#rectangular shawl

[charliecraftsthings]

Improvising a pattern for a rectangular shawl. I hope the stitch math works out!

Alternating two rows of DC with one row of DC mesh. I think I've figured out how to work the decreases to get a nice right angle, but only time (progress) will tell.

This is a beautiful mercerised cotton laceweight yarn where one by one, the plies are joined to darker and darker colours to create a long gradient. It's like crocheting with a kilometer and a half of embroidery floss! The final colour is so dark it's nearly black, but in just the right light, you can see the glinting green shine. I love it!

[crochica]

[unfinishedsweaters]

SPRING FEVERISH III: INADVERTENT SEA-WITCH VIBES

[freshstitches]

I finally published the project for my dice roll scarf that went viral last month. If you love dice games, you'll enjoy knitting this pattern.

The color work in this project is determined by an algorithm, a set of rules that determine the final outcome. There isn't an exact set of instructions for this project. Instead, the knitter uses four 10-sided dice or a random number generator to pick the length of the colorwork in each row. 

The result is a staggered stripe sequence along the edge of the shawl. There are trillions of unique outcomes, so no two projects turn out exactly alike. The pattern uses about 500 yards of yarn in total, but the amount of each color that you'll need is randomly determined. Before publishing, I wanted to find out the minimum and maximum amount of each color required to make the project and the probability of each outcome.

The knowledge needed to calculate the yardage was a bit beyond my skill level, but my friend Mary W. Martin helped me gather this info. I used an online probability calculator to find out the probability of each unique stitch count. The results are slightly different depending on whether you use four 10-sided dice (blue) or pick a random number (yellow), but 99% of all possible results fall within a very small range. 

It was an interesting little tangent, but not hugely important to the actual knitting pattern. I can, however, confidently say there is a >99.9% chance that you'll need a 2nd skein of the main color. If you want to know more about the math, you should check out my project notes on Ravelry. 

The thick and thin striped colorwork is created with a super simple "long stitch" technique. The pattern looks great in fluffy mohair or contrasting colors of basic wool and the instructions include some basic tips for substituting yarns or changing the gauge.

Finished Size: 18 x 68” (46 x 172 cm) rectangular wrap.

Yarn: Approx. 315 yards (288 m) of MC and approx. 264 yards (241 m) of CC. Yardage may vary, see notes on yardage below and yardage chart in photos.

• Main Color (2 skeins) - JMR Studio Worsted Weight Mohair, 245 yards (225 m) per 4 oz; 78% Mohair, 13% Wool, 9% Nylon.

• Contrast Color (1 skein each, both yarns held together) - JMR Studio Fingering Weight Mohair, 320 yards (293 m) per 100g; 63% Silk, 23% Kid Mohair, 11% Nylon, 3% Polyester Held with Lavender Lune Yarn Co. Suri Alpaca, 328 yards (300 m) per 50g; 74% Suri Alpaca, 26% Silk.

Yardage: The amount of each color used for this pattern fluctuates based on the random numbers used to determine the stitch pattern. MC uses approx. 233 to 315 yards (213 to 288m) and CC uses approx. 182 to 264 yards (166 to 241m). 99% of possible results fall within a much smaller range. The Yardage Chart shows the distribution of all potential yardage outcomes.

Needles: Size 8 (5 mm) straight needles, or size needed to obtain gauge. NOTE: Straight needles work best with long stitches. Circular needles with a thin cord allow the long stitches to tighten and stretch, making them harder to manipulate.

Gauge: 12 sts x 14 rows = 4 x 4” (10 x 10 cm) square in pattern.

Other Materials: 10 sided die or random number generator, stitch marker, scale, tapestry needle.

Generating numbers: In my sample, I used four ten-sided dice (D10) to choose a number between 4 and 40 sts. If you don't have dice, you can use an online app like RANDOM.org to generate your numbers. If you follow this link, you'll get a list of 63 integers between 4 and 40. NOTE: Each time you visit the link or refresh the page, the list changes. You can also just choose numbers as you knit.

Pattern is available on my website and on Ravelry.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word List: Fashion History

to try to include in your poem/story (pt. 2/3)

Exomis - a short, asymmetrical wrap garment pinned at the left shoulder, worn by men in Ancient Greece

Eye of Horus - or Wedjat eye, is an ancient Egyptian symbol that represents the eye of the falcon-headed god Horus and symbolizes healing and regeneration and was often worn for protection

Faience - a man-made ceramic material that was often used in ancient Egypt to make jewelry and devotional objects; it is usually a blue color

Falling Band - a flat and broad white collar often with lace on the edges, worn by men and women in the 17th century

Fibula - served as a pin to both hold garments together and to show status of those with prestige or power within society; was popular in Greek culture

Fichu - a triangular shawl, usually worn by women, draped over the shoulders and crossed or fastened in the front

Fontange - a linen cap with layers of lace and ribbon, worn flat and pinned to the back of the head

French Hood - a rounded headdress for women that was popular in the 16th century (from 1540)

Frock Coat - a collared man’s coat worn through the eighteenth to the twentieth century; rose to prominence mainly in the nineteenth century, especially Victorian England; characterized as a knee-length overcoat, buttoned down to the waist, that drapes over the lower half of the body like a skirt

Frogging - ornamental braid or cording that can function as a garment closure, or be solely decorative

Gabled Hood - a woman’s headdress that is wired to create a point at the top of the head and has fabric that drapes from the back of the head

Gigot Sleeve - a sleeve that was full at the shoulder and became tightly fitted to the wrist; also called leg-of-mutton sleeve

Guipure Lace - a type of continuous bobbin lace made without a mesh ground; its motifs are connected by bridges or plaits

