Wool And The Blog - in English - Gang Life

How we wool - Clancy

Thibault — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:31:00 +0200

"How we wool" is an inspirational exploration of how to wear knitted pieces along with an everyday outfit. We have asked friends and members of the gang in New York to show us how they turn our collection pieces into their own, how they incorporate these in their own wardrobe.

Today it's Clancy's turn, sporting the Quarterback Dress in Midnight blue. She's 25 years old, from Malibu, a film co-producer - her style influences are comfort, practicality, her travels, music and most important, her grandmother."

Photographs: Kit Chaney

how we wool - christian

Thibault — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:07:00 +0200

Christian rocks the Foxy Scarf in the NEW Crazy Sexy Wool Khaki Green

Photographs: Kit Chaney

Happy Birthday Caro!

Thibault — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:40:00 +0200

All the gang wishes a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our british gangsta Carolyn!
xxx

Carolyn and the Foxy Roxy in Tyrian pink (photo: Martin Bruno)

Summer memories part.02

Thibault — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:23:00 +0200

This is the story of two kids under the sun of ibiza, a ball of cotton in their hands. Knitting made them come together, creating a link between them, the time, the place and the object produced. It acts as a record of what was going on this very summer, the air that they breathed, the love that they felt. They knit to share.

Jade and Eduardo wear Zion Lion hats in SHINY HAPPY COTTON Magic Mint and Brick Red, pure and groovy prototypes !

Summer memories part.01

Thibault — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:03:00 +0200

Woodstock and Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, John Baez in 1969...
40 Years later the Gangsta Wool family at the amazing Glastonbury festival, all gathered for LOVE, PEACE, ROCK AND ROLL and KNITTING !

Back to blog

Thibault — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:35:00 +0200

Thanks a lot for your comments and "likes" (on facebook) we are so happy that you love the new collection ! We can't wait to see the new patterns follow you to the beach, lovely summer nights, etc... Send us pics as soon as you can !

I'm sorry that the blog went really slow this past few weeks as we were working on an updated version, including our friends links and little changes in the design so that you'll be aware of everything at any time ! I'm also currently working on a interview of our fashion muse, Nadège Winter, talking about her inspirations and this fall next step with great surprises (should be online next week!)

In order to give you a little something to be patient, here is a cool pic that Nadège send me, one of our favorite bands, MGMT seems to enjoy knitting as a really cute knitted headband appeared in their last and really weird video on the head of the sweetest but traumatized kid ever ! A really nice idea if you go to a music festival this summer, embroid a Nina Rich headband with the name of your favorite band ! That rocks !

By the way don't forget our "Knit In Public" contest ! Send a crazy pic, video or drawing about this theme and win a Tala Tank Top kit ! Few more days till the end of the competition (till sunday 5) so don't waste a second ! More information here.

New collection — Shiny Happy Cotton

Thibault — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:44:00 +0200

Hey everyone,
i've talked a lot about our new SHINY HAPPY COTTON collection coming out, HERE IT IS !
Introducing 6 new ready-to-knit kits (and our first "experienced" kits), an extra soft and luster 100% Pima Cotton — summer is going to knit crazy !! Have a look at the collection pictures below and shop new kits on our updated eshop !

Tala Tank Top

Halona Scarf

Mahal Poncho

Lil'Indiana Joe

Etenia Bag

Yuma Poncho and Totsi Overshoe, our first kid project !

More Cotton Photoshoot Backstage

Thibault — Tue, 19 May 2009 08:39:00 +0200

Here are some more pictures of the summer COTTON collection photoshoot in Ibiza. Enjoy the sun !

Martin Burno, the coolest photograph ever.

Erin, Jade and Martin

Our Princess Lisa (in the middle) and her daughters Estée and Jade

Erin, Rosie and Nadège on set

Photos by Patrick Anin

Polaroids from Ibiza

Thibault — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:50:00 +0200

Just back from IBIZA and our COTTON COLLECTION shoot with photograph Martin Bruno. Jade (Lisa's youngest daughter) was modeling with Erin from the first collection — all in a family atmosphere under the mediterranean sun ! At the moment we're working on the PHOTO EDITING, choosing the best pictures for the summer collection. Chloe gave me some of her backstage polaroids so we can share them with you. I cross fingers so i can show you the collection SOON !!

Aurelie and the gang from Peru

Thibault — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:35:00 +0200

As part of our itinerary for each collection, Peru is always a very important stop for us ! Our knitwear designer Aurelie, from NYC studio, meets the peruvian knitters of Puno and works with them to knit new patterns for collection photos and all ready-to-wear pieces ! Here's a little message from her :

Buenos Dias everybody,

Here are some pictures of the future cotton collection !

