can still join in! The Outfit Along is about making an outfit you’ll really wear, so to participate, all you need to do is to sew a garment and knit a garment to make an outfit. You’re more than welcome to pick projects that fit your own style and skills – after all, you’ll be the one wearing it 🙂 Make a pull over and shorts, make a dress and cardigan – doesn’t matter what the combination is, as long as it makes an outfit 🙂
You can read all the relevant details over at Untangling Knots – as well as a FAQ for common questions – but in a nutshell:
– We will be kicking off the OAL on June 1, 2016.
– The deadline for completion is July 31, 2016, which gives you two months to finish both garments.
– There IS incentive for finishing your garments within the deadline – PRIZES!!! This year, we have two sponsors who have donated prizes to the OAL: Each winner will receive the pattern of their choice from Indie Stitches, a $20 voucher to StyleMaker Fabrics, and two knitting patterns of their choice from Untangling Knots.
– To be eligible for said prizes, you must finish BOTH garments by July 31, 2016 and post them in the OAL Finished Outfit thread in the Untangling Knots group on Ravelry. Prize winners will be randomly selected from those who finish both their knit and sewn garments and post pictures in the appropriate thread by the deadline.
The official knitting pattern, Zinone, is a casual summer top knit in sport weight linen yarn. You have the option to include either a partial or full lace back, and choose either a cropped length or full length to the hips. It’s a little different from our previous OALs – definitely not a cardigan this year! – but I think it’s a really fun switch (and, again, you can totally knit a cardigan if that’s what your little hear desires. Or crochet one! Ain’t no knitting police running around over here). The top is knit in one piece, in the round, so it goes pretty fast. And linen is so lovely to wear in the summer! You can read more about the pattern here. AND, To celebrate Zinone‘s launch, Andi is offering 20% off up until the official OAL start of June 1. Use the code OAL2016 to get you that discount!
The official sewing pattern, the Hollyburn skirt, is a great little wardrobe staple that no doubt many of you have already made! It’s a simple, flared skirt, that works great in both a rigid and fluid fabric, depending on the look you are going for. The pattern is perfect for a beginner as it’s relatively simple (and the only fitting you need to worry about is the waist measurement), but it’s also a good canvas for a variety of customization to make it your own, should you require a little more of a challenge in your sewing 🙂 I will be covering basic construction of the pattern, as well as how to adjust the skirt to leave off the pockets, and installing an exposed zipper. And yes, I’ve already made like 5 of these babies (1 2 3 4 5), so you know it’s a good basic wardrobe staple!
Oh! And to help with your fabric buying needs – StyleMaker Fabrics is offering FREE SHIPPING to all US orders (and $8.95 off shipping to all international orders), through 6/30, using the code OAL2016! Definitely check them out if you’re not working from your stash – they have a fantastic selection of wonderful fabrics, and you can search by garment type and color! If you need help choosing your fabric, stick around – StyleMaker Fabrics will be guest posting on the start of the OAL as well 🙂
As always, you can spread the word by using the hashtag #OAL2016 or grab a little badge below (or over on the Untangling Knots blog, where the fancy html is already embedded for you, ooh la la). And don’t forget to join the OAL2016 discussion thread in the Untangling Knots group on Ravelry, for all your OAL chatting needs. Questions? Be sure to read the FAQ on Andi’s official announcement post in case it’s already been covered, but if not… ask away! 🙂
I’m super excited to be running this awesome challenge for the third year in a row! 😀 Who’s in?
LLADYBIRD 
This sounds like a lot of fun, but I can’t knit. would a crocheted garment be an acceptable substitute?
Of course! Crocheting is totally acceptable 🙂
Thanks. I’ve been wanting to make a Hollyburn and just picked out a top pattern on Ravelry 🙂
So tempting… I’ve been meaning to make another Hollyburn skirt. And I could certainly use another sweater. Hmm… need to check my stash, but it would be cool not to just follow OAL posts again but take part 😉
Hell yeah it would! You should totally join in as an excuse to add to your Hollyburn collection 😀
I am SO there. I love the chosen outfit. Thanks for hosting.
Yay! Happy to have you joining us 😀
Hmmm… can I finish my thesis, move across the country, and complete an entire outfit by July 31? I’m certainly going to try! I’ve had the Hollyburn skirt in my queue for a while now, and Zinone looks like a fun (and quick!) top to knit! I love al the effort and detail you put into the OAL – I just finished a Simplicity 1803 using your fabulous directions – thanks a million for the inspiration AND the education!!
I think you can do it! You are gonna need a knitting project to help you relax during your crazy month 😉 and you are so welcome! I’m really happy to hear when people find my sewalongs and tutorials useful 🙂 Feels really good!
So I’m going to do the OAL because I want another Hollyburn. But I don’t (can’t…and don’t want to) knit. So I’ll just make a sewn top in the same pattern and call it my contribution. I totally understand that I don’t qualify for prizes, but I’m in for the challenge to make me sew something. I need more work with lace anyway and I’m going to challenge myself to “color block” that top with lace shoulders and sides.
Yeah, we can’t throw you in the prize draw without a knitted garment, but you can still join up for moral support and encouragement 🙂 Your idea sounds really awesome and I can’t wait to see it!!
