Eight Leg Reunion: An animated short

In Eight Leg Reunion, an animated short from KnitBits, the helpless body of an octopus gets its legs and joyfully submerges itself below the waves for the first time.

Vogue Knitting Fall 2015: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released its Fall 2015 issue. Let's have a look at what's currently en vogue, shall we?

Pattern # 1, Cabled Wrap. We begin this issue with a selection of teal-coloured designs, which (being that teal/turquoise is my favourite colour family) I applaud. This a good-looking wrap. The shape gives it a contemporary appeal. I do question how it's going to stay in place, but then I suppose that's where a shawl pin comes in handy.

Pattern #2, Raglan Pullover. A lovely classic with some fantastic distinctive detailing.

Pattern #3, Scoop-Neck Pullover. This isn't a bad design aesthetically speaking, but it will bulk up the wearer's figure.

Pattern #4, Travelling Cable Mitts. Very pretty and well-shaped.

Pattern #5, Seamless Cap. Nice cap. I like the way the cables from the ribbing have been integrated into the design.

Pattern #6, V-Neck Vest. This one made me decide that I really ought to have a classic cabled vest in a beautiful shade of teal in my wardrobe.

Pattern #7, Simple Pullover. Uninteresting and unflattering.

Pattern #8, Open Cardigan. Quite liking this one, which looks like the perfect thing to keep at the office for those chillier than expected days.

Pattern #9, Arrowhead Top. Interesting contemporary piece that's also really versatile. This one will look good with jeans or a wool skirt.

Pattern #10, Ribbed Vest. Er. Are we looking at the right side of this?

Pattern #11, Ribbed Turtleneck Cowl. Simple and wearable little topper.

Pattern #12, Cocoon Vest. This isn't a bad-looking piece, but it's going to ride up maddeningly every time the woman who wears it raises her arms at all. She'll wind up looking like a woman who was trying on something in a shop change room, got stuck with it half-off and half-on and, in her search for a sales associate who would help her out of her jam, accidentally wandered out on the street

Pattern #13, Striped Raglan Pullover. I'd want to neaten up the shaping of this, but it's pretty and pleasing enough.

Pattern #14, V-Neck Pullover. This looks like a scrap yarn sweater that the knitter made up as she or he went along, all the more so because the stripe across the front is being pulled out of shape by the ribbing at the neck. The yarns chosen for this piece do work together quite well, so there's that.

Pattern #15, Crew-Neck Pullover. This is very "eighties-era yarn company knitting pattern freebie pamphlet".

Pattern #16, Open-Front Cardigan. This is very "seventies-era Carly Simon concert wear".

Pattern #17, Waterfall Cardigan. This is very "upcycled thrift shop bathrobe".

Pattern #18, Colorblock Pullover. This is very "little-used Sesame Street character named C. Squared who is obsessed with pointing out the difference between squares and rectangles to children".

Pattern #19, Fair Isle Toque. Nice classic cap.

Pattern #20, Fringed Vest. For those days when you can't decide between business-like houndstooth or sherpa-style fringes and shapelessness.

Pattern #21, Graphic Sweater. How sharp is this terrific little piece?

Pattern #22, Round-Neck Sweater. I'm not really buying the visible colour changes as part of the design in this one. It just looks amateurish.

Pattern #23, Textured Pullover. This looks pretty good here, though I'm not crazy about the full side view aspect of it (shown in the other picture Vogue Knitting has of it on the preview page). The tapering side inserts don't look all that well-shaped.

Pattern #24, Kimono-Style Pullover. I just can't get on board with house-sized sweaters. They don't look good on anyone, even professional models.

Pattern #25, Winged Triangle Shawl. This is very Games of Thrones in the best possible way, i.e., in a cool emblematic way, not in a medieval-style brutality and misogyny way.

Pattern #26, Segmented Shawl. I'm finding this one has such visual buzz that it's bothering my eyes. The lace part of the shawl looks great, but the chain-stitched style panels are too over the top.

Pattern #27, Semi-Circular Knit Shawl. I've finding this one a little busy side too, though at least I can look straight at it without my eyes twitching. I'm not saying it's a bad design, mind you. It has a certain architectural appeal. As a matter of fact it looks so like a belfry in the black side version (shown on the right) that I keep expecting to see bats come flying out from under it.