Himation - a rectangular cloak wrapped around the body and thrown over the left shoulder worn by the ancient Greeks

Huipilli/Huipil - a woven rectangular shirt worn by women in Central America beginning in ancient times

Jerkin - a close-fitting men’s jacket, often worn for warmth, sometimes without sleeves; worn over a doublet in the 16th and 17th centuries

Justaucorps - a long-sleeved, knee-length coat worn by men after 1666 and throughout the 18th century

Kaftan - (also caftan) is an ancient garment, which originated in ancient Persia but then spread across Central and Western Asia; a kind of robe or tunic that was worn by both men and women

Katazome (stencil printing) - a traditional Japanese method for printing designs onto fabric using a stencil and paste-resist dyes

Kaunakes - one of the earliest forms of clothing; made from goat or sheep’s wool and meant to be worn around the waist like a skirt, it is recognizable by its fringe detailing

Kente - a Ghanaian strip woven textile that has striped patterns and bright colors with corresponding meanings

Knickerbockers - or “knickers” are full or baggy trousers gathered at the knee or just below and usually fastened with either a button or buckle; were initially worn by men in the late 19th century and gradually became part of women’s fashion; the garment was usually worn as sportswear and became especially popular among golfers and female cyclists, hence the term “pedal pushers”

Kohl - a black material made out of minerals such as galena and used for eyeliner and eye protection in ancient Egypt

Labret - a type of lip-piercing worn by various cultures to indicate wealth, prosperity and beauty

Love Lock - a lock of hair from the nape of the neck hanging over the chest to show romantic attachment; it was a popular hairstyle between 1590-1650

Lurex - a shiny synthetic fiber made of aluminum-coated plastic with a glittering metallic sheen

Mantua - a jacket-like bodice with pulled back overskirt that bustled in the back, often in elaborately patterned fabric, first worn in the 17th century

Medici Collar - a collar that stands upright on the back of the neck and opens in the front; this type of ruff was introduced to France by Marie de’ Medici in the 16th century, taking her name two centuries later

Moccasins - a type of soft animal skin shoe that were worn by Indians in North America

Muff - a tubular padded covering of fur or fabric, into which both hands are placed for warmth

Mule - a backless shoe

Muslin - a simple plain-weave textile made out of cotton and available in varying weights and finishes; historically, there were also varieties of muslin in silk and wool

Needle Lace -often known as “needlepoint lace”; is a term referring to the technique in which the lace is made of entirely needle work; it developed in the 15th century and then became very popular throughout the 16th century

Nemes Headdress - starched, striped linen headdress that draped on the shoulders and had a tail at center back worn only by royals in ancient Egypt

Panes/Paning - a method of decoration using long parallel strips of fabric arranged to reveal a contrasting fabric underneath that was fashionable from the 15th-17th centuries

Panniers - an under-structure used in eighteenth-century fashion that created a shape wide at the sides and flat at the front and back

Pantalettes - (also referred to as pantaloons) are loose, pants-like undergarments that covered women’s lower halves in the late 18th and early 19th century

Particolored - the combination of different colors within the same garment along the vertical axis

Passementerie - an additional accent or embellishment in silk or metallic threads, such as an embroidered braid, tassel or fringe

Pattens - wooden-soled platform over-shoes, which were commonly worn from the 14th century to the 18th century

If any of these words make their way into your next poem/story, please tag me, or leave a link in the replies. I would love to read them!

More: Fashion History ⚜ Word Lists

[ninoxwof]

Oasis the Sandwing

[Image Description: Two digital drawings depicting Queen Oasis the Sandwing from Wings of Fire. She is tan with a large tawny dorsal streak that reaches to her tail and through her head to her snout. She has umber stripes and a blue tear duct marking on her face like make up. Her Sandwing sail is rectangular in its segments and is also colored umber, with her horns, claws and tail barb a darker umber color. Her underbelly and wings are a light creamy yellow. Blue can also be found as an accent on the top of her tail barb, her neck and on the ends of her wings, like a wave of water is rolling into sand. She is tall and menacing, standing with a scowl on her face. In the second image, everything is the same except she is now wearing clothing and accessories. She is wearing a golden crown like circlet with an onyx plated into it, as well as a golden triangle earring on her left ear. On her neck, she is wearing a purple and red cloak similar to a poncho or shawl with tassels on the ends of it. Over her poncho she is wearing the Eye Of Onyx pendant. /.End ID]

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

"Those in Númenórë who had no wish for marriage or the taking of lovers were often drawn to serve in the temples of Ulmo or Nienna, the two of the Lords of the West who like them went unpartnered, and yet were whole."

@aspecardaweek day 4 ⇢ worldbuilding + community || RELIGIOUS ORDERS OF NÚMENOR

[ID: an edit comprised of four graphics in shades of beige and soft grey.