It is freezing here... but I really enjoy spending time with the knitters. We teach each other new techniques, we laugh and stress at the same time. I enjoy PERU!

Here are the name of all the knitters who I work with everyday, there are so nice and you should see how skillful they are.. Catalina, Segundina, Graciela, Martina, Pelegrina, Esperenza, Edelmira, Efigenia. All the women in Puno learned how to knit when they were really young. As Elena (the knitters gang's chief) said "All the women in Puno know how to knit, if they don't they don't come from Puno".

I hope everyone is well.

It is hard to breath at 3800m. Am I old?

Bisous à tous

A.

Elena and her gang of knitters

Aurelie and Puno's knitters

Hyeres we go !

Thibault — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:48:00 +0200

Back from our wonderful french riviera, with mind full of beautiful things and lots of photos for you !

A nice 2009 Hyères festival with sun, wind and rain, a conference with the genius Tim Walker, Peter Knapp and Janet Froelich, creation director at New York Times.... Two english artists Swash, and knitting session with friends in the Villa Noailles garden, everybody staring at us !

A really nice atmosphere and nice people there, the winners of the competition with strong personnality (pictures in the second part of the post) — Marite Mastina and Rolands Peterkops, a couple from Latvia who build a world around oversized wigs (Grand Jury prize from L'Oréal and the 1,2,3 prize), Simon-Pierre Toussaint, a young belgian who would like to give a new life to sleeping bag and hicker uniform, my favourite ! (Swarovski and Public prize) and finally Harald Lunde Helhasen from Norway and his yeti-man (ahah) dressed with a nice sarouel tye-dyed (Swaroski prize ex-aequo with Toussaint). As you can see it was a very masculine year !

As always a real pleasure to be at the festival, even if the stylists selection was less exciting this year and the weather not really nice... We are back happy and full of beauties in our heads ! Already waiting for next year...

Amazing flower necklace by Swash.

Steven Meisel and his three-hundred-and-seventeen Vogue covers.

Melanie Bonajo & Emmeline de Mooij wall, photographs in competition.

Kris Van Assche (Dior Homme art director and this year fashion jury president) installation in the Villa swimming pool.

Knitting session in the Villa Noailles garden :)

Storm at the fashion show on Hyères beach.

Marite Mastina et Rolands Peterkops — Photo : Shoji Fujii for A Shaded View On Fashion

Simon-Pierre Toussaint — Photo : Shoji Fujii for A Shaded View On Fashion

Harald Lunde Helhasen — Photo : Shoji Fujii for A Shaded View On Fashion

Patches from the crazy Jean Paul Lespagnard, last year winner, from his collection for 1,2,3. One of them will be soon sweded on my new Ultra violet Lula Hoop made in Hyères.

Workshop at POP UP BAR vitaminwater

Thibault — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:31:00 +0200

Last thursday, at the POP UP BAR, a mysterious place squatted by la clique d'André and vitaminwater — the cute colorful water bottles having a very hype launch in France — the gang was invited to handle a very private knitting workshop.

Submerged in balls of wool, needles and cute bottles, we invited artists, models, dj's, writers, muses and favorite bloggers. Some learn the primary tricks with our teachers Sara and Alison while other chic types sit themselves on the big couch, talk, gossip... needles going crazy.

While video tutorials are projected on the big screen, Lili is fighting to find a pair of needles to give to a demoiselle looking for a knitting experience. Some men are circling around, some brave ones have a go, well... it's a success ! Around us about thirty girls knitt at the same time. Gossip, cocktails and petit-fours in a really cool atmosphere, to the sound of a nice playlist.

After two intense hours, it's already time to say goodbye, show to friends what our knitted creation looks like... could be a mask from outer space... exchange facebook contacts under the euphoric effect of the knitting session. It's like a breath of fresh ar... so exciting for us to watch everything come alive... and the joy of everybody asking more... We promise we'll be back soon to knit with you !

The gang on facebook and twitter

Thibault — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:50:00 +0200

Because the GANG is at very first a family affair, a story of fashion and craft lovers, community is something that worth a lot for us ! Sharing your experience of knitting, exchanging technical tips or photos of the projects you realized, giving us your opinion on the collections... via FACEBOOK and our yet 800 fans (THANKS A LOT !) — follow us also during our knitting parties or during the shoot of the new collection with TWITTER !

