Showing posts with label Noro Magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Noro Magazine. Show all posts

Tuesday 24 May 2016

Noro Magazine Issue 8: A Review


Noro Magazine has released its eighth issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?





Pattern #1, Long Line Poncho. This isn't bad. It's a little Golden Girls, but then that isn't such a bad thing. The lines are good, the stitchwork is attractive, and the yarn is beautiful.





Pattern #2, Blanket Poncho. This is much more blanket than it is poncho.





Pattern #3, Openwork Poncho. I can't even dignify this one by claiming it would look better as a throw. This is a piece so aggressively unattractive that I'd be afraid that, even in an afghan incarnation, it would make my couch break out in hives.





Pattern #4, Mosaic Shawl. Lovely. The mosaic stitch showcases the yarn beautifully.





Pattern #5, L-Shaped Shawl. This is very "home ec project made the night before the due date".





Pattern #6, Lace-Edged Shawl. Beautiful. Both shaping and lacework are lovely.





Pattern #7, Crescent Shawl. Very pretty. Love the seashell colours.





Pattern #8, Ruffle Shawl. Not bad. The texture is interesting, and it's a nicely finished piece.





Pattern #9, Bandanna Cowl. This is quite attractive, and it sits well. Those long fringes would drive me crazy, but it would be easy to make them shorter, or to put some other sort of edging on this piece.





Pattern #10, Hybrid Triangular Shawl. Classic shawl.





Pattern #11, Openwork Cardigan. This is too full and floppy to be flattering on most women.





Pattern #12, Waterfall Cardigan. This needs more shaping, though the yarn used here is beyond gorgeous.





Pattern #13, Convertible Cardigan. I want to be able to approve of this one, because it does have an interesting construction, but it isn't flattering.





Pattern #14, Batwing-Sleeved Top. This one needs more body and less sleeve, or perhaps to rethink its life goals entirely and become a scarf.





Pattern #15, Cropped Shell. This is rather nice, but I'd be making it a standard length. The cropped length is a challenge to wear.





Pattern #16, Openwork Top. Not bad, but I would neaten up the shape a little.





Pattern #17, Leaf-Lace Shrug. Very pretty and useful little piece for summer dresses.





Pattern #18, Cropped Cardigan. Another nice little number for summer.





Pattern #19, Felted Entrelac Bag. This one's a little too crude and boho for my liking.





Pattern #20, Faeroese-Style Shawl. I like the combination of a traditional style with the contemporary, bright, eye-catching stripes.





Pattern #21, Infinity Scarf. Simple stitchwork with a beautiful play of colour.





Pattern #22, Mitered Throw. Fabulous. The mitered stitchwork and the yarn work together beautifully.





Pattern #23, Shell-and-Mesh Squares Cardigan. This is an impressive work in its own way, but also more than a little doily-esque for my liking.





Pattern #24, Shawl-Collared Cardigan. This is definitely too far into doily territory.





Pattern #25, Openwork Pullover. This is so far into doily land, it's in "Granny's centrepiece" territory. I want to put a basket of plastic fruit on it.





Pattern #26, V-Neck Shell. This could do with some better shaping.





Pattern #27, Goldfish; Pattern #28, Seahorse; and Pattern #29, Sea Star. These are very pretty and well-designed. What I'm wondering is what, if anything, they'll be used for, as I'm not one to make things that just sit around and collect dust. I suppose that, if they're large enough, they could be used as loofahs.

Thursday 26 November 2015

Noro Magazine Issue 7: A Review


Noro Magazine has published its seventh issue. Let's have a look at it.





Pattern #01, Ruffle-Edge Cardigan. The yarn plays out beautifully over the sleeves and ruffles, but I have my doubts as to how good this sweater looks from the front and how well the ruffles will sit when not being pulled into place.





Pattern #02, Mitered Wrap. Lovely piece with a beautiful colourway.





Pattern #03, Infinity Scarf. An attractive cowl.





Pattern #04, Entrelac Blanket. The pattern is fine, but these yarns don't work well together, colour-wise.





Pattern #05, Asymmetrical Top. This looks way too patched together, and not in a good way.





Pattern #06, Striped Mitts. Nice-looking mitts.





Pattern #07, Open-Front Jacket. This is quite smart. I'm amazed by how well the multi-direction stripes work together, making a polished whole.





Pattern #08, Batwing Cardigan. There's something proportionally off and graceless about the solid midsection panel. I'd have just the opening front bands, and perhaps a narrow waistband, done in the fuchsia yarn and do the rest of the sweater in the striped yarn.





Pattern #09, Crochet Jacket. Way too afghan-like, to the extent that it looks like we surprised the model in the middle of her nap and she forgot to get out from under the afghan before jumping up to pose for a picture.





Pattern #10, Hound's Tooth Pullover. Very much like this one. It was a smart choice to only do the body in the hound's tooth pattern, as doing the sleeves and neck in it would have been too much of a good thing.





Pattern #11, Slipped-Stitch Jacket. Very sharp! The shaping and the texture are excellent and work perfectly with the yarn choice.





Pattern #12, Mosaic Sweater. Not a bad pattern on the whole, though I think the cropped length isn't for most women. It looks awkward even on this professional model.





Pattern #13, Plaid Pullover. In this case, I would extend the plaid patterning to the sleeves. They look like an afterthought as is.





Pattern #14, Striped Pullover. I'd fix those dropped shoulders and consider making this in a less bland colourway.





Pattern #15, Raglan Jacket. Nice piece, though I'm not thrilled with the pockets, which look a little tacked on.





Pattern #16, Braided Scarf. Pretty and texturally interesting cowl.





Pattern #17, Classic Scarf. Handsome scarf.





Pattern #18, Slouchy Checkered Hat. Nice-looking hat. The colourway really makes this one sing.





Pattern #19, Ribbed Mitts. Simple enough, but the lovely yarn carries it.





Pattern #20, Man's Jacket. I'm not liking the ribbed sleeves on this one. I'd make the sleeves in the same stitch as the body of the sweater with just a ribbed cuff.





Pattern #21, Textured Tam. Not bad texture here, though the yarn choice is a little too "paint factory explosion" for me.





Pattern #22, Chunky Beanie. There are better texture and yarn combinations than this one.





Pattern #23, Cabled Brim Tam. Nice shape and detail in this one.





Pattern #24, Slipped-Stitch Hat. Love this one. The stitchwork and yarn combination work together beautifully and bring out the best in each other.





Pattern #25, Cabled Hat. You can't go wrong with a classic cabled hat.





Pattern #26, Slouchy Beanie. Again, I'm not liking the yarn and stitchwork combination. They don't do anything for each other.





Pattern #27, Top-Down Beret. This pattern is fine, but I'm not liking this yarn at all.





Pattern #28, Bobble Skullcap. This model seems to be suffering from an unfortunate tumour outbreak.





Pattern #29, Slouchy Hat/Cowl. This looks like a piece of discarded work that was scraped off the floor of the designer's workroom and sewn haphazardly around the model's neck.





Pattern #30, Earflap Beanie. Next.





Pattern #31, Mitered Squares Blanket. Beautiful.