bluealvarez

Thoughts from a sleepless mind:

Boston Handmade is at Union Square this weekend, 3 - 7 pm. One Happy Island is playing and Common Cod Fiber Guild will have a booth there in addition to the fabulous vendors, manned by none other than Mr. Purl himself. Also, free demos by my old friends Shobu Aikido. All in all, if you consider yourself part of the DIY in-crowd, this is the time and place to represent.

Immediately before that at The Stitch House I'll be teaching another serger workshop. So if you missed it a few weeks ago, now's your chance to jump in and learn coverstitch, overlock, and machine maintenance and threading for a mere $15.

Beyond that:

Wednesday nite Ms. Stephanie The Great is helping me turn the sheep's worth of roving I bought from Spunky Eclectic into proper bulky yarn for the Vulcanized sweater.



I am reading Nausea by Sartre and It is the most ambivalence-producing thing I have ever read. At times I feel no one gets me like Jean-Paul, and then suddenly the story changes, goes that step too far, and I want to hurl the book down a sewer grate. What I can't decide is if this revulsion is because he touched too deep a nerve, or because it's beyond my ability to relate. If I am even verbalizing this, it's probably the former.

Am planning to move the blog to Wordpress very soon and add a Twitter feed there. Will syndicate the feed here so that LJ still updates accordingly. Would also like to start up that Boston Vanguard site I purchased but am now rethinking its use. Perhaps a more polished, less DIY-centric menswear site for my testosterone-driven designs?

More later, after sleep ensues.

If you're near JP tonight, please come down and keep us company at 1st Thursdays!



Inside Curtis Hall
20 South St.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130



Boston Handmade members will be there selling beautiful handcrafted items, and there will be specials going on at all the stores and restaurants along Centre and South streets. 5 - 8 pm, and some places later (JP Licks until 12 am!). Come down and check it out!

Weird stuff going on as of late. Am going away for the long weekend, with fellow knitters no less, and would like to say I will have some almost-finished pics of the new lacey cardigan pattern when I get back.

In the meantime, please come say hi tomorrow night to me and all my fellow Boston Handmade comrades at 1st Thuesdays in JP, and listen to the podcast about the Design Piracy Prohibition Act that Guido was cool enough to let me babble about here: It's a Purl Man.

Have a great 4th!

Simon Doonan kind of hits the nail on the head here:

Fashion and Charity - False Friends?

I think he's spot on about this:

It’s so much easier to separate your tithing from your tube tops. If you write the check yourself, you can be sure the shekels are ending up in the right hands. You can also keep much better track of how much you have actually given, thereby knowing whether you have been stingy or stellar.

But that said, I think his faux-naivete at why fashion is such an easy mark for guilty consciences is a bit unbelievable. Truth is, most people at this point know that what they're buying comes at a very high cost, and I'm not talking about the price tag. Apparel above many other goods has its largely abysmal manufacturing processes highlighted in the news consistently, and lately wholesale pricing has been broadcast more and more often from the rooftops, leaving people wanting to see the breakdowns of the incredulously high markups on some of these garments. So being told that buying an item of desire might actually help contribute to making the world a better place is very appealing - it assuages the customer's fears that they are a bad person for wanting to own something they know was made with the sweat and tears of someone else, and not in a dignified or fair manner.

And on a less labor-educated level, it also just helps them avoid buyer's remorse. Even if they assume that a garment is made by happy, well-paid, fairly treated workers, the markup may still be astronomical in proportion to the cost of manufacturing and distributing. And the customer on some level knows this and wants to feel better about buying such an expensive product. They want to justify the expense of what could be a much more affordable item while still being stylish and made under fair conditions. They want to justify a lifestyle and system of global inequality that makes their purchasing power possible.

So why, as Simon mentions, does this happen so often with fashion and not, say, with a garage door? The truth is it happens to both, but people are more aware now overall - at least in America - about the disparity between value and price for clothing. Both clothing and garage doors are durable goods, and both fall under the "useful items" category (to tie this back to the copyright issue). Just like with clothing, garage doors fall into different categories and some will be priced higher based on their materials, appearance, and manufacturing time. And some of those differences will be superficial enough that they will not justify the full amount of the added cost over, say, the base model.