1: A rectangular image on the right side of the panel shows two models embracing. Both are wearing grey hijabs and brown robes and looking at the viewer calmly. The model on the right is shorter, young, and tan-skinned, while the model on the left is a bit older, has dark brown skin, and is taller. White and brown cursive text to the left of the image reads "Devotees of Nienna" and below it, white italicized serif text reads "In the days of the Faithful, many Númenoreans entered into the service of the Valar, often at the behest of dreams, omens, or consultations with seers. One of the most long-lasting orders created at this time was that of Nienna, whose domain is sorrow and pity; it is said that some of those called to her temples possessed gifts of foresight, and were given to mourn the ruin of Elenna long before it came to pass. They were known to render much aid to the dying and those wounded in spirit, and went always dressed in veils and mantles of grey." The graphic is framed on two sides by white and brown lines / 2: Two horizontal images with a thin slice of beige background showing between. The top image shows an arched stone hallway lined with statues, with glass lamps hanging from the ceiling, while the bottom image shows a white flower lying on a pale cloth / 3: Same format as Image 2, but the images show ocean waves crashing against cliffs (on the top) and dried white sea sponges (on the bottom) / 4: Same format as Image 1, but the orientation is reversed, with the image on the right and the text on the left. The picture shows a punjabi pakistani man with a black beard, wearing a brown shawl and white turban and looking seriously at the viewer. The heading reads "Devotees of Ulmo," with the bottom text saying "The service of Ulmo attracted many Númenoreans, for they loved the sea and its creatures, having come from it, they said, themselves. Numerous of those who bound themselves to the Lord of Waters were wanderers, roving solitary along the margins of the island and seeking communion with the waves. They gained in this way a reputation for great wisdom and the power to see both near and far, and many kings and knights sought them for their counsel. It is said even that Elendil Lord of Andúnië was advised by an augur of Ulmo, though their name is lost to time." //End ID]

[hinkepink]

Since a lot of us seemed to be quite curious about Falk's costume and the funky bib thingy in Sinners of the Seven Seas, I went down a rabbit hole to find out what it actually is! Come with me on this journey!

(Disclaimer: I will reference my learnings quite generalized, so I would urge you to do more research if you want to get into the nitty gritty! You could also shoot me a message if you want some more specific info or pointers or want to do a learn with me! Also feel free to correct me please!) I don't know a lot about vestments (ger.: liturgische Gewänder) yet, so it's time to find out the names first so I can do research more easily! His long, black dress is called a cassock or soutane (ger.: Soutane) and is mainly worn by catholic clergy, though some orthodox and some protestant churches wear this vestment too. His sash that he wears around his waist is called a cincture (ger.: Zingulum) and it's mainly worn by catholic clergy. It's also not the same thing as his funky shawl he wears in stage costume, that is called a stole (ger.: Stola). And now finally his bib! I'm frantically searching through the references of different Wikipedia pages by now until I find a PDF about costume research by Martha Bringemeier, 1974 and...

...it's called bands (ger.: Beffchen) and it's mainly worn by protestants today, but until somewhere in the 19th century it was also worn by catholics. Depending on the denomination of the protestants, the bands are sewn together (german reformists), split open and angled by 30° (lutherans and swiss reformists) or partly split (united churches). Since the information I found on bands was mainly focused on protestant ways to wear them (all white as opposed to black and white), the pictures I found of catholic black-and-white bands were all split in the middle, Falk's bands had weirdly angled edges and rounded corners AND since I had a bad fever, I asked my friends dad for help. He is a pastor and very interested in christian history, but he too was quite confused, so here came the last resort: Find out who made this costume!

Aha!! Now that was easy. Kostüm Keiser? Time to google! Huh, well, seems they made a typo, I can only find Kostüm Kaiser from Switzerland - but their video production partner "VDPICTURES" is from Switzerland too, so that must be it! I sent them a mail with pictures attached, asked if it was their costume, if they had infos on the bands and since they have their own research library I also asked them if they can recommend a good book on vestments! And right the next day I was blessed with information by the very kind people behind Kostüm Kaiser: It's a pastor/priest vestment from their fund and the cassock as well as the cincture are catholic and are still worn like this today! The bands are catholic as well and (to their knowledge) were mainly worn like this in france in the 18th and 19th century. In french it's called "rabat".

They couldn't tell me why Falk's bands were so non-rectangular, they said it could be an older production from their costume rental, but that there are engravings of french priests that show different shapes. (They didn't provide pictures, but the bands of french roman-catholics seem to vary a lot in general in these times) On a side note, they recommended me a really old book from their library, «Abbildungen aller geistlichen und weltlichen Orden» by Christian Friedrich Schwan from the late 18th century and I actually found it completely digitized! Click for old book It's in german, but feel free to shoot me a message/ an ask if you want some parts translated to learn more! (I can't translate the whole book, but if a costume is interesting to you, I can try to summarize the information on it for you!) Alright, thank you for coming on this little journey with me and big thanks to Kostüm Kaiser for the help!

[unopenablebox]

debating with myself about my next knitting projects

lace is still my favorite thing to knit but i'd like to pivot to rectangular lace pieces for a bit, which may be a little easier to give lives to once i'm done knitting them. unfortunately i prefer more modern/graphic/large-scale motif-or-image lace to a lot of the shetland stuff, and i also want something where the pattern changes or evolves over time because i don't really want to be making literally just the same smallish repeat for several feet of knitting. (was considering the benitoite shawl but it fails the last criterion and i can't decide if i like it enough to do it anyway)

alternately i could go for a lace sweater of some kind. would probably want to make something that could fit either me or 🌸 so that i'm not worrying about making a special dysphoria activation device and whichever of us likes it more can wear it, though as long as the shoulders work for both of us i can just adjust sleeve length after the fact for whoever loves it the most. still not 100% on how i actually want to implement that whole thing though, and i haven't decided whether the fact that i don't knit sweaters is information about me or simply an omission because time is unidirectional and i have to knit slowly

or i could get into medieval and pre-modern colorwork knitting and try to track down that book that has the 17th floral silk waistcoat pattern so i don't have to draft it myself. pros: rules, conceptually, and also visually. cons: isn't lace, if i try to make it in any reasonable amount of time i will blast my wrists out of existence

i have a perfectly good stockinette hat im making right now and that's fine but it does not stir the soul. silk yarn and visual patterning stirs the soul.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

CS Winter Bingo--Square 5 (receiving a terrible gift): A Match Faked for Christmas, ch. 4

Hi there and happy holiday season!  In an attempt to continue procrastinating my season 4 rewatch drabbles–and to not feel guilty about it–I decided to participate in the CS Winter Bingo event.  I received nine winter/holiday related prompts arranged in a square like a bingo card.  My mission is to make a bingo by writing at least three of my prompts before winter is over, but I’m hoping to do better than that!  I’m hoping to finish all nine!  Given the nature of the event, you can expect a lot of fluff (but then what else would you expect from me, after all?)  I’m hoping to keep them short as well, but I’m usually not nearly as successful at that.  And without further ado, let’s play CS Winter Bingo!

