Showing posts with label Knitscene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knitscene. Show all posts

Thursday 26 May 2016

Knitscene Handmade 2016: A Review


The ever-prolific Interweave Press has just introduced yet another title to the roster of knitting magazines they publish, though this one is a special issue rather than a new quarterly publication. The first issue of Knitscene Handmade is out, and, according to the Knitting Daily website, it "pays homage to the creative life". It also contains 28 new knitting patterns, so let's have a look at those.





Grasslands Tee. Good shaping and some nice detailing.





Nederland Vest. Pretty basic.





Vail Cardigan. That ruffle is rather too over the top for me. It would make me feel as though I were wearing a pillow sham. One from a 1940s bordello, no less.





Breckenridge Sweater. Classic design, and I'm loving the stitchwork on the front of this one.





Spirit Lake Shawl. This is a rather pretty, fun piece.





Winter Park Shawl. Attractive and versatile little shawl.





Pearl Street Mitts. These are attractive and interesting, and yet plain enough that a man would be willing to wear them. I'm loving the subtle play of colour in these, but then linen stitch does tend to create such lovely effects with colour.





City Park Hat. Nice looking cap, though it does deserve a better colourway.





Timber Trail Hat. Nice hat. Love the diamond effect.





Manitou Springs Set. This is a rather interesting effect, reminding me of that "scratch board art" I remember doing as a child, in which an image was created by scratching through a black coating to reveal the layer of colour below it.





Durango Socks. Classic socks.





Rist Canyon Beanie. A simple, functional, ribbed cap. But then sometimes simple and functional is all one wants.





South Platte Cowl. Very pretty. The yarn choice works beautifully with the rippled texture.





Edora Cowl. The lacework and tabs on this one work quite well together, though I wouldn't have expected that they would, and they lend this simple cowl interest and even style.





Bingham Hill Cowl. Great stitchwork and a very attractive play of colour.





Happy Jack Cowl. Some attractive and interesting stitchwork in this one.





Eastern Plains Cowl. Oooh, love the texture in this one, and it looks like the warmest, most comfortable thing to wear.





Loveland Cowl. This one has great design and an offbeat yet masterful colourway.





Reservoir Ridge Cowls. Some nice texture in this one, and that is a great use of a gradient colour effect.





Spruce Creek Scarf. Love the stitchwork in this one, which has a "classic with a modern twist" feel to it.





Dillon Scarf. This issue's patterns are definitely strong on stitchwork.





Cheyenne Mountain Monkey Sleep Sack & Hat. I don't think I'd care to make, or dress up a baby in, what looks more than a little too much like a potato sack, but the hat is undeniably cute.





Red Feather Sweater. This is maybe a little too basic and squarish to be appealing.





Silverthorne Baby Blanket. Quite a nice piece of minimalist contemporary design. The texture of the gray section and the careful finishing keep it from looking too simple.





Front Range Raglan. You can't go wrong with a classic cabled cardigan at any age.

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Knitscene Summer 2016: A Review


Knitscene has released its Summer 2016 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?





Lignon Cardigan. This one, with its asymmetrical collar detail, reminds me of a 4-H knitting project my sister once did when she was about 14. As she earnestly explained it to me and my mother, "I made a mistake in the back and didn't see it in time, so I made a matching one in the front, only I didn't get it as high." Other than the collar, I do like this piece with its dotted effect, and in the pictures where it is buttoned it is clear that it is a well-shaped piece.





Capillary Scarf. This one looks like a very long, skinny shopping bag.





Rosulate Tank. I'm not a fan of asymmetry, but this one is fine. Two ruffles would have been a little too precious, and the lacework and shaping are very good.





Cordia Tank. I haven't a fault to find with this one. Nicely finished piece, and I love that cinnamon red yarn.





Commelina Scarf. Both attractive and visually interesting.





Alpinia Tank. Liking the linear-style lacework on this one, which would make a nice cover up for the beach.





Helconia Wrap. This piece is not actually a wrap, as both its name and this picture suggest, but a loose cardigan. It's a lovely piece in terms of stitchwork and drape, if a little too Golden Girls in style for me.





Ipomoea Scarf. I can see this one going fairly well with very casual summer clothes.





Arundina Tee. Very fetching little top for summer. The yarn choice is particularly good for this design.





Mere Skirt. Lovely little airy piece for summer. This one would be such a welcome find in a woman's closet on a hot day.





