Days of Heaven: D.I.Y. Rodarte 3 Ways

So, some of you might be wondering what ever happened to the three day Rodarte challenge we put ourselves up to for the LaViola Bank Gallery Afterparty that we did a couple of weeks ago. We've been a bit lax on the pictures, but here are some instructions for three different Rodarte inspired projects of varying difficulty.

Rodarte inspired dress with knit skirt, paired with a pair of Proenza Schouler nail studded heels.

The Mixed Yarn Dress/Skirt/Cowl

Difficulty Level: Medium

This is the dress that we made for the gallery opening afterparty. We were inspired by both the Fall 08 collection, and the Spring 09 collection that was a continuation and expansion on the same knitted pieces from fall, with the addition of metal chain and more chiffon worked into the knits. Having worked as an Assistant Designer of Cut & Sew Knits at Sweetface (J. Lo's company) as my first fashion job years ago, I was very lucky to receive a huge bag of $500 worth of leftover wool and mohair knit skeins that they had bought for the runway show. They gave it all to me, knowing that I knit, and it had been sitting in my closet for the past four years collecting dust. Finally, Rodarte provided enough inspiration to bring the entire bag out, and use the precious multi-colored mohair named "Heaven" that still had the pricetag of $80 per skein on it.

The same knit skirt worn as a cowl over my H&M circle scarf.

To make the knit skirts, Christina used her beloved knitting circles, which are giant plastic circles that you can use to do a very primitive form of knitting, which is much faster and easier than traditional needles, but doesn't allow much control or flexibility. It took her about an hour and a half to make each of the skirts, which came out in a long tube. We added elastic to the tops of the skirts, and then made a dress out of the lilac chiffon that Nicollette picked up to match the colors of the knit. We looped one corner of the chiffon square through the skirt, and then tied it halter style around our necks, adding some chain in around the neck for good measure.

In addition to functioning as a skirt, Nicollette pointed out that the knit tube also can be used as a great cowl or circle scarf.

The Mixed Yarn Long Scarf

Difficulty Level: Easy

I made this scarf as part of a Christmas present for one of my besties, Ashley Bigelow, since I know she was is a huge fan of Rodarte. This is the best way to practice the Rodarte knit, since it is just a straight tube. I knit this on a 16 inch circular Size 9 needles, changing yarns every few inches, and dropping, adding, and doing 'yarn overs' to create that crazy irregularity.

The Mohair Fishnet Tights

Difficult Level: Medium/Hard

Like the scarf, I used the 16 inch circular Size 9 needles to make each leg individually, starting by casting on 20 stitches, and then increasing them to 25 stitches after 5 rows. I continued knitting in the round, dropping and doing 'yarn overs' for irregularity, trying it on my leg for sizing, until I got to the top of my thigh. From there, I stopped knitting in the round, and switched over to straight needles and knit back and forth to form one half of the waist/hip area. I regularly tried it on for fit. I repeated the same process for the other leg, and then used the yarn to sew both halves together, and sew the bottom of the foot area shut. I added an elastic waistband to the top, and voila! $850 Rodarte tights made from the crap in my closet in approximately 8 hours! I have to say, they're a bit itchy, but surprisingly warm for fishnet....

Rodarte inspired tights, worn with a VPL cashmere sweater, Prada wool skirt, Rachel Comey boots, Banana Republic cashmere armwarmers, H&M circle scarf, and Rodarte inspired cowl.

A close up of the tights.

Next up, I'll probably try to make a knit dress or sweater, now that I'm back in my knitting groove. I put the needles down years ago after I moved into jewelry, but it came right back to me. A perfect hobby to get back into for the winter months. Maybe with some practice I can work my way up to doing some DIY Sandra Backlund...Ha!

-Tiffany