But the extent to which this is done is not the same as in clothing because clothing, unlike a garage door, is used as a direct extension of our self. True, the garage door may tell your friends something about you when they see it on your house, but not the same way the shirt you choose to wear all day right next to your face does. This difference is the essence at the heart of the fashion industry, and one I do not take issue with. But it is also the reason that superficial giving and fashion go so well together - both are deeply wrapped up with our sense of worth and identity.

HT to New Brahmin

For those of you who want it quick and dirty: You can visit this site to take action against the Design Piracy Prohibition Act.

Edit: Here's another great link to keep things succinct:

Wikipedia entry for Design Piracy Prohibition Act

For the rest of you, please read on, it gets better. Er, or worse, as it were.

( Full expo after the jump . . . ) Another review of the book that focuses less on this shortcoming can also be found here.

sidhefaer wins:

Star Trek (the new): Abridged Version

Much of eye-watering funniness. Esp:

SCOTTY: Look, I'm no Ford Prefect, but I'm really jonesing for a towel...

Etc. Read it and LOL.

FYI, excellent quote from WWD today:

“If designers could pay contractors’ factories just a little more, it would go a long, long way. A jacket or pair of pants can retail for more than $200 and the designer gets $100 or $110. They pay us $14, if they paid us $16 that would help us a long, long way,” Lam said. “They are so used to chiseling us. They are not used to helping us.”

Seemingly related to this, but not in the hoped-for direction per se: D&G drop retail prices.

I am psyched that D&G are coming back down to earth (er, or re-entering the stratosphere), but if a simple pair of pants includes $14 of labor to manufacture in New York, how much does does it cost to manufacture it in Italy? And if it's comparable (say, less than 20 euros for one pair? 30 euros? - bottom line, probably 10% of the final retail price, maybe less than 30% of the wholesale?) And while I of all people, because I get paid by a knitwear design & wholesale house, understand that markups pay for materials and designers' and sales reps' and customer service reps' wages, how big a margin do we really need on these items?

I will grant you this - the fewer the units, the larger the margin that is needed to keep a fashion house profitable. That's simple math, after all. But I'm pretty sure D&G have the units to push, otherwise I wouldn't be finding their overstock at TJ Maxx. So what gives? Is it really necessary to build an empire, in any industry, to be successful, or is it enough to just make enough to be able to reinvest in your business and keep a small number of well skilled people employed, consistently and with benefits?

I hear pretty often that we can bitch all we want about large corporations that copy each other, rip off small designers, and move production overseas, but we've made this bed for ourselves by hungrily buying up cheap and not-so-cheap fashion by the bagful, condoning and in fact making possible these practices. Sure, that's logical. But by that reasoning we also have direct power to change it.

Again, I speak from experience when I say that working long days to push massive units into department stores where the product will be overpaid for and under-appreciated leaves not only me feeling drained and pointless, but it also leaves the store employees, the designers of those pieces, the workers who knit and sew them, and every other person in the long chain from drawing board to closet feel sapped and listless. For what do we do this? So we can do it all over again in the same colors and styles next year? Who really needs those units and who really needs that much money? Because here's something else you already know, and which the quote that started this post illustrates: the payout at the end of the day is not being distributed in proportion to the amount of work each person in the chain does.

I don't believe in "basics". I don't believe in "must-haves". And I don't believe in the fallacy of domestic vs. foreign. What's basic is what suits you. What you must have is what both fills your needs and lifts your spirits. And the people who deserve interesting, meaningful work with adequate pay are the people who live and breathe anywhere on this earth - or any other earth for that matter.

It's a question, as always in America, of Supply and Demand. Change your demands, the supply will adjust.

Boston Handmade is at it again! For the second year in a row we have been honored with top billing at the SoWa Open Market!