Rating: G

Word count: 1933

Today’s prompt: Fake Dating: Holiday Edition

Other chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (6)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Killian adjusted his tie and then glanced in the mirror as he artfully mussed his hair.  Giving himself one last glance, he nodded and then headed out the door.  They’d made it to Christmas Eve, and it was time to pick Swan up for the Nolans’ annual Christmas party.  

A pang went through him at the thought.  They’d nearly reached Christmas, which means it was nearly time to end the ruse.  Oh, they’d never made firm plans about when they would “break up”, but it seemed to be understood that their dalliance wouldn’t last into the new year.

They’d laughed together as they’d strategized exactly how the break up would happen, each proposing more outlandish suggestions for the cause and manner of their relationship’s demise.  It had seemed funny a week ago as they’d trimmed the tree or gone out for coffee or watched a cheesy Christmas movie.

Now, with the reality of it looming so soon, the humor was gone and all that was left was the depressing reality:  Despite his better judgement, he’d fallen in love with Emma Swan.

Oh, he’d been attracted to her from the first–even before this sham relationship started–but this past week, getting to know her, getting glimpses of the real her behind the wall she built, spending time with her, had shown that he didn’t merely fancy her.  He loved her.  He could envision long years ahead with her as his lover and best friend, and it was a future bright with promise.

Instead, within a few days time, it would all be over.  Their break up may be no more genuine than their relationship itself, but the pain….well, that would be real.

He shook his head, letting out a long, slow breath as he knocked on Emma’s door.  Those were sorrows for another day.  Tonight, he had to convince Mary Margaret and David that he and Emma were blissfully happy together.  No difficulty there!  He wouldn’t even have to act.  In fact–

All thought left his head the moment she opened the door.  Emma Swan dressed casually in her jeans and leather jacket was beautiful.  Emma Swan dressed up for a Christmas party was positively dazzling.  After several moments he literally had to force himself to breathe again.

“Swan,” he finally croaked, “you look–”

She smirked.  “I know.”

She wore a sleeveless red satin dress embroidered with sparkly snowflakes.  Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and candy cane earrings hung from her ears.

“So you ready for our big performance as ‘couple in love’?” she asked, as she reached for a white lacy shawl and matching handbag.

He blinked, forcing himself to snap out of it and (hopefully) avoid making a complete idiot of himself.  “I think I’m up to the task.  Where’s your gift?”

She looked at him blankly.

“Swan, don’t tell me you forgot!” he said. “Mary Margaret mentioned a Dirty Santa exchange in the invitation.  We’re all supposed to bring a gift.”

She groaned, slapping a palm to her forehead.  “I can’t believe I forgot.  Now I need to find something…”

She looked around, rummaging through a bit of the organized chaos on her end table, and then landed on a large, rectangular brick of what looked like it was once fruitcake.

“You think this will do?” she asked holding it out to him.

He took the thoroughly unappetizing confection into his hand and grimaced at its weight. “As what, a holiday delicacy or as a festive paper weight?”

She laughed, taking the fruitcake back and tossing it haphazardly into a gift bag. “Giftee’s choice, I suppose.”

He laughed with her this time.  “Well, I suppose half the fun of a Dirty Santa exchange are the…less than ideal….gift options.  Where did you even get that monstrosity?”

“Cleo handed them out with our Christmas bonuses this year,” Emma said, referring to her boss at the bail bonds company.  “I’m pretty sure they’re regifts from last year–or before, given how hard and stale this thing is.”

“Well, let’s hope the proud new owner of said fruitcake chooses to go with the paperweight option rather than attempting to ingest it.  So Swan, are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” she said, putting on a large winter parka.  Killian helped her on with her second arm, and then gently pulled her hair free from the coat.  It was so soft, so silky, he longed to bury his fingers in it as he pulled her close and kissed her until they were both breathless.

He pulled his hand away and curled it into a fist.  Best not let his thoughts head in that direction. He opened her door and gestured her to precede him, before closing it behind them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Nolans’ Christmas party had been fun.  It had been a relatively small affair.  Aside from Emma and Killian, they’d invited Ruby and Graham, along with Granny, who was doing the catering, Leroy and his brothers, Astrid and Blue, and a handful of others Killian didn’t yet know.

It had been a night of good food, good company, and lots and lots of laughter.  There had been only one awkward moment when Astrid had asked how they’d met.  He and Emma had answered in unison.

“In the produce aisle at the store, over a grapefruit.”

“I brought him a plant when he first moved in.”

Killian saw David give them a confused look, but he managed to play it off by putting an arm around Emma’s waist, pulling her close, and saying “Well whenever it was we officially met, it was the most fortunate moment of my life.”

She’d smiled up at him then, and if he didn’t know better, he’d say the look in her eyes approached affection, maybe even adoration.

The Dirty Santa game had been a raucous affair replete with all manner of holiday larceny.  In the end, Leroy had received Emma’s epicly bad gift.  He’d scowled at his misfortune, and then shrugged.  “Well, sister, at least now I have something to use to bash people over the head when they annoy me.”

But it wasn’t until the end of the evening when things really took a turn.

“Well look at that!” Ruby drawled, pointing one well manicured finger above the spot where Emma and Killian were standing together.  “It seems someone has found the mistletoe. Pucker up!”

