Tuesday 24 September 2013

Knitting down at Fraggle Rock



Here, in honour of Jim Henson's birthday, are the Doozers from Fraggle Rock, singing a knitting song. They might enjoy their knitting more if they'd take off their little hardhats so they could see what they're doing.

Monday 23 September 2013

Knitting Needles in Spaaaaaaace



International Space Station Expedition 30 astronaut Don Pettit took some knitting needles into space with him, but not because he was planning on knitting himself some boot toppers for his space boots. He uses knitting needles and water droplets to demonstrate physics in space for "Science off the Sphere".

Sunday 22 September 2013

Creative Knitting Winter 2013: A Review

Creative Knitting has released their Winter 2013 issue. Let's have a look at it and its many cowls.





This is the Beefeater Pleated Cowl. It isn't bad. It's rather too much on the rough and bulky side for my tastes, but it has a bit of texture and will be warm. It's an easy beginner project that doesn't look too much like a beginner project.





I very much like the Fair Isle Fleur. It's simple yet striking, and the woman who owns this sweater and cap will get lots of wear out of them.





The Faux Fur Ribbed Cardigan. Sometimes when I know I wouldn't ever wear a design myself, I mentally try it on family, friends, and acquaintances. If I can come up with even a few people who could rock it, that means the design is fine. I can picture this one on a few of my friends with a modern dress sense, but I'm still going reserve judgment on it because I haven't seen the back and the description says there's a peplum involved.





This is the Guadalupe pattern. The description says it can be worn at least two ways, "crossed and draped around the neck, or simply hanging loose in a loop at the front". I'm not sure which of those this view is. It's not a bad pattern. I do wish it weren't a cropped length, but I suppose that making it standard length would have interfered with the whole free form structure aim.





This is the Mocha Hoodie Hat. Which I actually kind of like. But I would advise if this is intended for anyone over 25, that you nix the pom poms on the bottom edges (and possibly the one on the peak) and finish it off with some I-cord instead.






I like the concept of the Wrap It Up piece, but the execution isn't quite there. The front draping isn't flattering even on this model, and I cringe to think of what it will do to a woman with an average figure.





The Braided Brim Beanie is cute and wearable. Love the Celtic knot-style cabling.





The Pretty Peaks and Valleys design. I rather like this one, which is unusual and interesting and reasonably wearable, but I do have two criticisms: the neckline looks unfinished and the fastenings used here don't look right. They're unusual (to the point that I've never seen anything like them), and really kind of cool, but I don't think they quite work on this design.





The Romantic in Ruffles shawl is lovely. I love the colour and the very simple yet carefully finished design.





The Tin Whistler's Mitts. This is a design that elicited an "Ooooh!" from me when I took a good look at it. They're pretty and very eye-catching. I will say I don't think it needs that odd ruffled effect on the edge ‐ just the basic cast-on edge will be sufficient for fingerless gloves that already have so much detail.





Can't say I care for the Wrapped in Ruffles design. The front ruffle is just so awkward looking. The yarns used here look beautiful and they deserved a better fate.





The satin ribbons used here as a tie don't suit the Chunky Ruched Cowl — multi-strand braid or braided I-cord would be a better fit. And a cowl should actually serve the purpose of keeping one's neck and chest warm, which this won't.





I like the Graphite fingerless gloves, with their striking mod stripes.





The Mitered Squares Kimono is a beautiful piece of work. I can never stand to wear anything this oversized, especially when it has sleeves that wide, but if you can, this is your pattern.





The Multidirectional Curved Scarf. This is an interesting piece of work. I don't happen to personally care for the yarn used here, but I think if this piece were done in a hand-painted yarn in one of the colourways I love, I'd be gaga over it.





This is the Norse Neck Warmer, which uses traditional Nordic patterns on the relatively new cowl. The result is a piece that will look right for years to come.





I don't care for the Peppermint Sticks fingerless gloves. They just look crude.





This is the Uncommon Path Cardigan. And wow, is it ever different and striking and interesting. I don't usually care for cutaway shaping or floppy cuffs, but here because of the way the colourway is worked they really add to the piece. I will say that it's never a good idea to have sweater fronts pulling apart between buttons as they are here. If I were to make this one, I'd make sure the front edges overlapped a little when buttoned to avoid the gaping.





This is the A Touch of Luxe Cardigan. It's really a nice piece, though I would want to know how it looked worn open and to be sure the person for whom it is for has enough neck to be able to carry it off.





This hat is pare of the Polka-Dot Hat & Striped Leggies set. I don't see the Striped Leggies, but the hat is cute enough for a child or teen. Although I'm suddenly having Polka Dot Door flashbacks.