Come join us Sunday, June 14th from 10 am 'till 4 pm at 540 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA for a day of handmade goodness! We'll be flanked by a fresh produce market, a new antiques market, loads of other artisans, and live music by The Grownup Noise!

Hope to see you there!

Oh DvF, you might want to screen your design interns a little better, eh?

Diane Von Furstenberg settles with Mercy over ripped off jacket.



As the story explains, DvF is the head of the CFDA, and has been championing strict legislation that would crush small designers' hopes of making it in the near future protect fashion designers from piracy.

Ayi-yi, the irony. And let's not even get into the fact that Mercy's fabric pic was SO much better.

HT to New Brahmin.

Quote of the day from Granite Studio:

And frankly, people in Beijing don’t really seem to care very much, or maybe just aren’t that interested in big public displays of dissent. The majority of urbanites in China’s capital long ago traded away their political pottage for the right to buy knock-off handbags and a decent compact car, and they are reasonably happy with the deal they’ve made.

Also, if you're near JP tonight, please come down and keep us company at 1st Thursdays!

Lawn in front of Curtis Hall
20 South St.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Boston Handmade members will be there selling beautiful handcrafted items, and there will be specials going on at all the stores and restaurants along Centre and South streets. 5 - 8 pm, and some places later (JP Licks until 12 am!). Come down and check it out!

It's true!!!!!1111!!one!



Also coming shortly is a pattern for a sweater I just finished while in Italy called Pronto. It's a quick, open cardigan, designed for easy layering and draping over summer sundresses. Perfect in cotton, bamboo, or any other lightweight, sustainable fiber, you can't go wrong with this 3/4 sleeve beauty.

Want to know the best part? Both of these new patterns are FREE! But wait, there's more pimping yet to be done . . .

You can see samples of these new patterns, and even buy finished versions of them, at my upcoming shows in June:

Thursday June 4th, 5 - 8 pm, JP 1st Thursdays, 20 South St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, the lawn in front of Curtis Hall, rain or shine!

Sunday June 14th, 10 am - 4 pm, part of Boston Handmade's showcase at SoWa Open Market, with loads of Boston hand crafters, a farmer's market, an antiques market, and live music!

Hopefully you'll be able to come down and check out the new designs and one of these two upcoming events. If not, please enjoy the free patterns (which you can also find on Ravelry, just search for bluealvarez!) and if you knit them please send pics! I'm always psyched to feature finished work on Ravelry and the blog.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy knitting!

I'm a little late posting this, bur Food, Inc. is tonight at the Kendall for free:

RSVP to get in for free

Seating is first come first serve. It looks awesome, so if anyone wants to join me just Tweet @bluealvarez or email and we can meet up. :)

Trying out the new LJ app via iPhone. Here's hoping my html works.

Trying out the new LJ app via iPhone. Here's hoping my html works.

As if you weren't already familiar with Mr. Fillion's ability to take charge and his remarkable sense of humor (oh, and did I mention he's just the man to call in a desperate situation?), witness the next chapter in a flawless acting career:



If you're wondering WTF, you can read more about it here. And when I said "flawless acting career" it was without sarcasm.

H/T to Her awesomeness, Miss Bird.

I've been thinking a lot about money lately, and I found some choice quotes on a message board for sharing. As such, here is your Thursday Fluff, Money Edition:

"He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money." - Benjamin Franklin

"If all the rich people in the world divided up their money among themselves there wouldn't be enough to go around." - Christina Stead

"Endless money forms the sinews of war." - Cicero

"I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart." - e e cummings

"Save a little money each month and at the end of the year you'll be surprised at how little you have." - Ernest Haskins

"Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy." - Groucho Marx

"The chief value of money lies in the fact that one lives in a world in which it is overestimated." - H. L. Mencken

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery." - Charles Dickens

"Capitalism is using its money; we socialists throw it away." - Fidel Castro

"Stamps God's own name upon a lie just made, To turn a penny in the way of trade." - William Cowper

"Money does not change men, it only unmasks them." - Mme. Riccoboni

"Money alone is absolutely good, because it is not only a concrete satisfaction of one need in particular; it is an abstract satisfaction of all." - Arthur Schopenhauer

"Money talks — but credit has an echo." - Bob Thaves

"Money is a new form of slavery, and distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal—that there is no human relationship between master and slave." - Leo Tolstoy

Yo! I have just updated my Etsy shop, check it out:









A lot of dresses for me, right? Whatever, I've got the pants in the works, but I figured for all the rest of you out there that are way more fem than I'll ever be, you'll find a lot of great choices for spring.