Killian shot a startled glance above his head as his heart started pounding.  Sure enough, there it was, a big, bountiful sprig of mistletoe.  He heard Emma gasp beside him, and he looked down into her eyes, which had suddenly widened almost comically.

“I…uh…um, well, we–” she began babbling a bit inanely.

“I think what the lass is trying to say is that we’re not big on public displays of affection,” Killian answered, his voice not quite steady.

She shot him a grateful look, but if he’d thought that statement would mollify Ruby, he was sadly mistaken.

“Sorry,” she said, sounding anything but. “You get caught under the mistletoe, you plant one on each other.  Them’s the rules.”

Killian glanced at Emma’s red lips, his breath catching and his heart beating so quickly it couldn’t be healthy.  Kiss Emma Swan? He’d do so in a heartbeat. He’d kiss her over and over and never stop if he had his wish.  But above all, he was a gentleman, and mistletoe or no mistletoe, he wouldn’t push her for more than she was willing to give.

He moved his glance from her lips to her eyes, wordlessly asking her permission.  She was still for a long moment, merely looking into his eyes, and then she almost imperceptibly shrugged.

It was all the urging he needed, he touched his lips to hers, so lightly and gently the kiss was barely there at all. He pulled away almost immediately.

Only to have her surge forward and capture his lips with her own.  He groaned, his arms coming around her, hers burying themselves in his hair as she pulled him closer, closer.  The rest of the world fell away as her lips parted and he eagerly accepted her invitation to pillage and plunder.

It was only long moments later when the cheers and catcalls all around them brought Killian back to his senses.  He pulled away, chest heaving and, no doubt, cheeks flaming.  He brought two fingers up to his lips in awe, as he looked into Emma’s startled eyes.

“That was…” he whispered.

“Not anything I expected to happen,” she answered, voice breathless and far from steady.

It took Killian several moments to compose himself, but finally he turned back to Ruby.  “Well, did we satisfy the laws of mistletoe?”

She grinned saucily.  “Anymore, and you’d have needed to get a room.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

David Nolan put an arm around his wife as they sat together on the sofa before their Christmas tree several hours later.

“Congratulations on another successful Christmas party, honey.” he said, turning his head to kiss the top of her head.

“It did go well, didn’t it?” she asked.  “And my other project–setting up Emma and Killian.  It couldn’t possibly be going better!”

David gave her a curious, slightly uncomfortable look.  “Mary Margaret, I hate to point this out; I really do, but surely you realized the two of them are no more actually dating than Leroy and Granny are.  The way they didn’t know basic facts about their relationship.  The deer in the headlights look they both had at the prospect of kissing under the mistletoe…”

Mary Margaret waved a dismissive hand. “Well of course they’re not actually dating. Yet.  That was never the plan.”

“What?” he asked, pulling away and looking at her in surprise.  “It wasn’t?”

She laughed.  “Of course not!  I knew they wouldn’t actually fall for my little Christmas card ruse.”

“So you…don’t….want them together?” he asked in utter bewilderment.

“Of course I do, you silly man,” she said.  “I just knew I needed to play a little 4-D chess to accomplish my goal. They needed a shared purpose, a reason to be in each other’s company.  What better way than to team up to defeat the over-eager matchmaker?”

David shook his head and laughed.  “Let me guess.  You figured they’d fake date, but the time spent together would make them realize their feelings were real.”

She snapped her fingers.  “Exactly.  And did you see that kiss?  That was not the action of a couple of people who are indifferent to each other.  I’d say we have somewhere between a few hours and a few days of denial, and then voila.  The fake relationship turns thoroughly and beautifully real.”

David leaned over and kissed her, laughter still in his eyes.  “Mary Margaret, I love you like crazy, but I’ve got to admit.  Sometimes you scare me.”

She grinned cheekily.  “It’s a gift.  Now the only question is where to turn my matchmaking attentions once Emma and Killian are settled and happy?  You know, I thought Leroy and Astrid looked pretty cozy at the party tonight…”

Notes: We are approaching the end!  Only one more chapter to go!  Up next: Emma and Killian have to confront the truth of what that kiss exposed.  Is Mary Margaret right?  Will their sham relationship turn real, or will they have their planned public breakup?  (If you don’t know the answer to that, I might have to question your intelligence, hehe.)

–Bingo note:  And with this one, I’ve officially gotten a bingo!  I’ve covered all three squares on the right side!  Let’s see if I can get another one before this fic is over!

NEXT CHAPTER->

[styleofdiamandis]

PHOTOSHOOT: PLASTIK MAGAZINE

Great things always come to those who wait. Just a week into 2025 and Marina surprised us with her first cover shoot for New York/Beirut-based magazine Plastik.

The shoot was lensed by Eli Rezkallah with fashion direction by Bashar Assaf. The insane up-do wig is by Ghastly Wigs which was installed and styled by Hannan Siddique. Makeup by Deborah Altizio.

We're starting off strong with Marina in the most stunning vintage Mugler Spring/Summer 1996 skirt suit in black and white crepe, featuring a large folding collar, statement button, rounded hem and 3/4 sleeves.

Her black stretch over-the-knee boots with pointed toe in black are the Ultrastuart 100mm boots by Stuart Weitzman ($1,935.00).

Shop:

Stuart Weitzman "Ultrastuart" Boots ($1,935.00)

For the second cover, Marina slipped into a total pink spandex look from Richard Quinn's Fall/Winter 2022 show. The difference between the runway version and Marina's is that hers features a crossover neckline and rectangular belt buckle.

The third look, and my absolute favorite one, is just the coolest Marni Fall/Winter 2024 moment. Marina chose the black flocked cotton oversized padded jacket with crayon print all over ($2,580.00).

