WIW: Boho Floral and Wool Cables - YouLookFab Forum

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WIW: Boho Floral and Wool Cables

Ket

Veteran

Hello my dears! I have been loving a more on-trend, polished looks of blouses and sweaters with jeans and sneakers. Today, however, I felt like going full out bohemian! This dress is empire waistline and sheer floral chiffon. While I'm usually Team Belt, I prefer it with the long tassel pendant, sans belt. The belt feels awkward to me with the empire waistline. However, I included a photo you can vote and compare the two.

Wearing my brand-new cabled cocoon, fresh off the needles. You can read more here at my Ravelry project page. My only regret is that I didn't use the super-duper stretchy bind-off recommended by the designer but did my own thing. Might re-do the bind-off. Have to see how much energy I have.

From the back, the cocoon plus dress is maybe giving me major "fridge" shape?? No waist is visible from behind. However, I feel it's really cute from the front. Also, it's super warm and cozy--thank you, alpaca and wool. I struggle with cabled sweaters for a variety of reasons. I may post about this soon, as I would love some ideas and feedback. Suffice to say, I love having a single cable on this; it feels kind of fresh, easy, and not too "cable heavy".

When I chose this warm, muted gold for the cocoon, I actually had this dress in mind! I knew it could look really beautiful with the orchid, berry, orange, and golds in the prints. So I'm very happy with the colors.

Paired the dress with plum fleece cabled leggings and new suede boots from Target. The boots have a slight cowboy look and feel, and are majorly 1970s -- which I love!!

I'm headed to a playdate and I'm likely super, duper overdressed tbh. But I just don't care.

Makeup
Eyes: Too Faced Chocolate Bar (discontinued)
Cheeks: Nars Taos
Bronzer and Foundation: Elea Blake
Lipstick: Wet 'n Wild Jam With Me

Outfit
Dress: Ophelia from Meijer
Leggings: Avenue (City Chic's older sister)
Boots: Target
Cocoon: Chateau pattern

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31 replies

Latest reply was from Ket

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Ket, let me be the first to say that you look KILLER gorgeous! Absolutely fabulous from all angles!

Like you, I prefer the version with the tassel necklace sans belt. I love the proportions of the empire waist with the voluminous cocoon topper! You look Boho Chic, on trend, and very pretty

The palette is dead right on you! Your fresh new hand knit is a masterpiece.

Star

Veteran

I have a slight preference for the beltless version. I think both are stunning and you could choose depending on your mood. Imo loose is more boho and belted is more bombshell. Love the cardi colour. As Angie said it is a work of art. Love the colour of your leggings. Killer outfit for sure.

Kate

Veteran

Your outfit is gorgeous from top to bottom. I love the color palette, and I wish I owned that beautiful cable cocoon! I am always so impressed by your knitting skills.

I prefer the dress without the belt. It has a beautiful line from neck to hem, and the tassel pendant is the perfect accessory.

Ket

Veteran

Angie, oh thank you!! I really love how the cocoon turned out. And I really love the proportions too. I'm not a huge fan of empire waistlines on me. (I'm not sure why, tbh.) But I do love this dress immensely, and even more so with the cocoon. Thank you for the kind words about my color palette. I feel I've nailed Dark Autumn/autumn. It's most satisfying! xo

Star and Kate, oh YAY! Sounds like you all prefer beltless and I am so glad. It feels more modern sans belt to me. The flow of it feels better too.

Star, thank you for the cardi compliment <3 I love the color and how it turned out. The color actually doesn't work with a lot of my blouses; I only like to wear yellow/gold with plum/orchid, wine, a little chocolate, and navy. How many wears the cocoon will get is TBD. Perhaps I'll need to knit another version in a neutral. Anyway, I will stop rambling about color. haha!

Kate, I'm so glad you love the cocoon. <3 It's truly a simple pattern. I can't remember if you knit or not? I bet you could knit this if you do knit. The tassel pendant is prized. I found it thrifting. It's vintage and I just love it.

SarahD8

Veteran

Floral + cable knit = you are in my happy place!!!
I love this outfit, and love it on you.

Great color scheme on you, and I love the double cable (topper and tights).
I like both necklace and belt versions (I will be the spanner, and declare a slight preference for the belt).

I think the curved hem and general roundness of the cocoon keep it from refrigerator territory. In the back view in #4, there is a slight drape that gives an indication of your underlying shape, too.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Gorgeous! I also prefer the necklace to the belt. Your makeup is always perfect. You do not look one bit like a fridge from the back or any angle, and anyway no one is talking to your back.

Sal

Veteran

You look stunning Ket - in the dress and even more so in the knit.

I think with the knit I prefer it without the belt, just a bit simpler and more flowing lines.

Whilst Bohemian looks are very natural on you I support experimentation with other styles as well. It's fun to mix it up!!

Lisa

Veteran

I like the dress without the belt, it gives a more relaxed vibe. These colors are very pretty on you, you wear autumn shades very well.

Beautiful cocoon cardigan, it's so pretty! The detail is wonderful! You're very talented.

RobinF

Veteran

Beautiful sweater! Nice job! Love it with the dress but I could also see it more casually with jeans and a tee. Very versatile.

