Showing posts with label Twist Collective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twist Collective. Show all posts

Wednesday 13 April 2016

Twist Collective Spring 2016: A Review


Twist Collective has released their Spring 2016 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?





Keystone. Nice classic piece.





Bosquet shawl. Some very attractive lacework in these.





Anyolite top. Some good detailing and nice shaping.





Zellige pullover. Love this one. The yoke design is really striking.





Reticella cardigan. I think I'm going to have to keep this one in mind for the cream cotton cardigan I want to make myself next year.





Flechir shawl. I like this one on the whole, but the slightly rolled edges and the ribbed vein-like lines do give a slightly rough look.





Wrought. Really pleasingly balanced piece.





Azulejos shawl. Some elegant contemporary lacework here.





Cassabana sweater. Not really taken with this one. I can't say it isn't shaped or finished, because it is, but it has a certain draggled look to it. Also that line of dropped stitches in the front will reveal the wearer's bra.





Unnathi shawl. Some really beautiful, intricate lacework in this one.





Kimberlite top. Quite like this one, with the interesting stitchwork on the side. It also has an unexpected keyhole detail in the back.





Cedri top. Useful and cute little summer top.





Ziarre cardigan. Nice little summer cardigan.





Papeda tank. Well-shaped piece with some nice lacy detailing at the neckline and side vents.





Rangoli shawl. Neither the tutti frutti colourway nor the mottled-looking stitchwork of this shawl are doing it for me.





Haden tank. Nice piece, though those buttons do nothing for it.





Rhodora shawl. Beautiful lacework.





Picard sweater. This design, and the eleven that follow it, are designs that have appeared in previous editions of Twist Collective. This one originally appeared in the Winter 2012 issue, which came out before I launched this site. The design is... okay. The collar doesn't seem like a particularly happy design choice, and I notice that a number of the Ravelry members who have made this design tweaked the collar in some way.





Ormond cardigan, from Summer 2011. It's a lovely classic item.





Gwendolyn, from Fall 2010. Nice-looking cabled hoodie. The contrast edging gives it a smart, sporty look.





Wingspan, from Fall 2010. I like this one, though the empire waistline isn't a great choice for the well-endowed woman. Even the model on the left can't quite carry off the look.





Flux cardigan, from Fall 2011. Love this one. Those intricately curving cables look fantastic.





Parcel pullover, from Winter 2010. Nice one. The chevrons feel more contemporary than the cables one might have expected the designer to go with.





Sympatico cardigan, from Fall 2012. This one is both retro and contemporary at the same time, and the choice of a yarn with a bit of angora in it gives the item a becoming softness.





Viridis, from Spring & Summer 2013. When I reviewed that issue, I wrote, "I very much like the Viridis jacket which has a beautiful lace front panel and good overall proportions and modern lines, but it's one that will have to be worn closed, because when worn open the front pieces are going to sag and the waist tie will trail. If you want to make this cardigan be prepared for that, and also be aware of the bulk it will add to the front of you as double-breasted styles inevitably do." I see it sits much better when worn open than I would have expected.





Kirigami pullover, from Winter 2009. I like the stripes and general lines of this piece, but that collar really detracts. It doesn't sit at all well.





Regent cardigan, from Spring & Summer 2012. Really attractive and gracefully shaped piece.





Jaali pullover, from Fall 2008. Flattering and wearable.





Epiphany, from Fall 2011. Very much like this one. I prefer the original colourway, which can be seen on the design's Ravelry page, but do think the sweater looks better in a neater fit as seen here. Epiphany was designed by Cheryl Burke, and she's a designer to keep an eye on, as she has a real gift for working with colour. The Mirry Dancers sweater was her work.

Monday 23 November 2015

Twist Collective Winter 2015: A Review


Twist Collective has released their Winter 2015 issue, and it's an especially good effort from them. Twist Collective probably has the best photography of any of the knitting magazines I review (it looks beautiful, the styling is generally excellent, and they almost never let their artistic direction override their primary purpose of providing a detailed view of the knitwear, as some of the magazines do), but they've outdone themselves this time. I mean, just look at that fantastic cover shot!





Chance & Comet mittens. The adult version comes across as a little too juvenile, but the castle and unicorn child version is ever so cute.





Carlu pullover. Good shaping and detailing on this one. The slit in the collar is a nice touch.





Sceptre mittens. Very Game of Thrones in the best possible way.





Vinca shawl. Lovely.





Kennemerland hat, cowl, and mittens. Love the hat and the cowl, but although the mittens are fine in themselves, I'm not sure the stripes work with the rest of the set. The designer probably wanted to avoid overdoing that feather-like stitch, but didn't substitute a compatible motif.





Channa pullover. Very nice piece overall, but those short sleeves do give it that "shrunk in the wash" look. Of course you can make the sleeves any length you want.





Nalina cap & cowl. What a lovely set.





Cappadocia cardigan. This one's an excellent piece of work. It's a simple and very wearable, flattering piece and has some very attractive lacework edging to keep it visually interesting.





Norrland cap & mittens. This is the grown-up's version of a snowflake hat and mittens. It's really lovely and quite sophisticated.





Bonspiel hoodie. This is a decent piece of design, but perhaps an unfortunate colour choice. Doing that cabled device on the back of the hood in this coral colour gave it a regrettable resemblance to a gaping and predatory alien mouth, such as that of The X-Files's Flukeman. Doing this sweater in a non-living-tissue-like shade such as navy or teal should help the back of the sweater lose that most unwelcome of celebrity resemblances.





Besom cardigan. Cute piece!





Zepp socks. These look very good from the side, but not so well from the front, and those ribbed tops are disproportionately long.





Spinner shawl. Exquisite!





Ready Steady Go cap, scarf & mittens. Very striking Art Deco effect here. Pairing these with a bright, clean-lined coat was the right styling choice too.





Spalle pullover. From a less skillful designer, a simple ribbed sweater like this one could have been a lacklustre and unflattering piece, but this one is so expertly shaped that it's the best possible example of its kind.





Kizzlekazzle shawl. The texture of this, while technically impressive, is a little too bathmat for me, but I suppose this shawl could make an interesting accessory for warm, casual, simple clothes.





Chroming pullover. Normally I'm a hardsell on asymmetrical hemlines, but this one really works, adding a visually distinctive touch to a simple pullover in a way that elevates the entire design.





Dendri cardigan. Very attractive and wearable.





Shivelight cap & cowl. Very nice set. The cabling is beautifully intricate, and the rolled edgings work well with the look.





Cinders turtleneck. You can't go wrong with a classic cabled turtleneck sweater.





Iana shawl. Another lovely shawl.





Sawteeth cardigan. This one will look awkward and bulky on most women. Even this model isn't able to work it successfully.





Tainia socks. Good looking cabled socks.





Racine cardigan. I like the back, but I wish I could see the entire front, particularly the collar. What I can see of the front (the pocket and button band edges) looks a little rough.





Ripplerock shawl. Impressive stitchwork on this one.





Lovat cardigan. Love this one. The whole piece flows toward that single button at the waist. It's perhaps not a piece for a woman who doesn't care to emphasize her waist, but will be quite flattering on those who do.





Kielo shawl. And we end the review with a another example of gorgeous lacework.