two tribes go to war

[pensnest]

I had forgotten that the University Boat Race was due, until I spoke to my sister at the weekend and she reminded me. So I watched it yesterday on iPlayer. From what I could gather (I skipped through a lot of the guff they put in to make the programme longer), the crew members were training at home, separately, for a good six month, and only got to row together for the last 28 days. Which is a hell of a weird way to put a boat race crew together. However, all very satisfactory, and, to my astonishment, with bonus Olive and Mabel.

*

There's a post on Tom & Lorenzo here: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2021/04/berluti-fall-2021-menswear-collection/ which features (aside from a number of unexpectedly and unreasonably fabulous outfits for tall, slender chaps and some hats that should be incinerated) an item that intrigues me.

Scroll down to the chap in the sweater—it's turquoise with purple, red and tan in stripes, and worn with magenta pants (which works a lot better than one might think). I'm intrigued by the way the stitches are done, and not quite sure how it is happening. It looks like a mixture of knitting and weaving! Can anyone guess?

Comments

[antisoppist]

The jumper is interesting. It's like some sort of variant on double basket stitch except not quite and with four colours.

[pensnest]

I shall investigate double basket stitch. I'm really intrigued by it.

[smallhobbit]

Why do they have flower pots on their heads?

I wonder whether the sweater was knitted in the same way I did my hat, each row with one colour and slipping the stitches for the second?

[pensnest]

Aren't those hats dreadful!

I'm reasonably convinced there must be some kind of slip stitch involved, but it doesn't *seem* to explain everything. Very puzzling.

[semielliptical]

Very intriguing sweater! I also think it's some kind of slip stitch pattern. I wonder what the fiber is.

[pensnest]

The bright blue looks to me like cotton, but for all I know it could be a mixture. It's probably the most interesting sweater I've ever seen on that site, because normally the 'designer' knitwear just doesn't seem very worth-while.

[author_by_night]

Tom and Lorenzo! I wasn't sure if their site was still up. I used to read their Mad Men recaps/fashion analysis, but that was many years ago.

[pensnest]

That Mad Men analysis was awesome, indeed! Yes, still going strong. I really enjoy their pages, and their podcasts aren't bad.

[dine]

enquiring minds have got to know - were Olive and Mabel rowing?

[pensnest]

Alas, no, though I think they would have made magnificent figureheads in the bows! They were running the towpath with their owner while someone else sculled along the course, because of course it was not the regular (and daft) route along the Thames from Putney to Mortlake, it was rowed in the Fens this year, along the Great Ouse (which I suspect was bullied into a long straight stretch many years ago when the Fenland was being reclaimed) with Ely Cathedral magnificently in the background.

[dine]

Olive & Mabel would have made excellent figureheads! too bad they weren't drafted, I'm sure they would have been happy to help out (especially if there were biscuits involved)

I got your neat postcard - thank you

[turps]

Olive and Mabel are an excellent bonus.

Those outfits are...well, something.

[pensnest]

The outfits... kinda work, but almost certainly only on lithe, slender models posing for photographs. Though I wouldn't mind seeing some of the shirts out and about. NO magenta pants, please.

[brandywine28]

I can't begin to explain that sweater, but I'm kind of mesmerized by the green-purple gradient suit (third from the bottom)!

[pensnest]

I really like the gradient suits, which puzzles me a bit. There must be vanishingly few people who could wear such things In Real Life, though.

[watervole]

I'd say it was woven, but one of the warps is a crochet chain.

[pensnest]

I think that's it! That is the explanation that most accurately fits what I see. At my online S&B last night we were puzzling over it, but I do think it is woven, and I think you must be right about the crochet chain. \o/

[watervole]

It probably helps that I knit, crochet and weave.

I'm attempting to tablet weave a twill at present - this is gonna be tough!

[pensnest]

So useful to have someone who knits and crochets and weaves! :-)

[turlough]

Those are some seriously depressing-looking hats! I agree some of those outfits are seriously awesome. The gradients for example - I particularly like the purple/blue leather jacket and the sunset shirt - and that really sharp turqouise coat. I agree with watervole that the sweater is woven in some way, but I think I disagree about the crochet chains. If you look closely at the vertical turqouise "chains" you can see that each loop in the chain is connected with horisontal strands to the next vertical chain. I can't even begin to figure out how it was done!

[pensnest]

I love that leather jacket, too! There are some beautiful pieces, though wearing them all together is For Celebrities Only.

I am just fascinated by the construction of that sweater. Fascinated.

[frausorge]

Those are some statement outfits indeed. I have no clue about the sweater, but I'm very taken with the violet suit and the turquoise and violet fuzzy sweater.