Twist Collective Blog

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Published: 20 July 2012

Every Friday we feature one of the garments from the magazine in a post about styling. We suggest different ways to wear the garment in question using mock-ups from Polyvore. We encourage readers to tell us what they think about these outfits via our Facebook page or Twitter, and if folks want to make their own outfits, please tweet them at us with the hashtag #twiststyle. You can find all of the Style Friday posts here.

Welcome to another Twist Style Friday! Carly here, with another dispatch from the land of fashion. I get excited about clothes. I mean really, really excited about clothes. Making these outfit posts is actually so dangerous, because it makes me want to wear (and therefore want to knit..) all the patterns! It's also still staggering to me how much the feel of a garment can change when it's styled with different things. This is why we continue to bring you these entries- to help you see all the glorious possibilities for wearing these wonderful things. As always, we encourage you too, to play with these clothes, send us your ideas, and share your opinions about styling through Twitter (#twiststyle) and Facebook.

When I am creating an outfit, I usually start with the most special or unusual piece- something that calls to me, and then build other stuff around it. With this week's knit, Megan Goodacre's lovely Harrow, it sort of happened in reverse! I kept happening upon interesting and special pieces (statement skirts, loud shoes, a sparkly bag, some truly pretty cuffed trousers), and like magic, Harrow was there, ready to be the perfect complement.

Styled appropriately, you could wear this top to any occasion. My advice- pair it with any neutral bottom, casual or dressy, and special accessory (like a unique bag or a bright shoe). Here are a few examples: 

How would you wear your Harrow?

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Published: 18 July 2012

Every little detail has to be perfect! Kate and Mary Jane conduct a sock-inspection.

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Published: 16 July 2012

Today Robin brings us behind the scenes on a photshoot from the Spring/Summer Twist. Read about how our families get involved with the little details, and how we go on adventures in unseasonable weather to bring you these garments and stories.

When you flip through the magazine, you see only the finished product, not the immense amount of time and work that goes into creating the images we use to entice Twist readers to knit the designs we publish.

This is a peek behind the scenes of the Bloom layout in the Spring issue of Twist. I have recently started working with Kate Gilbert as a production assistant on Twist. I had worked with Twist previously as a designer, but I am now living in Montreal and the opportunity arose to be involved in the production aspect of the magazine, so here is my first Twist photo shoot experience....

We were fortunate to be able to do a spring shoot on location, which is usually not possible due to our uncooperative Quebec weather and the amount of lead time needed before the issue is published. However, March is still rather un-spring-like here (as in there is an awful lot of brown, a little bit of green, and a whole lot of muck). So, to enhance the spring-like atmosphere, we made giant crepe paper flowers in bright juicy colors.

There are several steps involved in making crepe paper flowers. The first step is to run all over the city sourcing supplies, including the local building supply store (where you can see that in addition to being a knit designer, I am also quite handy with a hacksaw). These unstylish pipes would later be transformed into magnificent flower stems.

The next step is to conscript all family members into the Paper Flower Workshop:

Here is Kate’s husband, Fred, exhausted on the floor after a long evening of cutting out petals and wrapping metal pipe in floral tape (at which he excels). Notice how he is not visibly chained, and I swear we did feed him. Children are also adept at assembling small parts, though we have no photographic evidence.

The photographer, Jane Heller, has a great location for us to shoot on, which is in the country but only about an hour from the city. With the car stuffed to the seams with pretty sweaters, paper flowers,and lovely models, we headed out of the city (it’s a wonderful city, but it’s always nice to have a nature interlude).

Jane fired up the tractor (we ride in style at Twist), I stared down the horse so he wouldn’t make a break for the open gate, and we went off into the woods for the field where we were planning to shoot. By this time, I was dying to know if Jane would let me drive the tractor.

It looks like a pleasant day but the poor models were frozen – we wrapped them up in parkas and blankets between outfits to try and keep them warm.

You’ve seen the spread so you know the result of most of what went on for the next several hours.

While we were packing up to go back through the woods, I finally worked up the nerve to ask Jane if I could drive the tractor (we had just met after all), and OMG SHE SAID YES!

Here Jane is pointing out the throttle. That little lever you see near my knee is the choke. This tractor was old school. I would have also liked to have a try at the old Soviet tractor in the background, with the pink basket on the front, but it was not to be.

So I got to drive it all the way back through the woods to the farm, where CBC radio was also there, recording a show. I also learned a valuable lesson. CBC sound technicians do not like it when you drive a tractor all up in their business, with the throttle open way too far for second gear, while whooping with excitement that you are, in fact, driving a tractor.

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Published: 13 July 2012

Every Friday we feature one of the garments from the magazine in a post about styling. We suggest different ways to wear the garment in question using mock-ups from Polyvore. We encourage readers to tell us what they think about these outfits via our Facebook page or Twitter, and if folks want to make their own outfits, please tweet them at us with the hashtag #twiststyle. You can find all of the Style Friday posts here.

Happy Friday everyone! Back again with another installment of Style Friday, and this week, our subject is Amy Christoffers' pretty lace cardigan.

A hip lenth, bracelet sleeve cardigan is a really useful and easy layering piece, and you could easily wear this with jeans or dressier pants. When I started to play with it, what I couldn't help but notice was that it looks totally beautiful with skirts. A-line, penil, mini, maxi, it didn't matter! Nearly any skirt I chose suited the flattering shape and flowing lines of this lovely knit. Seriously- take a look!

So pick your favorite skirt, a roomy bag, and shoes you can stroll around in, and be ready for wherever your day may bring you. Share your ideas about how to wear Lanata on our Facebook page, or tweet them at us, @twistcollective, #twiststyle!