I was prepared to give the Soft Drape Cables vest a positive review until I noticed the uneven hemline. The mullet hem (short in the front, longer in the back) is one design concept I just don't get at all. But then it's easily fixed. I would also add a little waist shaping to this pattern.





Speaking of design concepts I don't quite get, the Two Sides to Every Story cowl is definitely one. It's so rough looking, as though it's on inside out and and all the nuts and bolts are showing. Yet for some reason Creative Knitting chose this as their cover pattern. Even the model looks slightly stunned by it all.





After some deliberation on the Two Toned in Tangerine cowl, I've decided I like it. It has a certain artsy craftsy appeal. I would, however, vary the colour of the little flowerets from the sections they are attached to (i.e., peach flowerets to tangerine sections and tangerine flowerets to the peach sections), and firmly affix them to the scarf instead of letting them dangle. Done tone on tone and allowed to dangle, they look more like the aftermath of an unfortunate cat clawing incident than an intentional design element.





The Chameleon necklace. I'm hoping the chameleon part means this "design" is somehow magically going to turn into an actual necklace. Because it isn't one at present. Worsted I-cord has many uses, but jewelry is not and will never be one of them.





The Corona sweater. It's a Nicky Epstein design, and it's as awesome as her work usually is, both intricate and original. Though one needs to be small-breasted to wear it. I'm sitting here pining for what can never be mine and roundly cursing the boob fairy.





I don't care for the Folk Art Cowl & Cuffs. I'm not against the embroidered daisies, green edgings, or the offbeat colourway at all, but I wish they'd been integrated into the body of the cowl and gloves rather than attached via a superfluous ruffle. And I hate that "rustic" stitch along the top edges. It looks like basting stitches that the maker forgot to take out.





The Northern Lights shawl is pretty, but I can't say I especially care for that line of big holes running down the centre. I know it's a natural result of the big needles and the shaping used, but they look like a mistake.





I like the concept of the Raised Ridges Jacket, but there are too many competing directions here and the end result looks rather muddled and over busy. I'd work the bottom of the jacket in the same vertical ridge pattern that is used in the upper body, and just keep the accenting honeycomb pattern collar and waistband.





I quite like the Wedges Scarf. It's arty in a really playful, fun way. And check out the model's expression. She's all, "This is not the Two Sides to Every Story Cowl. YES."

Saturday 21 September 2013

Special Candy: a Knitting Fable


Mimi had been told she was going to her friend Cathie's birthday party, and that it would be fun, but when she got to the party she found everything was lit with a weird red light, she couldn't find Cathie anywhere, and that there was a terrifying clown present who kept telling her she had to marry him.





Two of the other children at the party, Jenna and Alex, hadn't seen Cathie either, but the dancing scarecrow hypnotized them into believing that they were having a wonderful time.





Richard and his little sister Juliet had been told that the donkey piñata was full of an extra special candy that would make them feel very, very relaxed and very, very happy.





Brenna and Scott thought the Cat Man was probably joking when he told them he'd eat them if they stopped smiling, but they weren't taking any chances.





Meanwhile, birthday girl Cathie was in a strange blue lit room with her older sister Ava, playing a weird game of "hide the carrot" with the Bunny Man. She would never have forgiven her parents for this birthday party but for the fact that the "special candy" from the donkey piñata was to erase all memory of it.

Friday 20 September 2013

Pingu and the Knitting Machine



Pingu and the Knitting Machine is a stop animation short about a little penguin and his mother's new knitting machine.

Thursday 19 September 2013

Unofficial Downton Abbey Knits: A Review

Interweave has released a Unofficial Downton Abbey Knits issue. As a big Downton Abbey fan, I've been aware of this special issue for awhile, but had to wait until there were preview pics available online before I could write a review. Let's see what knitted fashions are going down at our favourite abbey, shall we?





The Lighter-than-Air Chiffon Blouson is rather shapeless, and not terribly flattering or interesting.





The Garden Bouquet Shawl is gorgeous. Not even the Dowager Countess could disapprove of it.





The Brocade Vestment is rather problematic. Of course it's based on this fabulous evening dress of Lady Mary's, which is definitely among my favourite Downton Abbey costumes:


The front is gorgeous and a worthy imitation of the original. The back is more problematic, and I don't like the way it's been styled. I don't know how the back looks in the original dress and Interweave's version may be a faithful reproduction, but if I were to make this I'd forego faithful reproduction and do some serious rewriting of the pattern and knit a fuller, more fitted back in order to make the item more wearable. I'd want it to be something that can be worn with a low-necked chiffon blouse as in the original, or on its own.





The Stunning Sunflower Lace Stole. This isn't as striking as the Garden Bouquet Shawl, but it is an attractive shawl and period accurate.





I can't say I care for the Lady's Waistcoat. No one but a very small-breasted woman could possibly carry off that just-below-the-bustline neckline, and it just looks awkward and strange even on the model.





