Learning from Joji

I'm finally sitting down and gathering my thoughts abiut what I learned last weekend.  The Knit for Fun Retreat was a great experience and I'm very glad I went.  I have to say that Joji is one of the nicest people I have ever met.  While we were waiting for breakfast on Sunday she joined me at the communal table in the lobby that had become my home away from home during my stay.  I was a little hesitant to engage in conversation as I wasn't sure if she wanted to have some quiet knitting time and a break from interacting with students.  We did exchange pleasantries, and eventually got to talking about her family and travels.  She talked about how much she and her family [she has 2 boys] and enjoy the outdoors, and how fortunate she feels to be able to visit the US and explore freely.  She spoke of how kindly she is always treated, and what a beautiful country "we" have, and she hopes to see more of it.  Her face lights up when she talks about her family-you can just feel the love.  I told her if she ever wanted to visit the N Georgia mountains, she and her family had an open invitation!  I also found out that she will be taking a break from teaching [not from designing], so I feel very fortunate to have meet her when I did and to have taken one of her classes.  She wants to spend more time with her family and focus on designing.  She was a truly delightful person and instructor-here's a bit of trivia; her prior profession was that of a physician!  Initially I wasn't going to take her Boxy class cause I figured I wouldn't get much out of it, and that the Boxy was not something I would knit.  I was among those who didn't think the Boxy would "fit"me or my style.  Boy, did Joji prove us wrong!  She told us that the Boxy design received a great deal of criticism when it was first published, and sometimes it wasn't very constructive or nice!  She said that she has always struggled with covering up her "problem" spots and it took an employer's recommendation of the boxy style to convince her that silhouette suited her, and the rest is history.   The Boxy definitely adds style and sophistication to one's wardrobe.

 Joji brought several samples for us to try on and we were able to see the sweaters on different bodies.  With the exception of a few ladies that needed a sweater in their actual size [most of what she brought were mediums] it was indeed a flattering style.  She discussed at great length the importance of ease and the difference between knitted ease and ease in sewn clothing.  In terms of the boxy style the more ease the more drape and flow, and of course, you have to be mindful using a yarn that will give this type of fabric.  She gifted a pattern of our choice so that we could dip our toes into the the boxy pond.  I picked Puntilla which has 12-15" of ease and an adorable lace edge at the bottom and cuffs.  I was able to try this sweater on in my size so I know I'm going to like it.  I went to the Frayed Knot in Savannah and purchased the yarn [hope to swatch this week!]  I got a new to me yarn Isager Bomulin a 65/35 cotton/linen blend.  I can't wait to add this to my warm weather knitting [more about Meghan Fernandez's class in another post!].

We talked about the difference between drape and weight and the importance of getting the right gauge, and that committing to knitting a boxy means there will be ALOT of knitting-you have been warned!  She also explained the importance of the neckline and hemline to create a flattering silhouette.  A rounded [high in front/long in back] rather than a straight hemline is actually more flattering for those who might be a bit bigger at the hips!  Other hacks shared include side vents and even rounded hems in front and back.   She also provided a formula for figuring out where the sweater would fall on your body so that you can make proper adjustments, or pattern choice.  What I found really interesting about the design of the sweater was that if the sleeves fit properly then the body can be as wide as you want it and you'll end up with a variety of effects depending upon how much ease and yarn choice.  I learned a lot more, but don't think I should share ALL of Joji's secrets!  I also bought her [and got it signed] latest collaboration with Veera Valimaki- Reflections Vol 5-there's so much in here I want to knit starting with this glacier tunic and separate ways.  Depending on the swatch I may use my Rowan Fine Tweed that has been languishing; both of these call for fingering weight merino.  I have 2 colors so it'll take some playing around to see what works best.

 

 I visited another yarn shop just outside of Savannah, Unwind, on my way home and bought another new to me warm weather yarn  Queensland United a cotton/wool blend.  Maybe I'll get the newest Pom Pom magazine co-run by Meghan Fernandes for additional inspiration.  I also got beads for another Joli pattern, April Showers, a shawl that I cast on a couple weeks ago.

Believe it or not there are warm weather knits that do have sleeves and do not require an additional garment underneath!  More on the rest of the retreat to come. . .