Ket

Veteran

SarahD8, thank you so much! I get bored easily, but I still love a good boho floral chiffon blouse ha! I have worn the dress with a belt before, so I haven't fully abandoned the idea. Really good points about the curved hem and drape keeping things from the fridge zone in the back. Glad to hear it!

Jaime, you are so sweet! Thank you <3 And so true -- no one is talking to my back. I guess being tall and curvy, I'm self-conscious about looking like a block. But you're right! <3

Sal, oh thank you!! The overwhelming feedback is sans belt. I too like the flow without it--unusual for me, but very happy with it. Thank you for the support on mixing things up! I will always mix things up to some degree. Bohemian is my comfort zone, but I love anything vintage, bombshell, or sensually dramatic. So I will continue to mood dress

Lisa, thank you! I enjoy autumn colors a ton, and I am loving the cocoon. Might knit another in a neutral color...

Robin, oh thank you!! I am itching to try the cocoon with jeans and a tee! We have snow through May, alternating with warm sunny days. So I'll likely still get a few more wears before I have to tuck it away until the fall. I have a lovely plum chiffon tunic that I like to wear with leggings. So I might try that with the cocoon soon! I'll post when I do.

Cookie

You look gorgeous! Gorgeous! That one giant cable is so cool and dramatic, and you do not look like a fridge, though I am very sensitive to that concern. The colors are beautiful and I love the 70s-esque boots. As a notorious over-belter, I guess I am an outlier in preferring it that way to break up the print and turn the empire waistline into a normal waistline. I don’t like them either, they make me look pregnant, lol. But I like it unbelted too.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

You look stunning! WOW! I like both versions here, but prefer the one with the necklace and no belt. Still, it is nice to have the variety. I love the textural mix and subtle pattern mix with the chunky knit contrasting the floral dress. The colours are spectacular on you.

Ket

Veteran

Cookie, oh thank you so much!! I do really love the cabled cocoon a lot. I'm really glad I finally knit it. (It had been on my to-knit list for literal years!) What doesn't show in the photo is how high the empire waist is. So much so, the torso fabric pulls and blouses over the top of the belt when I move. So ultimately, it feels a bit sloppy looking (to me) in real life. It also feels a bit "trying too hard" IYKWIM?

I used to over-belt too. Even though I still belt some tops/dresses, what switched my mind was finding clothing that had structure and cut to emphasis the waist on its own. Sometimes a belt works wonderfully, so don't get me wrong. But what I observed is that about 50% of the time, a belt actually breaks the overall line of the outfit or garment, causing the eye to stare at the belt, versus the eye traveling up and down the figure and taking in the whole outfit. Take a look at one of my best outfits from a couple years ago. I used to belt the heck out of that t-shirt dress. It did work... but at times it also looked a little forced and odd. (Or maybe a bit off-trend??) Wearing the structured, shapely jacket sans belt over the dress is honestly better. Not sure if that helps at all?? I still love belts, but I have stopped relying on them exclusively for shape and waist emphasis. I now really try to buy clothes that just have more shape to them. Sometimes that is challenging. I'm extremely curvy and tall and most retail clothing is cut straight to fit as many bodies as possible. Still, I have found good curve-loving brands and learned what fits/suits me well. Or how to tweak the trends work in my favor. Just my experience for you <3 <3 <3

Ket

Veteran

Suz, oh thank you dear lady!! I feel very stunning in this outfit. I really need and want to repeat it again--making a mental note... The entire outfit actually felt very easy to wear yesterday at gym play date and running errands. I was shocked at the comfort level. For one, I didn't need Spanx or a slip which helped a ton. Then too, I think it just really connected with my heart and mood that day. And I think the proportions and fit look and feel good on me, which was helpful to see. Anyway, I'm rambling a lot. I'm just so pleased I've found such a lovely outfit that looks so good without trying very hard. haha!

Ket

Veteran

Another note I want to make about the cocoon: airy drapey fabric for the win! The fabric happened because I mixed a lace weight mohair-type yarn (in this case, alpaca but similar style of yarn) with a smaller gauge wool yarn on a large needle. The mohair/alpaca fills in the gauge gaps and produces a very airy and even drapey fabric. This yarn combo has been gangbusters’ popular in the knitting world the last 2-4 years. I resisted the trend because it makes a sweater project super expensive. One is buying twice the yardage, PLUS the mohair/alpaca yarns themselves are more expensive. A sweater that would originally cost $50-100 in yarn might easily cost $85-200+ depending greatly on yardage and yarns used, just by adding a fluffystrand of mohair/alpaca. However. This cocoon has really changed my mind and made me reconsider this yarn combo for future projects.the drape is so luscious, especially given that this project was knit with bulky yarn and big fat needles.

I have another handknit cocoon in burnt orange. However it has a heavily textured stitch pattern. And… it’s knit in acrylic which doesn’t drape the same as the gold cocoon. I don’t find it as flattering on me. It looks visually heavier and bulkier despite being knit with finer yarn and needles.

I will have to do some more thinking, budgeting, and steeping for future projects !