The Luxurious Lacy Overdress. This looks like a little lace dress that the designer wrote for some other Interweave publication that got shoehorned into this issue to fill a slot. And it's a nice lace sheath dress pattern, but I don't know if it really belongs over a longer-lined skirt or trousers as it's styled here.





The Gown Gloves. These silk gloves are very plain but very well-constructed, and they could be worn with evening dress or for daytime wear for warmth.





I'm not enthusiastic about the Cuffs and Jabot pattern. They are pretty examples of lacework, but they're not well-styled here, and I am having a hard time envisioning the set as working in a modern woman's wardrobe. After all... if we in 2013 can't make these designs work as part of the outfits we wear in our day-to-day lives, there's no real point in making them.





The Mourning Blouse design. I really like this one, which does look a great deal like an early twenties sweater. I'm even wondering if I mightn't make it for myself just to have an excuse to use a certain antique Art Nouveau buckle that I have in my possession. Though just to be a stickler, I'll point out that mourning purples weren't this vivid shade.





The Elegant Scrollwork Travelling Coat. The back of this coat looks fantastic, but I'm less than impressed with the front, though I know it's period accurate and this coat does look just like something Lady Mary might have worn to the train station to see someone off. I'd be inclined to reshape it entirely to make it hang better and to button up much higher.





The English Garden Wedding Kimono. I know this one is also period accurate, but it's a look that doesn't translate to today. It's going to make any woman who wears it look frumpy, dumpy and just plain odd, like a batty great-great-aunt at a wedding.





The Fetching Fair Isle Cap really does live up to its name. It's very cute, but I am not sure about those pom poms. They're a little twee and if they aren't fastened in place are going to wind up in the eyes of the wearer. I'd be inclined to finish this cap off with a simple tassel.





Absolutely love the Genteel Beaded Figure Purse. This purse could go straight from the Downton Abbey drawing room to your company's 2013 Christmas dinner party and look perfect in either setting.





I'm less enthusiastic about the Suffragette Beaded Drawstring Bag. I think it might be the colours that aren't working for me. I'd make this in metallic tones so as to make it suit more outfits.





These Gentlemen's Golfing Stockings were the kind of thing men wore with a pair plus fours while golfing back in the twenties (though perhaps not in this colourway), but I can't imagine any of the men of my acquaintance being caught dead in them. So we women get them, and they're a totally cute pair of kneesocks.





A simple Hot Water Bottle Cover, intended as a "comfort for the troops". This is perfectly period accurate, as most war knitting was very utilitarian and boring. But if you use hot water bottles in your house or intend to make this as a gift for someone who does, you can always dress this up by making it striped and adding pretty ribbons.





Lady Denman's Vest. Rack my brains as I would, I could not remember a Lady Denman among the Downton Abbey cast, but a quick Google taught me that Gertrude Denman was an actual historical figure and prominent suffragist. I love that this classic, attractive, and wearable vest was named in homage to her.





And we're back in batty great-great-aunt territory with the Oval Brim Hat for the Fair. Seriously, this thing looks like a magnified toilet paper cosy.





The Sunday-Best Felted Cloche Hat is a good design, though I'd make in a less dreary colour combination. This one is totally "sensible Anna the housemaid on her day out" wear, and I think most of us modern women can dare to dress a little smarter because we don't have to have one hat that goes with everything.





This is the Two-in-One Warm Hat or Cravat design. It's very handsome in its scarf incarnation, but I'm not sure how many men would care to wear a hat like that.





The Chilly Morning Cosycoat. This isn't anything like the costumes I've seen the Downton Abbey kitchen maids wear, but perhaps they will as we get further into the twenties on the show. It's a nice enough basic vest.





Mr. Carson would have been apoplectic had any of his footmen dared appear on duty in this Footmen's Vest, but of course this design is merely intended as a nod to Downton Abbey, not as a historically accurate piece. And it's an attractive cardigan for today's non-subservient man.





The Walking Out Eyelet Panel Blouse. I love this one and would totally wear it. In another colour though, and on its own, since I needn't either be so practical as to select clothing that won't show dirt nor quite so circumspect about how much skin I show.





The 1918 Style Bolero Jacket. I don't care for this one, which looks boxy and unflattering.





The Half-Day Off Mitts are a very nice, wearable little pair of fingerless gloves.





The Vest for the Cricket Match design. This style of vest was first worn for cricket, tennis, and boating in the twenties and has been a classic style for men every since. I very much like this one in particular, with a slightly different style of colour band on the armhole, neck, and hem trim. And I do love that they've found a Robert-like model to wear it. Way to keep your job, Robert, by making yourself indispensable to the house and village cricket match.