Vogue Knitting Summer 2017: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released its Summer 2017 issue. Let's take a look at all the summery, knittery goodness inside.

Pattern #1, Lace Ruana. Beautiful lace and drape. Belting a ruana, as has been done here, would help keep the look flattering and in place.

Pattern #2, Oversized Pullover. This looks like a mesh bag with sleeves, and having all that excess knit fabric flapping about under my arms all day would drive me right up the wall.

Pattern #3, Lace Hoodie. If someone had told me in advance that there would be a lace hoodie in this issue of Vogue Knitting, I wouldn't have had high expectations of it, but this is really a terrific piece. The combination of lace and such a sporty style works well, resulting in a piece that's very pretty and is neither too casual nor too formal to be useful for daily wear, besides having all the appeal of a fun and unexpected design twist. Moreover the lace is gorgeous and the shaping is perfect.

Pattern #4, Lace Skirt. This is quite pretty, and as the pattern description says, could be worn with either a blouse and heels or a t-shirt and sandals, but the pastel pink yarn takes it a little to close to doily territory to me. I'd go with a less delicate shade of yarn.

Pattern #5, Lace Sampler Poncho. This looks like a lace tablecloth with a neckline.

Pattern #6, Thigh-High Stockings. These are very pretty (i.e., great lacework, excellent design), and they definitely strike a chord with me given my raging thigh-high stocking fetish, but I do question how wearable these would be, even in cotton, for summertime. They wouldn't look right worn with sandals or any other kind of of summer footwear that I can think of, for one thing. I think I'd make them in wool for cold weather wear.

Pattern #7, Leafy Lace Pullover. Very pretty lacework.

Pattern #8, Counterpane-Inspired Shawl. If you're the sort of person who has the panache to carry off a dramatically large lace shawl, I'd recommend this one. If you consider yourself devoid of panache (as I do), make this shawl without quite so much fringe and enjoy your beautiful afghan.

Pattern #9, Socks. Quite like these, with their natty, retro feel.

Pattern #10, Cowl. Nice piece. Love that it has a reverse colourway on the inside.

Pattern #11, Hat. Like this hat too, with its argyle-like effect.

Pattern #12, Cropped Tank. So smart and so beautifully detailed. It's a cropped length, but if that won't work for you or the intended wearer, it would be easy to lengthen the piece.

Pattern #13, Sanquhar Gloves. Like these too. They have a place on the wrist where one can include the wearer's initials, which is a fun extra touch.

Pattern #14, Arbor Cardigan. I'm not usually a fan of the drape-front cardigan, but this one hangs quite well, and the intricately patterned front and back is a work of art.

Pattern #15, Maevh Cowl. Beautiful leafy lacework, and it hangs so well.

Pattern #16, Tasseled Poncho. While I respect that Vogue Knitting has fully committed to this look by putting tasseled capris on the model, this poncho still looks like something out of a seventies-era homemaker's magazine.

Pattern #17, Textured Tank. Simple and wearable.

Pattern #18, Linen Stitch Stripe Pullover. Interesting variation on the classic Breton stripe pullover.

Pattern #19, Relaxed Tee. There's a relaxed fit, and then there's a "depressed and scarfing chips on the couch while vacantly watching movies on Lifetime" fit, and this is one of the latter.

Pattern #20, Chevron Lace Tee. I like this top on the whole (great colour and stitchwork) but have my concerns over the slightly baggy fit through the waist. But then it's not possible to add waist-shaping to every piece because sometimes it'll interfere with the pattern, and there are people who like and/or can carry off what this pattern's description calls a "blousy fit".

Pattern #21, Supersized Shawl. Another shawl of dramatic size, though this one is of far less impressive stitchwork. I'd be inclined to leave this piece on a couch.

Pattern #22, Swing Back Tank. I'd consider making this one a little longer than intended and using it as a cover-up for the beach.

Pattern #23, Mesh Jacket. I like this one, which has smart lines and would make a very useful little topper for summer.

Pattern #24, Cropped Lace Cardigan. I'm not too taken with this pattern, which is a reprint from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 1995 issue. It has too much the look of random samples of lacework tacked together. Vogue Knitting has styled it well here, though, as it looks pretty good worn over a clean-lined, fitted dress.

Vogue Knitting Late Winter 2017: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released their Late Winter 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it....

Pattern #1, Textured Poncho. Very loose-fitting numbers like this one are not usually my thing, but I have to admit this one works pretty well because of the careful shaping and detailing and interesting texture. The colourway used here really isn't to my taste, but I am enjoying imagining this piece done in lots of beautiful palettes.

Pattern #2, Raglan Turtleneck. A basic pattern like this one can be the way to go when you have an interesting or especially beautiful yarn to showcase. I'd recommend scaling down the length of this sweater to suit the intended wearer's height if she isn't model-tall.

Pattern #3, Cabled Front Pullover. I like this one on the whole, but I'm not sure that stripe of white on the bottom is working. I find it distracting.

Pattern #4, Color Block Pullover. Sometimes colour blocking works and sometimes it looks as though the knitter simply ran out of one colour of yarn. I'm inclined to think this is one of the latter cases, though the two yarns used do work together very well, which helps a lot.

Pattern #5, Striped Pullover. What a gorgeous play of colour.