COME ON, JOIN THE GANG !

A CRAVING FOR KNITTING, PART 2

Lili — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:17:00 +0100

So yeah you're all wondering how my first knitting project is going.

Well I'm sorry but I was "off needles" last week, for 2 (good) reasons: 1- I was short on wool and 2- I was busy. Yes I know, number 2 is just a bad excuse.

Anyway I'm now back on track with my TWEED GREY CRAZY SEXY WOOL!

Of course I've followed our video tutorial - you know how you do, press play then pause then rewind then play and pause again and again and again, until you finally got it right.

Today's lesson is START A NEW BALL / KNITTING STRIPES

To my lovely teacher Chloé: next time I promise, I'll count my rows.

The video isn't supposed to be on fast-forward mode, I just don't understand why YouTube won't let me upload it in its original 38" version but hey it's still pretty fun to watch!

Spying on NYC studio girls

Thibault — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:17:00 +0100

Girls in New York, Aurelie and Jade, are working hard to make things happen ! Knitting, sizing, reknitting, prototyping, ..... they don't stop a second working like machines ! You can see on the pictures some details of the next collection, maybe something looking like...... cotton ! Shhhhhh it's still a secret !!

A Smile in the city

Thibault — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:05:00 +0100

After a grand opening and a few last touches with the paintbrush, The Smile is finally ready to welcome lovers of such unique atmospheres.

Designed by Carlos Quirarte and Matt Kliegman, The Smile is a wonderful place to be alive. Both a café and a concept store, the little boutique on 26 Bond Street offers a sharp selection of rare and irresistible objects. Moscot glasses, teas by Mariages Frères, men’s items by Adam Kimmel, candles by Cire Trudon surrounding our Wool and The Gang kits of course !

On the other side of the old counter, we find Melia Marden, the trendiest snack-maker in New York, who prepares right in front of you, an absolutely incredible "Brie and Chocolate Baguette" (isn’t that right, Jade?). This young woman has created a French-inspired lunch menu to knock you off your feet, a must in NYC.

Carlos, madly in love with the New York artistic scene, has reserved a special place at the heart of the shop. Above the mantelpiece, an artist will be installed each month. A work of art hung from the brick wall, with books, DVDs and CDs that inspire him will be on sail. For the opening, the mantelpiece has been dedicated to Nate Lowman, and in April it will be the turn of photograph Stephen Shore.

With Scott Campbell (one of the most respected tattoo-artists in New York) who's installing his parlour in the basement and with an incredible coffee machine from 1963 (Faema E61), The Smile has the ambition of offering the warmest place in the Big Apple to welcome creative people.

More photos in the New York Mag slideshow.

A craving for knitting

Lili — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:30:00 +0100

When I first met Wool And The Gang co-founder Carolyn Main last December, I wasn't a knitter. And yet, I really wished I had a kit with me on the Eurostar. It actually felt like a craving.

Well I've finally done it. I went to see Caro last weekend and I had, of course, packed my Ultra Violet Crazy Sexy Wool. I've basically started this project - kind of a tote bag, cause I'm always carrying a lot of stuff all organized in seperate bags - 2 weeks ago when I joined the Gang. I've started with our Video Tutorials and the precious help of the best teacher ever: Chloé. Usually when I get stuck in a knitting drama, I hold it safely and wait for Chloé to fix it. But when it happened on the Eurosar, I just couldn't face the failure and I had to handle it by myself. Thanks to my mobile phone we managed to exchange photos of the drama and tips to my rescue. Next time, I'll watch the tutorials before getting stuck.
THANK YOU MY TURKISH DELIGHT!

The new collection in progress

Thibault — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:38:00 +0100

The new collection is in progress, last modifications, validations, work with the wonderful team in Peru and finalizing prototypes. Today was a little conference call between Nadège and Samantha, in charge of style in Paris, and Aurelie at WATG New York office ! Next friday more details about our inspirations for the first gang summer collection.

Introducing a new recruit for the gang !

Thibault — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:52:00 +0100

Here's the newest pearl in the gang. Her name is Lili and already she’s knitting like crazy! Last night at the opening of the very pretty boutique Merci in Paris, the gang is in the place with Lili who is knitting a cute Clutch Kelly bag in Ultra Violet. The photos of the result will be here soon. Welcome gangsta Lili!

Nadege and Chloe plotting something big...

Thibault — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0100

Nadege and Chloe are preparing a surprise for Jalouse girls !! More informations soooooon....