What I Wore | Hand Knit

Jessica Quirk wears a hand knit gray sweater, Knitting

Jessica Quirk wears a hand knit gray sweater, Knitting

Jessica Quirk wears a hand knit gray sweater, Knitting

Jessica Quirk wears a hand knit gray sweater, Knitting

What I Wore on What I Wore

WhatIWore: I’m so excited about today’s post! I’ve finally finished knitting what I’ve been calling my bobble sweater! I was held up waiting for more yarn to come into my local yarn shop so it took me a little over a month to complete, but it was actually a lot easier than it looks. I also mastered continental rib knitting which made both the cowl neck and bottom sections go much faster! Read on for more details…

When: January 27, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’
Sweater: Hand knit, Vogue Knitting, Winter 2008/2009 Pattern 2*
Jeans: J.Crew
Boots: Jeffery Campbell (really old!)

Where: Coffee Shop laptop time

The softer gray was knit from cuff to cuff which is why the cable knits are horizontal. This part was completed first and then stitched up the side seams before starting the top yoke/collar and bottom section. I also doubled up on my yarn to create more loft. The pattern calls for a much chunkier yarn but when I saw this alpaca bamboo blend, I fell in love! Of course I can’t tell yet, but I think the color combination is pretty timeless and I hope I can wear this piece for years to come!

I did make quite a few adjustments to the design, so if you’re into that sort of thing, please read more on my ravelry page

I also tried it on with a black skirt, tights and boots and it looked equally cute - perhaps for a different sort of morning. Today I’m just doing my thing at the coffee shop and I like how well it pairs with jeans and boots. 

Also! If you’re in the B-town area, I’m hosting a Stitch and Bitch knitting circle tonight at Cardinal! See their facebook page for details!

Jessica Quirk wears a hand knit gray sweater, Knitting

What I Wore on Facebook

What I’m Watching | Younger

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Although I’m trying to watch less mindless programs (read: repeats on HGTV and E!), I really like TV! One of the shows that I’m really happy to see in it’s second season is Younger

Have you seen it? The premise is of a 40 year old newly single mom who’s trying to get back into the work force. She’s talented and smart but overqualified so she decides to act like a 26 year old to get a job as an assistant in the publishing industry. The show stars Sutton Foster as Liza who makes both 40 and 26 look good. I like her character because she has the wisdom her younger friends lack but doesn’t have a total grasp on whatever the kids are saying these days. Remember when I asked what ‘bae’ meant the other day on twitter?. Even though it’s fictional, I can relate. I binge watched the entire first season in a day or two and now rewatching again as I wait for new episodes (it’s on at 10 on Wednesday nights)

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Younger makes me think back to my single NYC days in a nostalgic sort of way.  It’s not as gritty as Girls (another show I love) but still entertaining. 

The costume styling is inspiring and so on point - done by Patricia Fields from SATC fame. Not that I’m planning on doing any exact copies of what they’re wearing - it’s just the kind of outfits that make you want to play around with what you already have in your closet. (Here’s a photo/story of when I met Pat in 2011! Re-reading her advice couldn’t have come at a better time for me.)

Younger is on TV Land and the first season is out on DvD, amazon and on demand with some providers. 

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Younger on TV land, Sutton Foster, Hillary Duff

Wowza! I’m sad I have to clarify this, but no, I do not get paid to watch TV and this is not a sponsored post. I’ve always been 100% transparent with my relationships. I’m dabbling in writing about my other interests and obviously I’m an amateur in doing that! But in more exciting news, next week I’m talking about one of my favorite new costume dramas! Stay tuned!

What I Wore | Thrift Shop

Jessica Quirk wears a thrift store sweater with peacoat, jeans and over the knee boots.

Jessica Quirk wears a thrift store sweater with peacoat, jeans and over the knee boots.

Jessica Quirk wears a thrift store sweater with peacoat, jeans and over the knee boots.

Jessica Quirk wears a thrift store sweater with peacoat, jeans and over the knee boots.