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Marni Crayon Jacket ($2,580.00)

Her sunglasses are signed by Marni as well. The Odrius model features a futuristic, oversized rimless lens and wavy arms. M chose the colorway "Chocolat" ($465.00).

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Marni "Odrius" Sunglasses ($465.00)

I don‘t think these boots need a big introduction ;) Marina finally joins the other girlies in the club of the Kiki boots by Marc Jacobs! Shown here in full black crystal look ($695.00).

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Marc Jacobs "Kiki" Crystal Boots ($695.00)

Standing in the midst of the big apple, our girl wears a vintage Vivienne Westwood red wool jacket with downward peak hemline, shawl lapel and puffed shoulders (similar pictured). She matched it with the mini denim skirt with solarised folds ($262.00) from Diesel, a label new to her!

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Diesel Denim Mini Skirt ($262.00)

M crowned her look with this avant-garde red headpiece designed by Ellen Christine Couture which was sourced from vintage fashion mekka New York Vintage.

For the penultimate look, Marina is seen holding the world while wearing a custom-made spandex hooded catsuit with this immaculate Matthew Campbell Laurenza hand-sculpted gold-plated brass costume bra with cubic zirconia crystals (€1,820.95).

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Matthew Campbell Laurenza Jeweled Bra (€1,820.95)

To my knowledge, this is the first time we’ve seen Marina in a Carolina Herrera design, and she truly couldn’t have chosen a better piece for her debut.

She's wearing the Fall/Winter 2024 silk-faille ruffle-embellished skinny pants in black crepe ($995.00 - sold out).

M also wears these surrealistic Evil Eye rhinesrone fringe and pearl glasses. These bear no label and are actually available via various wholesale retailers!

[koenji]

Handwoven Yemenite Jewish prayer shawl, Southern Yemen, Early 20th century. 275 x 102 cm. Gift of Yihya Ovadya Gibli, Jaffa.

"In Yemen, the biblical commandment (Num. 15:38–39; Deut. 22:12) to attach tassels (tzitzit) to the four corners of one’s garment is fulfilled by attaching tzitzit to the four-cornered outer garment worn daily; in other communities, where daily attire is not four-cornered, special ritual garments—the prayer shawl (tallit) and the vest-like tallit katan—have come to be used for this purpose.

The Jews of Yemen wore several types of four-cornered garments to fulfill the tzitzit precept. In Sana'a and on the Central Plateau, an everyday black woolen shawl worn over the shoulders served as a tallit. This type of shawl was an integral part of the Jewish male’s dress in the region, and the indicative offwhite ritual tassels hung from its four corners. A more precious version made of highly refined black wool was worn in this region on the Sabbath.

The garment’s Yemeni Arabic name shamleh recalls the Hebrew word simlah, used in the Bible. Both words carry the idea of a wrapped outer garment that envelops the wearer, as does the tallit when worn during prayers. As a four-cornered garment, the shamleh was subject to the commandment to bear tzitzit, and wearing it allowed one to fulfill the commandment with an article of clothing that served daily functions. In addition to being an article of clothing, it served as a blanket when resting, or a bag for bundling and carrying goods.

In rural Yemen, all men, Muslims and Jews, slung a striped, brightly colored cotton shoulder-cloth around their upper body called a lih feh or masnaf, edged with a woven band and fringes. On the four corners Jews added the ritual tassels, identifying themselves as Jews.

In southern Yemen, the tallitot were woven in color schemes of green, red, and yellow on an off-white background. These were the standard outer garment in this region, either rectangular in shape, or poncho-like with a hole or slit in the middle for the head, similar to the tallit katan (a small, four-cornered garment worn to enable one to fulfill the tzitzit commandment if one’s regular outer garment was not four-cornered). Silk squares were sewn on to reinforce the four corners where the tassels were fixed.

Skilled Jewish weavers made these garments. Among Yemeni Jews, weaving was a widely practiced and highly respected profession, one that was considered to require special skills. In the poncho-like tallit, the edges around the head and neck opening were embroidered with stitches typical of the area. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Ashkenazi white rectangular tallit with its blue or black stripes along the shorter, fringed hems, called shal in Yemen, frequently replaced the traditional Yemenite prayer shawls." x

[melaninenchantress]

Algerian Women's Traditional Clothing

One of the most iconic elements of women's traditional clothing in Algeria is the "Haik," a large rectangular shawl made from fine wool or cotton fabric, worn as a head covering and draped over the body. The Haik is often intricately embroidered or adorned with decorative motifs, serving as a symbol of modesty and cultural identity. Algerian women also wear the "Karakou," a two-piece ensemble made from luxurious fabrics and embellished for special occasions.

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 42 - service worker fashion in 1922

Back to the Downstairs wardrobes, although either there have no new maid uniforms been introduced this season, or I missed out on it because we now have no regular housemaid anymore on the main and regular cast, what with both Anna and Edna now being lady’s maids.

Some things never change though – it took me a while to realize this is even another dress than that which Mrs Hughes wore in season 3, but yes, it is. The lace is a little different, the lace panel altogether reaches up higher and has the cutest little black trim embroidery, the central row of black buttons goes all the way down, and this top has both a collar and something like a little tone-in-tone soutache framing the white panel. But Mrs Hughes sticks to her style.

So I’m shocked to see her wear a not-black blouse on the job. The fabric is a little off-white, but the lighting makes it impossible for me to tell you if it goes closer to beige to grey. I do like that little wavy design in the front, and that the collar gives Mrs Hughes the chance to wear that pretty silver brooch. On one occasion she combines this with… really more of a vest that a waistcoat, I think, because this isn’t tailored; it seems to be there for warmth rather than anything else.