I’ve only just finished making up my knit from last year’s OAL (literally yesterday). This year I’ll make it less of a “Outfit Many Months After Everyone Has Finished” and more of an actual OAL! I made a Hollyburn a month ago and am ready for my next already, but I may have to swap the knit for something more Southern Hemisphere appropriate. Thanks for hosting this again 🙂
Ha! Well, to be fair – I’d be behind too if I wasn’t a host! (kinda HAVE to finish when you’re orchestrating the thing haha) But yeah, yay to have you back! I have faith in your speed for this year 😉
I’ll join! This is just the incentive I need to finish a cardigan I know I will love once it’s done, but I forget what size mods I’ve done in between each time I pick it up. It is time to get it out of the knitting bag and into my wardrobe. And now I’m off to look at my stash and see what inspires me for the sewing portion! Yey!
Yay!!! Happy to have you on board with us 😀
Exciting! I don’t knit, so I won’t take part, but I’ve had the Hollyburn pattern in my stash for, um, a couple of years now, so maybe semi-participating (demi-participating?) will be the motivation I need to actually make it. (I’m kind of a newbie and a bit fearful of getting started . . . )
You can still make a Hollyburn with us!! It’s a wonderful pattern that is so fun to make (and wear!) 🙂
I am a new knitter. I have only knitted scarves and washcloths. Would this top be too hard for a beginner?
I don’t think it would be too difficult! You may want to do the partial lace back so it’s a little less complicated, but the majority of the pattern is stockinette which is pretty easy 🙂 But I would check with Andi (the pattern designer) if I were you, because you’re asking someone who’s first sweater was a very complicated lace cardigan 🙂 I think ANYONE can do ANYTHING hahahaha!!
What would you recommend for a first time project?
Knitting-wise, the Miette cardigan (also from Untanging Knots) is really simple (and the pattern is also free, yay!) and good for a first project. It has a little bit of lace work, but it is not complicated at all and it’s a great intro to knitting your first sweater. Sewing-wise – the Hollyburn is great! And it would look wonderful with the Miette 😉
Yay! Hollyburn! I got this one for Christmas and haven’t stitched it up yet, so I’m super pumped about that. Gah! Top. Not a knitter, so it is a crocheted one for me. I’ll have to look at my options. Maybe a cardigan. Hmmmm….
Yay!! I am excited to see some crocheted garments this year! Maybe it’ll inspire me to start hookin’ again 😉 haha
I’m so in this year. Andi’s knitting patterns are always gorgeous, but this latest one is spectacular. Now I just need someone to help pick out which color to knit it in!
For real! I think this is one of my favorite patterns she’s released. Both views are gorgeous – I am probably going to end up knitting both of them!
Ooh this is so cool! Perfect timing too because I have got a Hollyburn planned AND I was just thinking about picking up my knitting needles after a year of no knitting.
Just bought the knitting pattern AND the yarn on impulse so I guess I’m in! Not sure I can finish a top in 2 months but I’ll have a go! 😂
Oh dear, that was me but it showed as Anonymous!
Yay!!! You can do it – we are here to cheer you along 😀
I know I shouldnt because I have other things but couldnt resist. Need another (mmmm 5th) Hollyburn so I’m in. I have some smoking red linen for it. Knitting wise I have had Chuck for 2 years no – it needs to be knitted up ☝. Hila. X
Ooh, a red linen Hollyburn sounds fantastic! Especially paired with the Chuck. I LOVED knitting that pattern – you should definitely do it 🙂
I’m in! It’s my first sew-along.
Yay!!
Hi,
I would like to comment about the Spiegel sewing machine. I haven’t started sewing yet. However, right away I am disappointed that there is no way to organize the tools that come with the machine. I mean, they are essentials. every Bernina has a little case of some sort to put them in. Even my tiny little Singer–the little black one that everyone loves has a shelf to put the tools so you can find them. And this Spiegel has an empty hole. Did I get a fluke or what?
So far it is not living up to your glowing reports. I am trying to find an inexpensive machine that refugees could use by looking at the video. So far I have not gotten past the storage case.
Thank you,
Susan Terrill, 314-623-9849
I agree, i didn’t like that there isn’t a place to hold tools and that was one of the first things I commented on (to Spiegel themselves) once I received my machine. However, not all machines come with that feature – my Bernina (which cost around $2k, so *not* a cheap machine) came with basically a little fabric makeup bag to hold my feet. There is nothing that attaches to the machine to hold all the tools. Actually, out of all the machines I’ve owned over the years, only 2 came with a tool holder. It may be a more common feature now, but it definitely hasn’t been the case in the past.
Anyway, I’m sorry to hear that you aren’t happy with the Spiegel. Perhaps this comment would be better directed at Spiegel themselves. I don’t work for them or handle customer issues; I just sew things on the machine and post about it 🙂
I’m late chiming in but I’m excited that you’re doing the OAL again this year! Life has gotten in the way of participating in the past but I (belatedly) used the 2014 OAL posts to sew my first-ever dress. The posts were SO helpful! I’m looking forward to actually participating this year.
I’m going to participate! But because I’m a maverick and on a spending ban I’m going to use my own knitting and skirt pattern! The skirts self drafted and pretty similar to the hollyburn but the knit is going to be a cropped sweater (hopefully) so although I’m going rouge I’m still taking part! (I never could play by the rules! )
Frankie
http://www.knitwits-owls.blogspot.com
This was lovvely to read