Rogue Wave Socks. I like these socks on the whole, but they do look unfinished at the top, as though they just stop.





Buoyant Sweater. Not bad, and I do like the tie-dyed yarn used here, but I would fix those dropped shoulders.





Barachois Tunic. I actually rather like this one's minimalist, "she's come undun" style. Shorter women might have trouble carrying off the length, but it can always be scaled down to suit them.





Soliton Vest. The back of this item looks pretty good, but the front looks like an unfinished piece the model is trying on for size.





Seiche Tank. Love the lace detail on the yoke of this tank, though, as A-line shapes are not my friend, I'd be reshaping it.





Anil Cardigan. The lacework at the shoulders is pretty, but cardigan's general effect is that of a rumpled and stretched-out piece.





Tinctoria Tee. This mullet hem is working better and more stylishly than mullet hems usually do, but I think I'd still be making the front and back hems of equal length. The design is quite good otherwise, and this would make a useful overlayer for summer.





Billabong Tee. Another one of those minimal designs that work quite well. The shaping is good and the overall effect is "can't be bothered to dress up much and want to be cool and comfortable but still have style" -- which is the perfect chord to strike in summer.





Atoll Cowl. A light, simple cowl for summer.

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Knitscene Spring 2016: A Review


The Knitscene Spring 2016 issue is out. Let's have a look at it.





Siula Grande Sweater. Simple useful piece with some good shaping.





Salcantay Cowl. The perfect accessory for the last day of those Outward Bound excursions when the only clean clothes you have left are pieces that don't match at all. Mind you, I'm making fun of the styling, rather than the cowl, which I quite like. It has a certain understated style and would elevate many an outfit, though it's wasted on this one.





Mismi Shawl. Another nice little piece. The two-tone yarn gives it a more casual look than a single yarn colour would, though it is still not Outward Bound-level casual.





Chachani Hat. This little cap does belong on an Outward Bound expedition, as well as a lot of other places.





Robie Tank. I like this one on the whole, but I wouldn't go with this variegated yarn because it gives the design the look of a disco ball.





Glass Palace Tee. This is a cute top with some sporty-looking detailing. Though I don't know if I would recommend it as an accompaniment to a long, full, laser-cut skirt, wedge-heeled sandals, and a workbench.





Savoye Pullover. Love the large scale check pattern and the neck. Don't love the dropped shoulders, and the cropped, baggy fit of both the body and the sleeves, but if you don't like them either, it's always possible to reshape the design.





Monadnock Tank. A classic, pretty piece.





Modern Tartan Slouch. This one's quite smart. And fortunately there's no need to pair it with a floral romper.





Tribune Pullover. The slits in this one wouldn't ordinarily be my thing, but I think they work for this design by giving it a bit of a modern edge. The texture and shaping are also good.





Marina City Shawl. This is one of those understated pieces that only reveal their beauty and elegance upon closer inspection. Love the star stitch used here. This is also one versatile and practical item.





Geodesic Mitts. These are super cute in a very smart, adult way.





Natalia Sweater. Lovely design, although I think there are a myriad of better colourways for it than this one, which looks a little wan.





Dinah Pullover. Really liking this one's minimalist yet polished style.





Wanda Vest. A classic. Though I'd pick a less dreary colour for it to rid it of that "post-war army surplus yarn" look.





Helena Gloves. These are rather fetching in a vintage-y way.





Greer Cardigan. I like this design on the whole, though I do have some nitpicks. Those sleeves are rather too full in the cap, creating an almost puffed sleeve effect, and the contrast colour edgings look a little afghan-y, though might look less so in a more subtle colourway. Making the sleeves more fitted and the colourway more sophisticated would take this design to the next level.





Yelena Cardigan. Classic cardigan with beautiful stitchwork.





Sharon Tote. This is one of those good concepts that didn't get where they deserved to go. I love the idea of a tartan bag, and the bow is a cute touch, but the straps used here are so at variance with the rest of the bag that they detract from the overall look. I'd buy (or make) straps for the bag before I made my yarn selection, and then choose yarns that would work well with the straps. I'd also line the bag with fabric, and probably also a sturdy interlining, to give it stability and shape.






Peggy Sweater. I like the concept of a back-revealing sweater for summer, but can't say I care for this particular execution of it, which presents more as a "saggy wardrobe malfunction" than a deliberate "I'm bringing sexy back".