No shade to the coat from last season, but this one is better. Check out that shawl collar with the little soutache additions on the sides. And it’s a pinstripe, so I’m biased. I would like to take a closer look at the trim of her cuffs, but mostly this picture gets a chuckle out of me because of the way Mrs Hughes and Daisy stand next to each other: Put a grey band on the black hat and a black band on the grey hat! A spot of color, at least for the younger woman? Nah!

Mrs Hughes can have an almost-spot of color for the beach day; at least I think this blouse is ever so slightly blue. It’s some of the comfiest and most casual she’s worn in her entire run, and with the only decoration being these little strips of tone-in-tone lace insertions, this is definitely for a leisurely day out, not for a fancy day out. I do love the little straw hat though – look at all these flowers! So pretty!

--------------

Nanny Bitchface West is only around for one episode, and although there is a successor, no Nanny after her is a named character, so this is all the costumery we’ll get. Dark blue dress with a simple white collar and cuffs, all very clean and streamlined. Her cap looks a lot like those of the housemaids. To be honest, despite her being ostensibly above the servants, she doesn’t look one iota fancier than the lowest of them? And there’s this strange style of apron again – tied around the waist, but the front pinned to the dress.

Another dress she wears is this stripey number, but I can’t see a whole lot of it beside a wide dark waistband. Drop waist? Don’t know her. A dark blue cape that I find mildly intriguing because we don’t actually see a lot of capes on this show – most people wear coats with sleeves and the whole shebang. But then, this doesn’t have anything except a couple buttons. And the hat looks really shabby. Yo, if you’re only around to be kinda loathsome, you could at least be fashionably interesting!

--------------

Woo, Mrs Patmore has a new dress! And it looks barely any different from the previous, except it’s speckled green instead of plain grey, but it has the same shape, the same high collar, pin tucks in the front… Did she ever even get a new apron after season 1? Because this is not the rectangular apron shape everyone else is wearing at this point. This narrow-in-the-waist front is way outdated.

--------------

Anna, now a lady’s maid, is banished to the realms of all-black dresses. Shame, but let’s see. Gathered sleeves, a nice-enough neckline (at least it’s a step up from O’Brien’s half-high ruffle collars), and the front is done up in what seems to be velvet stripes, giving this at least a little interest.

The basic material of the first one looks pretty much the same as the previous dress; could be silk satin if Upstairs felt generous. I like the scallops down the front and I’m a sucker for buttons, so I don’t hate it. It gets a spot of shiny, too, with that little buckle, because the fashionable waist shape is optional. Can’t see much on the second, but the fabric is more on the matte side here, and instead of a collar, it just has a square neckline.

The drop waist does show up here though – apparently, Anna can choose to wear the fashionable silhouette if she wants to, as lady’s maids have more of a dress code than a uniform. I like the upper dress with that V both in the front and the back, and the fabric looks like a damask, but the under layer somehow manages to look a little purple by comparison. Light is strange on black fabric.

Anna also has a new coat this season, and although it’s quite a black affair and I’m really craving some color here (and I'm also pretty certain that Daisy wears this coat to London when the household goes there in the season finale), I thought the two buttons that make up the closure are too charming to pass up entirely. Asymmetry occasionally draws the eye to just the right spot.

Out of the ever same dull black dresses, into leisure fashion. Anna has this grey chiffon dress that I find quite interesting to look at, not by virtue of the black and white speckle, but because it seems to have a sort of scale structure to it. Nice. And because we’re allergic to color here, a dark grey hat with a silver grey ribbon, although the latter is at least knotted up to something like a flower motif. Anna didn’t seem to like the dress though; when it comes back in season 6, it’s Miss Baxter who wears it for the wedding of Carson and Mrs Hughes. Only she has a fancy printed scarf to put on top of it.

For the nicest dress Anna has this season, she shows up in the palest, most washed-out green they could find, but it holds a little of my favor with pinstripes. There is a bit of yellow embroidery on the middle panel that looks hand-made; perhaps Anna did it herself.

--------------

Do we ever get an explanation why Edna suddenly turns from blonde to ginger between seasons? Is it so we know she’s Evil™? Because no worries; the sexual assault kinda tipped me off. Anyway. Two more boring black lady’s maid dress. The first already has no interesting fabric or decoration beyond a few seams on the collar, down the front and on that little arrow element over her chest. And the second has even less than that. The keyhole neckline is pretty much all I can see. Can’t look too conspicuous when you roofie people!

But hey, Edna cannot afford one, but two coats! This first one is quite cute; I like the coral corduroy and this double-button configuration. The buttons themselves seem to be brass and are engraved to look a little like flowers. And then the collar betrays some brown velvet lining, although it doesn’t quite match the brown shade of her hat.

If the previous coat is kinda cute, this one is chic. This is the one she wears for a job interview, and I can see why: There’s not a single wrinkle on that front or collar; this fits her like it’s been tailored to the millimeter. It’s got the tiniest little bit of soutache on the sides, but mainly, this impresses with its clean lines and smooth surface. I’ll admit it: I’d wear that coat. Not the hat though. Why grey felt? You could’ve picked a color for this when the rest if the outfit is just brown and a tiny bit of grey checker blouse peeking out.

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Three lady’s maids this season means three sets of boring black dresses. Why do these poor women have to run around like they are in perma-mourning? Anyway, Miss Baxter. First picture tells me that she doesn’t mind some pin tucks and a little scalloped trim framing her collar. Which, I should hope so; one of the first traits of her personality introduced is that she can handle an electric sewing machine. Which is more than can be said about me. The second dress has some nice flower embroidery.

