Much like Facebook’s posts and ability for friends to comment and/or like a post, Ravelry, a knitter’s online paradise, has a function called forums.  Forums are generally written and like-interested people comment, share, like, or otherwise support the theme of the post.  Reading these threads is as interesting as posting on them.  Groups on Ravelry generally have many such forums going on at once and of course, there are people in all ranges of activity on them.  Some are so active, they have become moderators and those moderators are now posting what we affectionately call challenges.  This is true within the Vogue Knitting Group, at least. This is where the inspiration came, or maybe an excuse, to go all the way back to my complete VK magazine collection dating Fall/Winter 1982 (easy access here on shelving).

One challenge said something like a ‘very easy Vogue’ from a vintage year and the other a #19 (representing the current year).  The latter suggested we could double up if we so chose meaning one project could fulfill both challenges.  Oh, the games we play . . . and, I so enjoy.

Here is the #19 and the vintage magazine, and if you read the description on how to make this pull, you see how it denotes “very easy”.  Take out pearls, white gloves, and shoulder pads (however, I have heard they may be making a return), I felt this a real possibility.  Also, in this age of ‘borrowing from the other gender’ era, how fitting. Case in point:  the below is taken right from a fashion magazine looking for this specific design inspiration:

MENSWEAR INSPIRED

With growing trends towards genderfluid dressing and genderless fashion, we’re seeing more and more menswear inspired details on the women’s catwalk. These details include:

• Oversized silhouette (the boyfriend cardigan, boyfriend jeans, etc.)
• Heritage focused (Fisherman and Aran sweaters)
• Vintage, varsity style clothing
• Raglan and Saddle shoulder sweaters
• Styles that both men and women will wear

Decision made, I found me some interesting organic cotton that had a similar texture to the yarn of yesterday, and utilized stash

yarn, a worsted weight cotton for the collar and a worsted weight wool for the tie.  The tie is lightweight so as to not pull down, yet long enough to not blow away in the wind as you can see is happening . . .

After setting up gauge, this knitted up very quickly as you might expect, sewed on collar and tie, and off to the photo shoot we went.  Where?  to my alma mater because . . . why not?

Pretty cool standing next to a building I had many classes in 40+ years, ago.  (Buffalo State)

And, pretty fun fashioning a vintage pattern.

Project as seen on Ravelry