Bijou

Veteran

WOW!!!

Everything about this is perfect - including your make up. I love how the knit matches the amber colour in your eyes. It is a stunning piece. If the style of the knit is going to have drape and flow - it is worth the additional expense for the yarn that sits beautifully, especially as you have the skill to make a truly glorious piece.

Dee

Veteran

Gorgeous outfit, so pretty, terrific colour combo and very YOU. I do love the belt with it but it works well either way. Beautiful cocoon knit sweater, gives a fab relaxed boho vibe, I wish I could knit so well. Fun with the purple leggings underneath too. A+++

Ket

Veteran

Bijou and Dee, thank you so much!! I am blushing reading your kind words!

Bijou, touche on spending more for yarn. I am slowly getting better about spending more on yarn. No that I cheap out per se and only use acrylic or anything. I typically buy animal fibers almost exclusively with minor exceptions. Gosh, I didin't even realize the yarn matches the amber in my eyes

Dee, well thank you for the lovely knitting compliment <3 I bet you could knit this cocoon and it would be very beautiful! It's a very simple pattern and a nice gauge. While technically I was using the purple leggings because it's all I own for leggings, I also felt like I had a fun secret: Pow! Cabled purple leggings! hehe

Brooklyn

Veteran

Wow! You look sensational! I love the cardigan so much and I want to steal it. As a fellow DA, I would wear it the exact same colours that you mention.

I will join Cookie and say I prefer the dress with a belt, but I can’t see the details that you refer to. Having you describe them, I can understand the issue.

Suntiger

Both beltless and belted versions look good and I'm in awe of your knitting skills as always! Is the kitten enjoying/ "helping" when you knit? Love the dress print and boots too and the earrings look like something I'd wear

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Gorgeous! You have a great handle on your color palette, and I like the dress both ways on you.

Lisa

Veteran

Ket - I vote a big YES that you knit another cocoon cardigan, it's such a lovely piece!

Ket

Veteran

Brooklyn, steal away haha! I love finding DA inspiration. Maybe you'll repeat the same/similar colors in an outfit?? I'd love to see it Yes, the high empire waistline definitely IRL feels more awkward with the belt. I have worn it belted, to be sure. But I am actually liking it better without the belt -- which is a huge departure for me!!

Suntiger, you're so lovely to compliment my knitting skills!! Thank you <3 The earrings are Temu--if you want to try them! However, I really want to find a duplicate version of them in kinder metals. The Temu earrings cause my piercings to feel irritated after only 2-4 hours of wear. (Probably full of junk metals and such... eek.) Oh Lettie... she is a yarn chomper, I'm afraid! She found leftover balls of yarn in the bedroom and within seconds had bitten clean through several strands. I had to immediately retrieve additional storage boxes and hide all my yarn in them. I have a feeling she would quickly destroy my stash otherwise!

Janet, thank you so much!!

Lisa, I will definitely be making a second cocoon at some point!! I am thinking this coffee with chestnut mohair. OR this incredible warm, deep petrol blue with coordinating mohair. I've also considered chili red, which is not a neutral. (I'm just a sucker for red!)

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Lisa

Veteran

Ket - Boy those are all really nice choices for colors for the second cocoon cardigan. I can't even pick a favorite! No matter what color you decide, it'll be a winner!

Carol

(website)

Veteran

So many thoughts! As Angie would say: KILLER. Drama, streamlined, everything. I am loving those boots, and wondering where I can get some. I do like the belt, a lot.

On to the piece you knitted--the back is fantastic. It is such a bold design, it makes you look like a fantasy character in a movie. Maybe you're about to pull out your wooden staff and make weather move around.

Bijou

Veteran

As a fellow sucker for red, that gets my vote. I have a woollen red cape and love it.

Ket

Veteran

Carol, oh thank you!!! Love the thought of being a fantasy movie character! I come from a lot of Celtic and Scandinavian heritage, so that speaks to me. The boots were a Target special. They're pretty comfortable; maybe not 8-12 hours on concrete, but a few hours running errands in them hasn't' bothered my feet. I find faux suede generally holds up pretty nicely. Here is a link. Mine are in the brown shade. https://www.target.com/p/women.....90974954#l

Bijou, we can be red twinsies! I love shades of red. I have this yarn that I just love. It's a Shetland-style woolen yarn and I bought a large quantity in Cinnabar (pic 1) and Ruby (pic 2) colors. I haven't decided what to knit with it all but I do absolutely love it! I'm kind of tempted to knit this very 1970s style sweater in reds and orchids and chocolates.

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Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

What a fabulous outfit, Ket. Just beautiful! I prefer sans belt and with the tassel necklace--I like how the antique gold of the necklace relates to the gold of the cardigan.

Speaking of which, the cardigan is superb. If I were you, I'd be wanting to wear it every single day! (Makes me think: I need to make up a cocoon cardi out of a sweater knit that I have in my fabric stash.) Definitely no fridge vibes with that lovely cable down the back!

Cookie

I love that 70s sweater! I’d be tempted to replace the turtleneck with a scoop neck, but I love it, the intricate pattern and billowy sleeves.

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