Miss Baxter wears a light blue drop waist dress to the beach, which is some of the most spectacular we’ve seen on a lady’s maid since Edwardian fashion is dead. It does not only have pin tucks in the shoulders, it also has a lace under layer for the neckline. And white embroidery not only on the collar, but over the entire skirt! Let’s look at the cuffs. I love these cuffs; they have adorable little buttons. Add a cloche hat with a patterned light brown wrap, and this is the height of fashion we’ll see her in all season.

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Daisy just keeps most of her already-established dresses for the kitchen, so we’ll skip to her leisure time clothes. Because while the cardigan seems familiar (tbh I could swear that was Ivy’s in season 3), that pleated skirt is new! It looks a little bluer than the jacket, and it’s either structured or printed with a pattern; I’m not sure. The blouse, if period-typically baggy, is cute with its blue-and-green checker, and the hat has the exact same shape and making as the one she had last season; only this one is striped instead of one solid color. I’m glad that, now that Daisy is a widow well into her mid-twenties, they’ve mostly stopped dressing her like a little girl.

That’s not to mean I begrudge her the girly looks. She has this dress for the beach, and it’s cute and all – and carries through with her being dressed in salmon-adjacent colors when Ivy is around in blue shades. The embroidery is nice, pink and blue flowers dotting these brown-speckled areas, and the ribbon around her straw hat ties in similar colors in an art deco-ish ornament. I don’t know what purpose the hat serves tbh. Since she shields her eyes with her hand when looking at someone before her, the hat with its lattice brim doesn’t seem to do much sunscreening.

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Ivy’s kitchen dress is also still the same as last season, but she goes on dates now so the pretty bitch boy can try to take advantage of her, so, new look! I wonder who made this shirt for her. I mean, it’s a sandy grey, so it doesn’t look like much, but someone had to sit down and crochet this. Did she buy it or did she or someone in her family make it?

Back to her good old straw hat for the beach. This dress is not a whole lot different than the one Ivy wore to the fair last season, yet it is a new one. White with vertical light blue stripes; Ivy has her style and keeps it. The new dress has a drop waistband and a point collar, and while it’s not the peak of fashion, it looks the ideal choice for a beach day, loose, breezy, comfy.

[nothinged]

I'm trying to carry my baby in a shawl and was invited to a fb group for that and the rules and dangers are insane, meanwhile when I was in Zambia the ladies just swung their baby on their back and tightened with a rectangular cloth. Simple as that

[manic-maniac-man]

HUgE Oct 2011

Somebody in New York

Engineered Garments

Engineered Garments has expanded its wardrobe with new items such as A-line tweed jackets and knitted jackets. These are the clothes of choice for uncompromising New Yorkers.

Alejandro Alcocer | "BROWN Cafe" Owner |

Rectangular dobby round collar shirt by Engineered Garments ¥26,250,

Cotton flannel long scarf ¥8,400,

Corduroy unlined Bedford jacket ¥39,900,

Corduroy fatigue pants ¥28,350 (all Engineered Garments)

Tim Nolan |

Hair Stylist |

Wool flannel tie ¥11,550, rectangular dobby round collar shirt ¥26,250, wool flannel shawl collar cinch vest ¥26,250, wool flannel ribbon belt ¥9,450, wool flannel gurkha pants ¥33,600, multi long wingtip chukka ¥58,800 by Engineered Garments (all Engineered Garments)

Lanny Jordan Jackson

| Artist, Writer |

Engineered Garments Oxfords

19th BD shirt ¥27,300, flannel plaid tie ¥9,450, cotton twill gurkha pants ¥22,050, (Golden Bear x Engineered Garments) goat suede Bedford jacket ¥129,150, {Mark McNealy x Engineered Garments) multi long wingtip chukka ¥58,800 (all Engineered Garments)

Sole Survivor Latigo Leather Garrison Belt ¥14,490 (Nepenthes Tokyo)

Devon Turnbull | Audio Designer |

Engineered Garments wool flannel robe ¥48,300, chambray tab collar shirt ¥18,900, wool flannel tie ¥11,550, British twill desert pants ¥24,150 (all Engineered Garments) Mainland Boots double leather sole toe socks ¥57,750 (Nepenthes Tokyo)

Matthew Shattuck |

Producer |

Engineered Garments Oxford 19th BD shirt ¥27,300, wool flannel tie ¥11,550,

Sweater knit hooded dickey ¥16,800, wool flannel lansdown jacket ¥49,350, wool flannel oslo pants ¥43,050, Tricker's x Engineered Garments Scotch grain asymmetrical gibson ¥71,400 (all Engineered Garments)

Sole Survivor Latigo Leather Round Buckle Belt ¥10,290 (Nepenthes Tokyo) Leather Gloves ¥12,600 (JANTIQUES)

James Fly "CAFE KATJA" Chef |

(Engineered Garments) Rectangular dobby round collar shirt ¥26,250, sweater knit shawl collar knit jacket ¥40,950, embroidered cinch pants ¥34,650, knit jacquard knit tie ¥14,700 (all Engineered Garments) Chest handkerchief personal item

David Ortega | Artist, Art Director |

(Engineered Garments canvas storm coat, ¥58,800,

Army Cross Shoulder Hoodie ¥14,700, Heather Fleece Pop Hoodie ¥24,150, Heather Fleece Sweatpants ¥24,150 (All Engineered Garments) Sneakers personal

Sean Walker | Chocolate Maker |

Engineered Garments Cotton Flannel 19th BD Shirt ¥26,250, Taffeta Down Body Vest ¥34,650

Duck Painter Pants ¥26,250, Duck Railroad Cap ¥8,400 (all Engineered Garments)

Charles from Mainland Boots ¥51,450 (Nepenthes Tokyo)