Alyce Benevides - Pretty in Punk: 25 Punk, Rock, and Goth Knitting Projects

25 PUNK, ROCK , and GOTH knitting projects

By ALYCE BENEVIDES and JAQUELINE MILLES
Photographs by ROB BENEVIDES

Text and illustrations copyright 2007 by Alyce Benevides and Jaqueline Milles. Photographs copyright 2007 by Rob Benevides. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-4521-1296-1

The Library of Congress has cataloged the previous edition as follows:

Benevides, Alyce.

Pretty in punk : 25 punk, rock, and goth knitting projects / by Alyce Benevides and Jaqueline Milles; photographs by Rob Benevides.

p. cm.

isbn-13: 978-0-8118-5744-4

isbn-10: 0-8118-5744-1

1. KnittingPatterns.

2. Punk culture.

I. Milles, Jaqueline. II. Title.

TT820.B48 2007

746.43'2041dc22

2006029654

DESIGNED BY

Lesley Feldman

CRAFT DESIGNS

Alyce Benevides and

Jaqueline Milles of

PHOTOGRAPHY & ART DIRECTION

Rob Benevides,

Benefex Studio

PHOTO ASSISTANT AND WARDROBE

Alyce Benevides

ILLUSTRATIONS

Alyce Benevides

and Jaqueline Milles

HAIR & MAKEUP

Eun Oh

ADDITIONAL HAIR & MAKEUP

Jaqueline Milles
and Michael Laudati

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

dedicated to my loving and talented husband, rob benevides, for believing in me and inspiring me from the moment we met. to my late grammy alice m. buttermark, a writer in her own right and the person who sparked my alice in wonderland obsession. to my family, especially my late father-in-law, robert benevides sr., who always supported our artistic endeavors. finally, to my late friend mary tighe, an artist who embodied the true spirit of punk rock.

Alyce Benevides

dedicated to my family shahla, jan, caroline, matthew, eric, tristan, and liam; to the memory of mamanjan and aghajan; and to the memory of opa id like to think he passed down his crafty gene to me.

jaqueline milles

WE CAME OF AGE IN THE 1980S. THAT SHOULD EXPLAIN A LOT RIGHT THERE.

as teens in suburban new jersey, we were hit by the raw energy and subversive style of punk. we idolized everything from the u.k. we watched the young ones, listened to punk and new wave, and even adopted the occasional british accent. we read bogeys and smash hits, receiving them by mail weeks after their publication. our hair colors changed monthly. our parents groaned accordingly. we spent all of our money on concerts, and in the true spirit of punk rock, we ripped our clothes, took apart our seams, affixed safety pins, and painted our leather and denim jackets. we tore runs in our stockings, wore combat boots with skirts, and created looks all our own.

we stood out among our peers, and not always in a good way. some people thought we were a little strange, two of the few teenage girls in our high school who didnt have big perms or macys credit cards. we didnt care. because we didnt want to look like everyone else, like those who shopped at the local malls and followed cookie-cutter dictates.

on weekends we hopped the train to new york city and soaked in the brilliant sights and sounds. overwhelmed, with blisters on our feet, we always went home exhausted yet inspired. punk-rock style has always appealed to us because of its edgy, do-it-yourself nature. we could take styles we admired and change them, making them our own.

we began knitting together eleven years ago, long before needles and yarn became fashion accessories seen on movie sets and soho streets. sure, we began with the standard scarves and hats. we were novices. but soon we realized that our knitting skills didnt have to limit our expression or creativity. we took an unorthodox approach and experimented with outrageous colors, materials, and yarn textures. our creations were often bold in design, unlike most things in the mainstream knitting world. they were sexy, different, and fun, and when we wore our works, we were inevitably asked where wed bought them. there are few things as satisfying as saying, i made it myself.

thats why we started our knitting venture, knit-head, and thats how we came to write this book. in pretty in punk, we offer twenty-five original knit-head designs that even the most novice knitter can whip upfrom hats that give you an instant mohawk hairdo to accessories that highlight your quirky side, from gothic-inspired styles to anglo-themed designs! you can make miniskirts, corsets, neckties, and more. we encourage you to follow our lead, duplicate us where you want, but remember to inject your own personality into everything you do. punk, in any art form, is about individuality.

SO HAVE A GO AT IT. RELEASE YOUR INNER ROCK STAR. ALL YOU NEED IS TWO STICKS AND A BALL OF YARN.

punks
not dead

this is the signature hat of our company, knit-head. it was inspired in part by one of our favorite designers, the irreverent john galliano, as well as by the quintessential punk-rock hairstyle, the mohawk. after we presented depeche mode with these hats, the band added them to their onstage ensemble. this hat, most of all, captures our love of punk attitude and style.

MATERIALS

Size 10 needles for small hat (size 11 for medium hat, size 13 for large hat), or size required to get correct gauge

2 stitch ring markers

Row counter, optional

Size 11 double-pointed needles

Size 1 crochet hook

Darning needle

2 skeins black bulky-weight wool yarn (Brown Sheep Co., Lambs Pride Bulky, 85% wool, 15% mohair, Onyx, M05)

1 skein hot pink bulky-weight wool yarn (Brown Sheep Co., Lambs Pride Bulky, 85% wool, 15% mohair, Lotus Pink, M38)

GAUGE (IN STOCKINETTE STITCH)

13 stitches and 17 rows make a 4-inch square on size 10 needles, before felting

12 stitches and 16 rows make a 4-inch square on size 11 needles, before felting

11 stitches and 15 rows make a 4-inch square on size 13 needles, before felting

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Size small fits 18- to 20-inch head circumference

Size medium fits 20- to 22-inch head circumference

Size large fits 22-inch and larger head circumference

SKILLS & METHODS

Crochet (single)

Felting

Fringe

I-cord

Stockinette stitch

This hat is assembled out of 4 pieces. First, you will knit the 2 side pieces. Next, you will pick up stitches at the bottom edge of each piece and knit the earflaps directly on, finishing with an I-cord on both. Then you will attach the 2 sides by sewing them together along the center seam. Finally, you will attach a fringe to the end of each I-cord and 2 rows of staggered fringe on either side of the hats center seam for the Mohawk.