I am totally in love with the new Studio Issue 32 from Rowan.  Studios are issued 4 times a year and feature half dozen or so designs based on a theme.  Patterns tend to be more edgy than those found in other Rowan publications and I have found some of my favorite patterns in Rowan Studio. The newest studio with it's monochromatic black and white theme with a sixties vibe is close to my heart, it's my teen era, when I first discovered fashion.  Now, let me take you for a stroll down memory lane, via Carnaby Street.

Etta

Janis

Lulu

Petulia

Sandy

Shirley

Dusty

Dusty

Aren't they all beautiful?  I do love them in black and white, but cannot wait to see what other knitters do and what color combinations they come up with.  My two favorites and the two that will be added to my queue are Dusty and Sandy.  There are two free pattern downloads available on the Rowan site to go along with this collection.  By the way, did you catch the names?  Named after famous singers of the 60s.  Love that.

Blue Jasmine, the new Woody Allen movie is excellent.  My husband and I both loved it for many reasons, but one thing I loved in the movie that I don't think my husband noticed was Cate Blanchett's wardrobe.  Absolutely gorgeous.  I loved her simple classic style.  Cate wore this beautiful white boucle jacket with black blanket stitch trim in many scenes.  BTW, I think she should win an Oscar for this role.




Back in 1965 I could rock the black and white with blanket stitch trim too!  One of my favorite dresses I made was a black and white houndstooth check beauty I wore with white go-go boots.  I was 14 and wore this to death and was so proud that I made it.  This was back in the day when you got very dressed up for school.  I actually wore hose with a garter belt, this was before pantyhose, and wore heels every day to school.  We used to keep clear nail polish in our purses to keep the runs at bay.  Unimaginable and almost unbelievable now, wearing hose and heels to school, but this was the style in my high school in southern California in the 60s.  I made most of my clothes but also would shop at some cute boutiques on Sunset Blvd. near my mother's talent agency.  I would go to her office after school to "help out" but really I just wanted a chance to walk and shop on the strip.  A few years later and I would crochet bikinis and sell them to the little boutiques to earn pocket money to spend on more fabric and more clothes and more shoes!  Gotta love those sixties!

Circa 1965, age 14, it looks like I have braces!  At this time my HS allowed skirts to show only half the knee, any more and we were sent to the VP's office!