Kaffe-Haters Unite
Years ago when some KnitListers said some hateful things about Kaffe Fassett, I never understood where their nastiness came from.
Kaffe Envy
It must be envy. I look at the two pairs of socks I’ve completed using his colorways, and it annoys the hell out of me that he can put together such seemingly incongruous colors, in such a casual way, and have them look so amazing. I can’t help but be envious. Now, of course my envy wouldn’t prompt me to really write hateful things about such a nice man, but I can at least see the impetus for others’ nasty comments about him.
Actually, folks that know Kaffe very well tell me that he doesn’t ever go on-line, or I never would have written any of this. I just hope the folks that his friends who do go on-line don’t show him this.
Current Knitting
I finished the second sock of the second pair of Kaffe/Regia socks.
I love how they’ve come out. To get the most out of the yarn, I actually ended up undoing the Kitchener-like bind-off I did on the first sock, and added on another inch of knitting. These socks are one of the few reasons I look foward to cooler weather.
Flea Market Finds
I did find a few more vintage knitting books recently at my local flea market.
The Vogue from 1950 is a classic that I’m glad to have, but the 1950’s Men’s Knitting booklet is my favorite. The sweaters are absolutely unwearable, and the men posing in them will give me joy for a long time to come.
Those socks really are lovely and add a whole level of appeal to big-house striping yarns. I found a really cool book this weekend called Not Just More Socks that talked a bit about manipulating self-striping yarns to your own will but looks like the Kaffe prints need no such help.
On several occassions, including very recently with Lantern Moon, I’ve made a remark on my blog without much consideration that the entity named would ever know. Ha! Each time, I’ve been surprised. Lantern Moon even wrote to me and remedied the complaint I had. Maybe Kaffe will reach out to you and illuminate what causes others to speak ill of him. But he’s no reason to single you out, you are clearly enjoying the fruits of his labors… Beautiful socks. I think I’ll buy some of that colourway.
Eh, who cares what others say about him? I met him briefly last year and he was elegant, charming and courteous. Add that to his multiplicity of talents (I mean, how can one guy do so many things — knitting, quilting, design, painting, put up with Liza, etc. — so damn well?) and I say that the Kaffe-haters can bite me.
Socks look great.
Now I must ask you to elucidate: when you say the models will “give [you] joy for a long time to come”, exactly what are you inferring? Is that magazine going to take the place of the Patternworks catalog as your preferred bathroom “reading”?
I think that cover sweater on Men’s Sweaters has potential. It just needs to be longer in the torso.
more leg! damn, I feel faint…
I second carol on kaffe; someone with that much talent is to be admired, not condemned.
I envy you because you:
have finshed your socks already , and before I can start with them I have to finish another sock of a pair of KF socks.
have found those amazing booklets on a fleamarket!!!!
have such a great blog to read!!
you have so much time to knit!!!
But maybe you envy me because our exhibition called knitted landscape has just opened and got great revieuws (see: http://www.knittedlandscape.com)
And I think that Kaffe is great!!
Whoo Hoo! There’s those sexy legs again! I think I like this colorway better than the last one. Off to buy some Kaffee yarn to build hubby some socks! Thanks Joe!
I think Kaffe displays an artist’s confidence with colour that us mere mortals can only admire. I believe he is a charming and lovely man. I don’t like the shapes of the garments designed with his patterns, but as he’s published a book with his patterns in it, we can also use them on our own shaped garments. Again, it’s the dfference beween being critical of aspects of his work and criticising the man himself.
Enjoying your blog. Lucky you with those flea market purchases.
Damn. The only things at flea markets around here are empty Avon bottles, Budweiser cans, and Dale Earnhart(the Eliminator!) shitzles.
I want to know what that man on the cover is eyeins so wickedly.
Again, I love those socks!
Kaffe is a wonder. No I do not like everything he has done, but when so much is explored as well as he does, to pick and snipe is a sign of pettiness.
Now, I have to get his off my chest. The guy gives me the creeps. He looks like he is warming up to the Big Grin in the male enhancement commercials. Is he trying to be sexy?
I’m with M-H on this one. I don’t particularly like the shape of the garments that Kaffe designs but you’ve got to admit the man does have a very special way with colours that I’m in awe of.
Kaffe is someone I can admire as an artist, but not for practical patterns I’d want to knit or wear. (I did break my sock yarn diet and grabbed some of the Fire Landscape.)
What’s so unwearable about the cabled sweater on the cover of that booklet? From what I can see it looks pretty timeless.
The socks look great! What is “kitchener-like”? For me, it’s what I do when I can’t find the instructions that I’ve followed more than 100 times.
As for Kaffe, I’ve never met him but he has an undeniable way with color. I don’t knit his patterns, but I do own some of his books and am in awe of his use of color.
To understand anything about nasty comments, you usually have to check out the one who is commenting.
Hmmm. I was given some Regia Kaffe sock yarn for my birthday. After seeing your finished socks, I might just have to move the yarn up in my queue.