Wednesday 8 November 2017

Knitscene Winter 2017: A Review


Knitscene has released its Winter 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.





Bearly There Cap. This is cute, and even better, it's cute in a way that's adult-appropriate.





Bridges Scarf. This is an easy knit and it's attractive enough. It is big, but then you can always knit it to whatever scale you like.





Checkers Scarf. This is such a smart scarf it even looks fairly well worn over a sequined dress.





Dancing Deer Hat and Mittens. A nice interpretation of the classic reindeer pattern.





Dejlig Sweater. I can't help but feel that these visible seams are seams gone wrong.





Enkel Cowl. I rather like the stitchwork in this one.





Flette Blanket. A handsome and cozy throw.





Flurries. This is the nicest cowl I've seen in awhile. The pattern is beautiful, and it sits so well.





Hoppers Cowl. The design's nice enough but I don't like the way this cowl sits. I think my favourite cowls are, like the previous one, knitted tube-style, or at least reversible, so that the wrong side isn't visible and there are no limp edges.





Hvile Poncho. Love the cables on this. I'm a little hesitant about the shape, but I think it works fairly well. It would stay in place and allow movement, and it hangs fairly well.





Kostbar Cowl. Not a bad little lacy cowl, and that is a fun t-shirt. Its message has a special resonance for me, given my chronic fatigue issues.





Lone Buck Vest. Oooh, I like this vest, which presents as a re-invented Christmas sweater for millennials. The fair isle buck and the bands on the sleeve are nice twists.





Lykke Sweater. This sweater has a very early eighties feel to it. It's not bad, but I think I'd do it in a more interesting yarn than a plain cream, as it needs a little something.





Night Birds Sweater. Very nice! Love the motifs in this one, and that colourway really pops.





Rivers Cowl. I'm liking the Art Deco look of the cables in this cowl.





Tyk Cardigan. This is the little afghan that wanted so much to become a cardigan that it magically sprouted sleeves.





Vinter Poncho. This is another afghan that wanted so desperately to be an item of wearing apparel that it developed a neck hole. I do love the stitch used in this one, though, and it drapes so well, but this piece would swamp most women.

Monday 6 November 2017

Rib Magazine No. 3 Alchemy: A Review


Rib Magazine has released its third issue, "Alchemy". Let's have a look at it.





Alchemy Pullover. Nice one! I like the way the different bands of colour blend together.





Protean Pullover. Oooh, handsome! And the sweater's attractive and classic too. (Sorry, a little deprived here.)





Isometric Scarf. Very wearable, nicely textured scarf.





Háls Cowl. I'm loving the little Fair Isle motifs, and this checked effect is a creative way to use them.





Revolution Watch Cap. A classic knitted cap with a bit of a twist provided by its inventive stitchwork.





Tetrahedron Socks. These are fun and also have a 1930s throwback feel, which is one of my design sweet spots. The ripple texture and dark heels and toes make for a good-looking sock, and the houndstooth patterned heels is such a great added touch.

Monday 23 October 2017

Creative Knitting Winter 2017: A Review


Creative Knitting magazine has released its Winter 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.





Bodacious Bobble Hat. Cute, though I can think of better colourways for it.





Color Play Vest. This looks for all the world like a bathmat with a button on it.





Color Theory Throw. I love this one without qualification.





Cozy Cabin Cowl. This has a slightly rough, patched-together look.





Kireina Cardigan. Very attractive stitchwork in this one, and good shaping, though I would add another inch or so to the depth of that collar. As you can see, it's not lying flat even in this photo.





Knit & Weave Cowl. This is another cowl that has a patchy, tacked-together look.





Rainy Day Reading Socks. Cute, cheerful socks.





Beguiling Basket-Weave Cap & Scarf. This is a handsome hat and scarf set with good texture, and it would work with most jackets and coats.





On the Edge. The Ravelry page for this pattern calls it a dress and Creative Knitting's blurb calls it a poncho. I'd call it a tunic, myself, and given that it's so bulky, not a terribly flattering one. It's never a good sign when a model needs to cock her hip and put one hand on her waist to make a design look good.





