Knitch Magazine

Crisp leaves cartwheel from the trees, dusk arrives a little earlier each day, and a brisk energy fills the air. Autumn fills yarn shop shelves, too, as plum, rust and gold hues replace the soft pastels or brights of summer. What can knitters expect from Fall 2010? Tanis Gray, longtime knitting designer, teacher and expert on all things yarn, says this year, it’s back to basics in both shape and style. “I appreciate trends, and understand the need to move forward, but if I’m going to spend 20 hours knitting a sweater, I’d like it to be something I’ll wear for a while,” she said. “You’re also seeing a lot more plain wool, or wool with some other fibers. People are accepting that they need to use it, and a lot are knitting with just straight-up wool.”

Photo left: Interesting sleeves update a traditional style.

Tanis has also noticed a change in the attitude projected by the fashion universe. “Instead of being a separate world, above and away from everything else, the fashion industry is bowing down and admitting that the economy is atrocious,” she said. “They’re taking that and running with it; instead of things that are so crazy and original, everyone is into regurgitating things you saw maybe 15 years ago.”

Tanis noted that high fashion has taken basic shades like white or beige, and gone toward looks that can be “worn over and over, just churned through your wardrobe. No more jeggings [skin-tight jeans styled like leggings]! The fashion industry has been off in its own world, but to see it down here with the rest of us is very interesting.”

The colors of Fall 2010 are a welcome shift from the somber blacks, browns, beiges and grays of last year’s “It’s a Recession, Let’s All Be Gloomy Even When We Knit!” shades. “Color is definitely coming back,” Tanis said. “There was a fashion show where most designers were showing the darks and beiges, but one company did bright, vibrant shades, and people actually clapped like crazy to see some color. For this fall, the colors are camel and purple and olive, some with metallic touches, and pale blues. They’re still pretty somber but not as intense.”

Whatever the color, knitters are still looking for real value from their projects. “People are knitting less complicated things, simpler sweaters,” Tanis said. Cardigans are still king but, “you’ll see a basic cardi that has a crazy puffed sleeve. You see things like that in Rowan magazines, they take traditional designs and do something to put a spin on it.” Trendy items, Tanis said, are not what knitters are seeking right now. “A lot of people knit lace, which is tied to the economy. You can take a relatively small amount of yarn and transform it into a gorgeous, stunning piece. Or hats, again not trendy, but practical. People want something they know they can wear, and if we’re going to be in a slump for awhile, they’ll still be able to wear it.”

Photo right: Valentina brings color to the winter landscape.

Tanis believes the economy has helped boost greater appreciation for knitting.”You see more people wanting to learn how to knit—they can’t afford to go on vacation or go out and do things they used to do, so they’ll take a knitting class.” She has also noticed that knitting magazines encourage “pulling from your stash instead of just buying new yarn,” Tanis said, noting that advertisers cannot be happy about that. “But you’re more apt to buy a $7 magazine than spend $300 on yarn for a sweater, and the advertisers have been very patient. They’ll hope that you’ll look at a smaller project that takes one or two skeins. Maybe you’ll spend $40 on cashmere, and enjoy the feeling of knitting something luxurious.”

Photo left: Knitting with cashmere is a luxurious sensory experience.

As consumers, knitters have become more judicious in spending, picking up the wools in all weights that have become staples. But some are experimenting, going beyond the basics, as more wool-bamboo or wool-cotton combos have hit the market. “Knitters are always going to use the workhorse yarns, but if they can afford it, people are also choosing a little nicer blend, and yarn companies are realizing their customers want something that is of long-lasting value,” Tanis said. “Maybe the wool-bamboo will wear a little better, or is just something different” to knit with. Tanis herself is excited about a yak-camel mix she recently bought, describing it as “amazing, beautiful yarn.” Both stores and consumers are savvier, she said, and are asking ‘what has this got that makes it different?’ “You’re seeing different blends and colorways—and better yardage.”

With basic silhouettes and a more hopeful palette in the fall knitting forecast, what does Tanis, who’s currently wrapping up some spring designs, see on the far horizon? “Everyone is sick of the slump,” she said. “Spring colors are described as uplifting, energizing, and softening. I have my eye on a spring cardi for myself with a simple diamond textured pattern. And I’m thinking lemongrass or teal.”

Photo right: Tanis Gray.