And you can see a lot of these designs (and new ones!) live NEXT THURSDAY:

Rockin' Runway
Hennessy’s Upstairs, 25 Union St. Boston, MA
Thursday, March 19th, 2009, 8:00pm
General Admission $10; VIP $15

Hope to see you there! More Etsy updates after the 19th - I'm hoping to have the store packed for summer!

While I prep some more informational blog posts, here is some Leslie Hall awesomeness to keep you awake at work:



Fuckin' A. I love this woman. In case you missed it when she first hit the scene a few years ago, she's the one obsessed with gem sweaters, and is frontwoman of Leslie and the Lys. Read all about this magnificence at her website

In case you didn't read the news this morning, Bashir's probably going to jail and as a result, Sudan told every single NGO feeding its people to get the fuck out.

As was said somewhere today, if Sudan was, in fact, feeding, medically caring for, and protecting it's people, this would be a moot point. As it stands, thousands (er, hundreds of thousands) of people are likely to die now not because the janjawid are mowing them down, but because their own government is going to starve them to death.

Seriously, what kind of sociopath to do you have to be to feel no connection at all to the people you are governing, that you would kick them when they're down just to spite other nations politically? If this is where we're headed in the 21st century, the human race is fucking doomed.

Got to Save Darfur Coalition now and send an email (which they already wrote for you, seriously) to Ms. Clinton urging her to make Darfur the A1 priority on the international agenda.

Then call Pres. Obama's hotline (202-456-1111) and tell them the same thing. (Those people really answer the phone, yo, it's amazing. As Rachel Maddow says "It's like I don't even know my own government!" ;) )

Quick reminder: There's a show tomorrow - and I'm in it!

Leap Into Spring Fashion Show!

I'll be at Vinalia tomorrow to showcase six outfits that help you transition from the end of winter into spring. Unexpected knits and a wealth of textures await!

Here are the deets:

Venue: Vinalia 101 Arch St. (entrance 34 Summer St.), Downtown Crossing, Boston, MA
When: Saturday, February 28th, 2009, 8:30pm – 12:30am
Price: Free, unless you want a VIP package ($30) or Premium package ($35, $40@door). I think the packages are mostly swag, related, and possibly guarantee seating. But who wants to sit when you could be mingling with other Boston hotties, amirite?

One more thing: today's word of the day is "profit motive". As in, do you have one? Well do ya, punk?

{I hope I'm not the only one who loves the irony of asking a punk if they have a profit motive.}

Okay, so until this year I hadn't given it serious consideration, even possibly shying away from the idea. But I had an interesting conversation with my new tax preparer (4 years of doing my own taxes has caved to using a pro this year due to many, happy middle class "problems" that have complicated my return) about schedule C, and the thing she said that stuck in my head was that, when it comes to audits and legitimizing your self-employment income, profit motive is key. She said you have to have one.

And that's when it occurred to me that I'd gone my whole life without one, never mind my schedule C. And I decided then and there, it was time to get one.

If this is misconstrued, let me say I don't mean I'm interested in ripping people off or price gouging or the high luxury market, or hoarding - I mean I am finally motivated to succeed, and to measure that success by how many items I can sell at reasonable prices based on my actual costs, and on how I can feed that money back into the global economy so that my own business grows, and I help other people. That's what I mean - I finally give a shit about distribution and cash flow.

So, yeah. Profit Motive is my new Modus Operandi.