Pattern #28, Double Knit Beanie. Cleverly designed reversible number.

Twist Collective Fall 2015: A Review

Twist Collective has released its Fall 2015 issue (and incidentally is also celebrating its seventh anniversary, yay them!). Let's all twist again like we did last issue, shall we?





Leitzel. This design is so frumpy from the front. The back is somewhat better.

Meristem. Cute and useful little vest.

Bering. Lovely classic hat and stole set, though that hat does look perhaps a little on the small side compared with the generously sized wrap. I'd consider making the hat a tam, or making the stole a little smaller.

Boreas. Nice piece. It's polished and wearable and will look good on any woman.

Filigrene. Very pretty. It would be fun to come up with one's own colourway for this one.

Ballyfaron. Very nice classic set. The two pieces are perfectly in proportion with each other.

Cherrywood. Nice piece, but it does emphasize the hipline. Wear with caution.

Sherbrooke. Cute set, and I even like the toggle detail on the capelet, but I would pick just two items out of the three to make. Three matching knitted items always looks a little over the top to me.

Altiplano. Nice Peruvian hats. The colours on the right one are ever so pretty.

Trondheim. Nice cabled pullover. The diagonal cable is a nice original touch, though I'm thinking that it makes it a design for smaller-chested women.

Knothole. The contrast of delicate lace with round openwork holes is an unusual twist, but I think it works as it gives a classic shawl a modern twist.

Papagena. Love this piece. The graphic lines give it a contemporary feel, meaning that it won't be too romantic looking to wear with simple clothes. And best of all, you don't actually have to share it with a friend.

Sissone. Oooh, lovely. The collar and the centre panel are beautifully textured. I wasn't too sure about how flattering the curved front hem would be, but
then I think the styling isn't quite working here. Made long enough to completely cover one's top and worn over a fitted bottom, this cardigan would look fine.

Guimard. I absolutely love the lace pattern used in these pieces. I may even have sucked in my breath a little when I first saw it.

Brina. Pretty!

Fretwork. This is rather a dramatic piece (and would be even without the model's interpretive dance pose). I can't say I care much for the combination of pale and dark blue, but there are lots of colour combinations that would work for this design.

Fortuna. Another lovely shawl.

Brindle. This set doesn't appeal very much. It looks more than a little slapped together and roughly constructed.

Allotrope. Exquisite lace in this one.

White Wood. I wish I could get a better look at this one, but it does appear to be an attractive wrap from what I can tell. All this athleticism from the models makes me wonder if Twist Collective is trying really hard to break away from the "old ladies in shawls" stereotype.

Farallon. Attractive and wearable.

Shannonmore. Classic aran weight cabled pullover, designed in both male and female versions.

Philodendron. Ooooh, I love this one. That pattern of interlacing leaves across the front is really distinctive and the shaping is great.

Aparne. This one looks a bit like some sort of creeping sea creature that crawls over its unfortunate prey so slowly that its next meal never knows it until it's too late. I actually did some googling to see what species it was that this shawl reminded me of, and had to stop because I was learning more than I ever wanted to know about terrifying creatures that live in the deep. I mean, I could have gotten through life quite nicely without ever seeing a picture of the lamprey. Anyway, getting back to the shawl, believe it or not, I actually mean "creeping sea creature" as a compliment. This shawl is kind of cool and modern. Though now that you've read my thoughts on it, you may want to make it in some colour other than algae-like green.

Alodia. Beautifully textured wrap.

Sweetfern. Ooooh, so pretty! I absolutely adore the yarns used here.

Sachertorte. This nicely detailed little jacket reminds me of similar little jackets that were very much in style in the 1950s, except for the off-centre fastening, which is a contemporary touch. The bottom flare can be hard to carry off, but as you can see from these pictures it is possible. This is a jacket that should be paired with fitted items.

Locksmith. This is rather cute, and I like the key detailing. The shaping really isn't great though. It needs waist shaping, the sleeves are an awkward length, and that high crewneck is seriously unflattering even on the model. I'd cut the neckline down more, which will also mean moving the key panel down somewhat so that the neckline doesn't cut into it.

Feilecan. Nice set. The Celtic knot design is well-adapted to this hat and mittens.

Hemingway. Good interpretation of a classic, though I think the collar could be a bit better shaped on both versions. It looks rather skimpy here.