Transitional Tunic. Nice detailing at the neck and cuffs, but this A-line shape may be a tricky one to wear.





Weekender Pullover. Bland simple pullover with dropped shoulders. There are better basic patterns out there.





Wrapture. Knit coats can be hard to wear, but this isn't bad at all. It sits quite well. It's very simple and neutral, but that means that it'll go with the maximum number of outfits, and the mohair-like texture keeps it from being boring. I'd do this in a beautiful quality, textured yarn in a colour that is a pleasure to look at, and use some sort of interesting fastener for the toggle, like a brooch. I'd also fix the dropped shoulders.





Archways Hat. Cute cabled hat.





Bisqueware Poncho. This sits so well, and the colourway's lovely.





Cables on the Catwalk. I rather like this one. It's bulky, but it's well shaped enough that it doesn't swamp the model, and it would turn a simple outfit into something interesting.





Wandering Cables. I'm less than enthused about this one. I usually am an easy sell on a cable cardigan, but this one has such a bulky, awkward look to it, with its dropped shoulders and deep neckline.





Ski Lodge Wrist Warmers. I'd put half-thumbs on these. The design looks like it's been amputated as is.

Monday 25 September 2017

Interweave Knits Holiday 2017: A Review


Interweave Knits has released its Holiday 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.





Alcova Scarf. How handsome! And the scarf is very attractive too. (Sorry, more than a little deprived here.)





Buckwheat Cowl. An attractive, classic piece.





Cable & Seed Knee Socks. It's hard to go wrong with such classic stitchwork. Though I would like to point out that these socks go nowhere near the model's knees. I suppose the name "calf socks" doesn't have quite the same ring.





Cookie Decorating Set. This is meant to be a play set for a child, and I suppose a child baker might have some fun playing with it. The oven mitts are too cute.





Dickensian Dolls. These are quite a good recreation of Scrooge and the three ghosts from A Christmas Carol. I'm not crazy about the blank faces, though I know perfectly well it is difficult to create likenesses with yarn. The blank face does work in the case of the Ghost of Christmas Past, because it makes him look scary, and he's supposed to be scary.





Entwined Shawl. Very nice!





Fantastic Fox Family. These don't look very much like foxes, but they are undeniably cute and cuddly.





Frost Mittens. These are pretty, and they're lined for extra warmth.





Jacquard Mittens. These are different. I don't know if they quite appeal to me, but they certainly have a lot of textural interest. In this brown yarn they have a certain "woven from straw" look.





New Growth Shawl. A lovely, even elegant, wrap.





Oslo Hat. I don't even like this style of hat, but this one is so well rendered, so nicely detailed and carefully shaped, that it's appealing.





Parallelogram Hat. Nice classic cap.





Powder Puff. This is pretty basic, but like most basic designs it's wearable and useful.





Solstice Hat. Love this one. The fair isle design is beautiful and the slightly offbeat colourway works really well.





Tree Boughs and Trails Hat. I'm really liking the combination of the pine-needle branch-like cabling and the twisting cables.





Two Cables Socks. This is a very handsome pair of classic cabled socks.





Wayworn Cap. Another classic cap.





Winter Sky Mittens. These are cute, but I do wish they had a more graceful shape and fit more snugly around the wrists. Leaving the wrists that open is not going to be too conducive to keeping the wearer's wrists and hands warm in winter.





Winter Snowflake Stocking. Really cute design. I'm liking that the designer didn't just make a classic snowflake pattern stocking, but added some interesting extra touches: the lace at the top, and the cream heel and toe with a decorative line of seed stitch in the main colour and a contrasting colour.





Winter's Chill Cowl. This is a pretty little piece. I'm liking the combination of pale blue, aqua, and white.





Woodland Lace Stole. This a fabulous piece of knitted lacework. It's modelled on traditional Shetland shawls, and indeed, it could pass for one.





Yeti for Bed. This doesn't look much like my idea of a yeti, which are usually depicted as furrier/hairier than this, but I must admit that the idea of dressing a fearsome creature in long undies (complete with a buttoned flap on the rear end) and bunny slippers is a very witty one.