Pattern #6, Man's Hoodie. Nice piece. The self-striping yarn makes for a more interesting take on the too-standard "stripe across the chest" men's sweater.

Pattern #7, Cable Front Pullover. Perfectly shaped and very wearable cabled piece.

Pattern #8, Broderie Anglaise Shawl. Interesting texture.

Pattern #9, Cabled Shawl. Beautiful wrap.

Pattern #10, Maruna Hat. Cute hat. I don't know if I'd go with the pom pom, personally, but certainly it will suit some women and is a fun touch.

Pattern #11, Long-line Scarf. A handsome and polished scarf.

Pattern #12, Over-Knee Socks. This a wonderfully comfortable-looking pair of knee socks, but the combination of pumps and pom poms is not one we'll often see anywhere but on a professional model in a magazine shoot.

Pattern #13, Cabled Sleeve Scarf. Nice cablework, but the open tube style of this scarf would make me feel like I had a pair of longjohns tied around my neck.

Pattern #13, Pom Pom Hat. Another classic hat topped with a furry pom pom.

Pattern #14, Cowichan-Style Pullover. This is nice on the whole, but I would have put a little more effort into that collar, which looks somewhat unfinished.

Pattern #15, Cowichan Style Socks. Oooh, I covet these for both their attractive Cowichan-inspired design as well as their very evident warmth and comfiness.

Pattern #17, Bouclé Open Vest, and Pattern #18, Bouclé Pullover. I'm afraid I'm one of those hidebound, narrow-minded knitters who will never be lured away from her belief that sweaters should not look as though they were knitted out of bathmat.

Pattern #18, Heartbeat Wrap. This piece is interesting, polished, and wearable. Love the gradient effect and the sharp graphic appeal.

Pattern #19, Floral Vest. A lovely piece on the whole, but I don't know how much I like that blurred effect on the bottom. It looks as though the colours ran in the wash.

Pattern #20, Striped Turtleneck. A simple but very sharp piece.

Pattern #21. This one just plain messes with my head. It's like a knitted Rorschach test. I see car mats and rivulets of slush, which I suppose says I'm Canadian ad it's mid-winter, and I'm relieved that my psychological profile is no worse.

Pattern #22, Gradient Graphic Wrap. This one's a little too afghan-y to work as a wrap.

Pattern #23, Lace Cowl. Gorgeous.

Vogue Knitting Winter 2016/2017 Issue: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released its Winter 2016/2017 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Pattern #1. Some beautiful stitchwork on this, and good shaping. I'm not usually a fan of asymmetry, but this one's got a certain balance and restraint to it that makes it effective.

Pattern #2. Some beautiful stitchwork in this one as well, but the hourglass effect is too exaggerated and the neckline isn't flattering -- or even comfortable-looking.

Pattern #3. I would have made this a touch neater-fitting.

Pattern #4. I would make this one a lot neater fitting, as it's more than a little tent-like.

Pattern #5. Some quite effective use of cable here.

Pattern #6. Nice piece, though I think the two cables could have been better handled at the top, where they merge into the collar.

Pattern #7. Oooh, this one is beautifully flattering and elegantly relaxed, and looks delightful to wear.

Pattern #8. This one looks like it was designed by four different people. Who were all drunk. It's a mishmash of yarn shades and flourishes that don't work together. And for some reason it's the cover design, though it's the worst design in the whole issue.

Pattern #9. This one will see its wearer all the way through her pregnancies and make a wonderful pup tent for her children to play in.

Pattern #10. This sweater is quite dramatic and even flattering here, though I have my suspicions that the model's thumb deserves most of the credit for the way the right side is conforming to the line of the model's upper body and that this sweater might not look nearly so good in real life. I do love the chevron pattern and the colour blocking and think they should have gotten some better shaping.

Pattern #11. Not bad. This is the kind of sporty, casual sweater one can wear with track pants.

Pattern #12. The modern fair isle pattern is rather striking, but I would make this piece in a relaxed fit rather than huge.

Pattern #13. I think I would have gone with two different contrast colours for the lines rather than just one. Using the main colour makes the effect a bit wonky, visually.

Pattern #14. I like the pattern overall, but my goodness is this piece enormous. Are oversized sweaters and tops back, and am I going to sound increasingly shrill and out of touch on this topic for the next little while?

Pattern #15. Very pretty. I'm liking the houndstooth pattern, the colours, and the shaping overall.

Pattern #16. Not a bad little wrap, but I don't think this colourway does much for it.

Pattern #17. I like this one the whole, but I'm scheming to get rid of those unsightly sleeve and shoulder seams. I think I would have designed this sweater to be knitted from the top down so that it would be seamless, though one would probably not be able to get a v-neck working that way. Also, this sweater deserved a better colour scheme.

Pattern #18. A very contemporary and attractive take on the argyle pattern.

Pattern #19. Love this hat. Both the pattern and the colour palette are perfection.

Pattern #20. A lovely cowl. The non-traditional colour combination serves the classic fair isle pattern well.

Pattern #21. A classic if rather basic cowl, with pockets that someone has inexplicably chosen to line with pieces of a granny apron. This pattern needed something, but it wasn't that.

Pattern #22. This is an inventive and contemporary piece, but I'd put it on a couch rather than on my back.