TOP Trimmings

One other store that want to discuss before I head over to the Brooklyn knitting stores (actually, there are going to be three more), is TOP Trimmings (228 West 39th Street, New York, NY 10018, 212 302-2999 http://www.toptrimming.com/).

The store is a gold mine for knitting accessories. I found bins and bins of fantastic things:

practical things, like bra inserts (great for tank tops and sexy dresses)


zippers,


pretty little buttons,


and more buttons,


little beads,


big beads,


delicate flowers,


big flowers,


and the leather flowers Valeria used at Knitting 321 ( see the 321 post).


I found leather strips,


boas (I just threw those in for fun),


feathers (which are sewn together at the bottom creating a row),


and lots more...

I love to integrate feathers into collars on coats (they can work on sweaters, too). Feathers instantly dress up a piece, especially when they contrast in color with the knitting. I integrate feather collars into my pieces by knitting a very wide and flat rectangle in stockinnette stitch. I knit for about 2 inches, then purl one uneven row, then continue to knit stockinette stitch again for another 2 inches. The purled row creates an easy place to fold the collar. I fold the collar around the feathers and sew the folded ends of the rectangle together. This kind of collar looks very beautiful when it is attached to a coat. The feathers stand up and shine in the light. You can also add snap buttons to the collar, so that it is detachable (in case you want your coat to have a casual look as well).

TOP Trimmings is very easy to navigate, and the items they sell are quite beautiful and of very good quality. Thus, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.