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

Wednesday 12 October 2016

Knitscene Winter 2016: A Review


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





Snowflake Cowl. Nice piece, and a lovely rendering of the classic snowflake pattern.





Snowball Cap. Cute hat with some fun contemporary chartwork.





Ski Lodge Cardigan. A well-shaped and fresh take on the classic ski jacket.





Slopes Pullover. This works. I like that the eyelet work around the yoke is not too lacy, and the contrast bands at the neck, cuffs, and hem are smart.





Banquet Sweater. A pretty ballet-necked sweater.





Revelry Sweater. This is a nice design as is, but I think I might have taken this design concept steps further and added lace trim to the cuffs as well as the hem, and perhaps also more edging or even a collar to the neckline.





Soirée Cowl. Some lovely stitchwork in this cowl, though I wouldn't consider it quite polished enough to go with a bronze lamé dress, or to be worn to a soirée.





Fête Cardigan. A beautiful classic cable sweater.





Mirth Tunic. Very nice piece with some good shaping and eyelet work and an artfully rumpled cowl neck. Though I don't understand why the model otherwise appears to be attending a particularly vulgar party at the Trump Tower.





Blowout Cardigan. I like this sweater, but I am beginning to wonder if this photoset, which combines sensible, wearable, well-designed knitwear with ersatz glamour party trappings, is some sort of meta commentary on the mind-bending divide between the U.S.A.'s current two leading presidential candidates.





Spree Cowl. An attractive cowl.





Celebration Shawl. This is a nice piece on the whole, but I'd add some sort of edging to it, as it looks unfinished as is.





Gala Tunic. Nice top. Both the shaping and the diamond detailing work well.





Vanilla Jacket. I often comment that a design "didn't quite get where it was going", by which I mean that the concept had promise but didn't get the execution it deserved. The design concept for this item never seemed to have any desire to get anywhere in the first place, but rather dropped out of high school, then spent the next several years smoking pot and playing video games in the basement until its parents got fed up and kicked it out.





Hot Cocoa Sweater. A lovely use of a gradient colour palette combined with mohair silk yarn. This sweater has dropped shoulders, which ordinarily I'd fix, but I think in this particular sweater they might work as is.





Biscotti Sweater. Not a bad piece. I think I'd go with a more interesting colourway.





Macaroon Hat. Cute hat, though I question how well it will stay on without a stretchy band at its edge.





Latte Pullover. Nice piece for those especially cold winter days.





Frosting Pullover. This piece has some nice texture and appealing softness, but it's too sloppy in its shape to be attractive. It looks as though it took its name from the idea that it's the kind of sweater one wears when curled in a fetal position on the couch, eating frosting straight from the can.





Chocolate Chip Cowl. What a fun and inventive piece. I love the combination of the furry yarn and the houndstooth pattern, and this cowl also looks like it'd be a real comfort on a very cold day, much like a chocolate chip or three.

Wednesday 6 July 2016

Knitscene Fall 2016: A Review


Knitscene has released its Fall 2016 issue. Let's take a look at the patterns therein, shall we?





Sumi Sweater. Baggy and unflattering. It's never a good sign when the model has to clutch herself to give the design shape.





Hanshi Wrap. Elegant and contemporary and perfect.





Suzuri Hat. This is smart and fun.





Fude Tee. I like this on the whole but I would neaten up the fit somewhat.





Warren Cowl. This one has that "deflated inner tube" look when worn singly as all long cowls tend to, but looks great when worn doubled.





Carson Sweater. Nice piece. The yarn used in this sample is really pretty.





Barton Cowl. A handsome piece.





Ruby's Scarf. Not seeing the appeal of this one. The ends are unfinished, it's too short for a scarf, and the scrunchy effect isn't pleasing.





Parks Wrap. Another lovely and elegant wrap.





Curie Hat. It's hard to go wrong with a classic fair isle hat. I like that the designer went with an offbeat colourway.






Alice Hoodie. Nicely polished piece. Both the front and the back look good.





Maya Hat and Mittens Set. Very much like this one. It's always nice to see a fun theme like polka dots rendered in a sophisticated, adult way.





Amelia Hat. Classic bulky weight cabled hat.





Georgia Cardigan. I want to like this because I like the concept of a solid-coloured body combined with a striped ruffle, and the back does look quite good, but the front hangs so very poorly.





Troposphere Sweater. Classic herringbone sweater that does not actually require the use of colourful plastic balls and a trampoline to make it interesting. It does have dropped shoulders, but the sweater is so well-shaped otherwise that it works.





Empyrean Cowl. A nice simple cowl.





Noctilucent Shawl. Some really impressive, intricate stitchwork on this, and I love the pleated edges. The shawl also drapes very well.





Perigee Socks. Really liking the lattice slip stitch effect.





Aerial Skirt. It's been awhile since I've seen a skirt pattern, so it's nice to see this one, and even nicer to see that it's a good one. The shape is excellent and the details are interesting.





Caelum Cowl. I'm quite liking the chain device on this one, and the background stitchwork on the body of the scarf has a quietly polished effect.





Firmament Sweater. I very much like the little cuffs on this sweater. Feel free to play with the sleeve length if elbow sleeves aren't a flattering look on the intended wearer.





Cirrus Cowl. I'm liking the "allover box-stitch" used in this, which keeps this otherwise very simple cowl interesting.

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.