Showing posts with label Knitter's Magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knitter's Magazine. Show all posts

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Knitter's Magazine 122: A Review


Knitter's Magazine has released issue 122. Let's have a look at it.





Coral Camo. This is so bathmat, and not even in a good "serene luxury spa" kind of way, but rather in a "let's match this to the toilet paper cosy" kind of way.





Seafoam & Coral Top. This is rather fetching. I'm liking the seashell colourway, the varied stitchwork, and the summery airiness of it.





Seafoam & Coral Skirt. I like this a lot too. The side panel with the vertical stripes is what makes this design. And I would never have thought of putting the top above with this skirt, but they do work very well together.





Fresh Lilac. Very pretty! It looks well from both front and back and will make a very useful summer topper.





Water & Waves. Such beautiful lacework in this.





Little Linen Patches. Another nice one. The linen stitch checks made for an attractive and interesting effect.





Sprouts in Spring. Very pretty cardigan. This is a good design for showcasing a beautiful yarn, and indeed, the handpainted yarn used here is lovely.





Seaglass Stripes. Some good lines and texture in this one.





Pressed Petals. Quite nice. The leaf detail shown in the background photo is from the back.





Basalt Bands. I have a weakness for this kind of textured jacket, and this one is really kind of fabulous. The intricate stitchwork is really impressive. The peplum won't be flattering on every woman, but this is a great piece.





Bark & Branches. Big needle knits aren't usually my thing, but I like this one. It sits so well and has great texture.





Woodland Sunset. I'm not entirely sold on the extra bulk at the shoulders of this one, but the lines are good overall and I like the yarn.





Garden Walk. Not bad, though I would go for a neater fit.





Flippy Ribs. Cute and sporty.





Monarch Stripes. So the monarch butterflies are dying in record numbers and you offer them the final insult of this badly shaped and retina-searing vest, and even put it on the cover? Why, Knitter's Magazine? Why?





Technicolor Plaid Shawl. Very attractive and fun wrap.





Technicolor Plaid Blanket. Fabulous! The stitchwork is excellent and those colours are a feast for the eyes.

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Knitter's Magazine 121: A Review


Knitter's Magazine issue 121 is out! Let's have a look at it.





Hello Doily. Love this one. It's simple yet distinctive, and very wearable.





Puppy Teeth. Man, this picture is so 1980. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. This is a classic vest. I don't care much for the colourway, but then that's personal taste, not an objective criticism, as the colours do work together well.





Mermaid Tails. What a lovely piece. I like the stitchwork so much I'd also like to see it used for an afghan.





Embers Waistcoat. This is one of those pieces that had potential but didn't get where it deserved to go, design-wise. It has a rather rough, slapped-together look to it as is. Better shaping and finishing would have done wonders for it.





Laced Checks. This design actually employs shoelaces for the mock whip-stitches. I can't say I care for the effect at all -- it's too "Pebbles Flintstone Goes to College".





Cowboy Stars. I like this one on the whole, though the motifs look too blob-like and could have stood to be a little crisper and better defined.





Color Control Wrap. I rather like the post-modern, minimalist feel of this one, but it does look more like an afghan than a wrap.





Big and Little Teeth. Another very eighties piece. This isn't bad. I like the child's version better as the adult version is an awkward length on the model.





Deep Blue. I wish I could see the front of this, but it does look great from the back. The pattern description suggests wearing this piece under a jacket during the day and wearing the halter by itself to go out at night, and I agree that's a good idea.





Fire Diamonds. Quite a striking design, and the shaping is good.





Strata. Very much like this one. It comes across like a re-imagined classic tartan skirt. The use of modular design and self-striping design is original and clever, and it's well-shaped.





Santa Fe Shrug. I was iffy on the shape of this shrug at the bottom, but I think I'm going to come down on the side of liking the piece. It is very nicely detailed. I will say I don't think the embroidered details are adding anything.




Classic Little Black Skirt. This is... okay. Though I would do those bottom stripes in another yarn and colour.





Fire Ball. That's an inappropriately exciting name for a dowdy pattern that looks like it came from the pages of a seventies homemaking magazine.





Razy Caps, No. 1. That's a pretty yarn, but this looks like it was designed and knitted by a beginner.





Razy Caps, No. 2. This one is a little less rough and ready than the last one.





Razy Caps, No. 3. This one is rather cute in a quirky sort of way.





Razy Caps, No. 4. This one is similar to the last one, and I love the yarn used here, but the earflaps push it into "too silly" territory for me, even though I know earflaps must be practical. But then my taste in hats is a beautifully detailed classic tam that I can pull down over my ears.

Monday 5 October 2015

Knitter's Magazine 120: A Review


Knitter's Magazine has released issue 120. Let's have a look at it, shall we?





Bias Blues. This looks more ragged than stylish. It reminds me of the dress Cindarella's woodland friends made for her... after her stepsisters had torn it to pieces.





Taura. Not a bad little vest, though it could do with some waist shaping and perhaps a little more length.





Texture at Play. Interesting texture, and the shaping isn't bad, though again it could do with some waist shaping.





Sunshine at Sea. After staring at this design for some minutes, I surprised myself by liking this one. The unusual yarn choice and stitchwork give it a lot of visual interest, and the cowl neck gives it a certain style. I would make it a bit more flattering and wearable by neatening up the fit a bit, adding waist shaping, and adding more toggles or buttons to the front.





Rustic Zen. Did they take this one off a cattle rustler or sheep stealer? I could imagine people engaged in such lines of work need a lot of freedom of movement, but most contemporary women aren't being pursued by bounty hunters, don't need their clothes to be so loose fitting, and can afford to care about whether a piece is flattering or not. I'd like to see this design translated into a piece with a flattering, wearable shape.





Agate Ripples. Quite like this striped kimono. This could have looked very afghan-ish, but the design combines stripes and ripples so cleverly that it elevates it above couch wear.





Not Quite Nautical. Very much like this African textile-inspired piece too, which is a sharp and striking piece of design.





Carved Kiwi. This is rather a nice textured pullover, but all I can think when I look at this is how much I am lusting after that turquoise-flecked green yarn.





Hatchmarks. Very sharp and sophisticated hat and cowl set.





Peak and Valley Skirt. This piece looks like it came straight off an old landscape couch in someone's musty basement.





Double Take. The colourwork and yarns used here are gorgeous, but I don't know about the shape of this piece. It lies so well, but that bottom edge looks so awkward and abbreviated, as though there should be more of the design. I'd like there to be more of this shawl or scarf.





Shawl Strategy. Very pretty and simple eyelet shawl.





Blue Phoenix. Very attractive, and the description promises that it will lay on the wearer's body much like a cardigan thanks to its shoulder and neck shaping.





Uppercut X2. Nice minimal sort of piece. The tunic length won't be for everyone (i.e., it will work much better on tall women than short ones), but it can be easily shortened if that's what the wearer wishes.





Uppercut X2. This kind of trapeze-shaped knit will look dowdy on most women. Even this model isn't able to carry it off.





Hill Country Cables. I rather like the fleece-backed scarf with pockets, which seems a rather handsome and practical piece to me, but I can't with the boot toppers, much less the little pom poms attached to it.





Woodland Patches. I think I might actually like this one if it were in a decent colourway, but the colour combination they've used here is so searingly awful that it's effectively blinded me to the vest's good qualities.