WhatIWore: In addition to my goal of wearing more of what I already have, I also want to get back into something I really enjoy - the treasure hunt of thrift shopping! There’s a new mega sized Goodwill that opened recently in town so I decided to press my luck to see what I could find.

When: January 21, 2016

What:
Hat: Self Made + Designed (pattern available here)
Coat: J.Crew
Sweater: thrifted, Goodwill
Jeans: J.Crew
Boots: UGG Australia

Where: Coffee Shop to write, edit, blooooooog

Here’s how I normally attack a thrift store. I start with skirts, hoping for vintage pencils or prints. This time I found a really cute denim front slit skirt. I didn’t try on, but figure it’s a cute style I could consign if it doesn’t fit me. Our Goodwill stores are sorted by color, so that’s the next way I narrow things down - usually with black and white blouses. I look for patterns and prints that have a vintage vibe but I actually ended up scoring a lace burn out pattern LOFT tee that looked brand new. I’ll wear that this spring with printed full skirts. Then, as I was en route to my next favorite section - dresses and two piece suits, the sweater I’m wearing today was like “HEYYYYY!!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT ME!!!” Yes, yes I do! I actually recently saw a similarly patterned and colored sweater in one of my old magazine tears, so with that still stuck in my mind, I grabbed this sweater without a second thought. And here I am wearing it today! I love it - especially for the color combo. I normally wash everything thrifted right away, but I just layered this puppy over a long sleeve tee and I’m calling it a day. I’ll probably soak it in my sweater mix and try to block it a little in the near future. 

EDIT: My sweater mix is just a soap I use to block my hand knits. It’s called Soak and available here.

In closing - dear thrift shops and vintage stores - I’ve missed you! See you soon. I’m gonna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket.  Love, Jessica

Jessica Quirk wears a thrift store sweater with peacoat, jeans and over the knee boots.

What I Wore | Plum Wine

Jessica Quirk mixes a home sewn skirt with bold tights and Rag + Bone Newbury booties on her blog What I Wore

Jessica Quirk mixes a home sewn skirt with bold tights and Rag + Bone Newbury booties on her blog What I Wore

Jessica Quirk mixes a home sewn skirt with bold tights and Rag + Bone Newbury booties on her blog What I Wore

WhatIWore: It’s only been a few days since I pushed post on my big rant on fashion blogging, but I can tell you that something has changed. It was like a huge weight I just needed to get off my shoulders to move forward - and it worked! It sounds like a lot of us are in the same boat with feeling like we’re over the current state of the blog world. Your comments, emails and notes reminded me of why I blog in the first place and if it’s possible to feel the bonds of friendship, even with strangers online, I felt them. Trust me, I was bracing myself for a shit storm, so a million times over thank you

Now, let’s talk about this get up! 

When: January 25, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Northern Lights’
Sweater: J.Crew 
Black Moto Jacket: MICHAEL Michael Kors (this similar number has awesome reviews and is a good price)
Skirt: Self Made
Tights: We Love Colors
Booties: Rag + Bone

I used to be the queen of colored tights (according to me, in my own world, population: 1) but I haven’t worn them very much lately. This deep garnet/maroon shade is a good gateway. Dark but not too flashy like you’d get with brighter or lighter colors (see me wear pink, yellow and purple). 

The skirt and jacket combo is a repeat from the good old days and i like how it looks now too! When I wore it back then I said it was a nod to my former style too, so I guess I’m on the right track! 

I also had my hair cut and colored last week because I’m aiming to go back to a brighter blonde but gradually. It sometimes take a trip to the dark side to realize that I have more fun as a goodie locks. And seeing my son’s beautiful light hair makes me with I was his color. Maybe by summer I’ll get there. Slow and steady!

Jessica Quirk mixes a home sewn skirt with bold tights and Rag + Bone Newbury booties on her blog What I Wore

Jessica Quirk mixes a home sewn skirt with bold tights and Rag + Bone Newbury booties on her blog What I Wore