Make It! Knits 2014: A Review

Interweave Knits has just released a new publication called Make It! Knits, which is a compilation of patterns that have previously appeared in Interweave Knits and Knitscene. Let's have a (second) look at them, shall we? Some I've reviewed before, and I'll be referring to my original reviews for those patterns, because if Interweave can recycle their work, so can I.

The Alameda Cowl. This is a cute, casual accessory, though there are more interesting yarn and button choices for this look.

The Lodi Cardigan. This is a smart and wearable little piece.

The Victor Shawl. When this came out in Knitscene's winter 2013 issue, commented that it "looks to me more like a really big scarf. Nothing wrong with that, of course, as large-scale accessories can be fun and this one has some clever stitchwork". I stand by that. I like the way they've styled it here.

The East Hale Cardigan. I like this one. The zipper and the minimal shawl collar give the classic shawl-collared men's cardigan a modern twist. This would look good on a man of any age, from this very young model to my 76-year-old father.

The Brazel Beret. Nice hat with some good cable detailing.

The Grand Palais Shawl. This isn't unattractive at all, but it's so big and bullky that it looks a little too much like an aghan for me.

A Sign of Affection. When this pattern appeared in Knitscene's Accessories 2013 issue, I wrote that this hat "has one earflap. I don't think I quite understand the name, or the concept. Is there a sign of affection on the one ear, such as a hickey (query: can ears get hickeys?) and is that why it needs to be covered? Is the wearer of this hat so constantly having her ears nibbled that she only needs to protect the other from the cold? I am but a simple and single reviewer and do not understand. All I can think when I look at this design is that the asymmetry would drive me crazy, that I don't find the hat particularly flattering, and that this is not a hat that has ever visited Toronto in the winter. It probably winters in some little love nest in New Orleans."

The Manganese Cowl. When this design appeared in the Knitscene Winter 2013 issue, I wrote, "The Manganese Cowl isn't bad. It has a modern feel to it. I think it would definitely need to be paired with the right kind of coat." To which I would now add, "...and the right kind of hair. Which this isn't."

The Amplified Cowl. When I first looked at this picture for this review, I thought, hmm, good texture and it lies gracefully. Then I searched the archive to see if I'd reviewed it before, and found that when this cowl appeared in the knit.wear Spring 2013 issue, I wrote that it lies gracefully and the texture is interesting. Hey, at least I'm consistent.

The Solstice Scarf. Not a bad oversized lacework scarf.

The Waved Wrap. Very much like this one. It'll be warm without looking too heavy.

The Mountain Ash Pullover. When this pattern appeared in the Knitscene Winter 2013 issue, I wrote, "I quite like the Mountain Ash Pullover, which uses solid and variegated yarns in similar tones to create a striped effect. It's a subtle and fresh way to wear horizontal stripes, which can tend to look not only unflattering but rather juvenile." This sweater still strikes me as very attractive and visually interesting.

The Oana Shawl. This is quite a pleasing shawl. Nice shaping and lacework.

The Knuckle Down Mitts. These have a certain casual appeal aesthetically speaking, I suppose. They don't look very practical to me. It's my fingers that get cold, not my palms.

The Big Thompson Scarf. This is a nice oversized piece. The name amuses me, because in Thompson, Manitoba, a city located 739km (459 miles) north of Winnipeg, where my nephew used to live and work in the mines, you'd definitely want a scarf like this. As I write this on a late September morning, Google tells me the temperature is 8°C/46.4°F in Thompson.

Wavy Lace Capelet. Not a fan of this one. The bottom and end edges look too unfinished. It kind of looks like someone was making a sweater, found out the gauge was way too big, couldn't stand to rip it out, sewed some buttons on it, and called it a capelet.

The Veronica Slouch Hat. When this appeared in the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts issue in 2013, I wrote, "Quite like the Veronica Slouch, even though I don't normally like non-functional buttons as design elements. These ones, however, have been turned into an integral part of the design and would be an excuse to splurge on some really beautiful, interesting buttons." This is definitely a hat that deserves a more interesting yarn and button choice.

The Leadville Cowl. This is another design from the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts issue in 2013, and at that time I called it a beautiful piece that sits well. It still strikes me as a lovely pattern.

Three's a Charm Tam. Nicely textured classic tam.

The Ambrosia Cowl. Not liking this one. It looks rough and slapped together.

The Flamboyant Shawl. This is ever so simple, yet so carefully finished and shaped that it looks polished and terrific.

The Mixt Cowl. This is one of those cowls that hang around the wearer's neck like a sad flat tire.

The Overdyed Ragg Scarf. Not liking this one much. The basic pattern is okay, but this looks like an unsuccessful scrap yarn project where the knitter just added colours at random to get them used up.

The Amstel Hat. Nice textured hat.

The Nederland Circle Scarf. Basic cabled cowl.

Amy's Slippers. These slippers, which have a needle felted lining, look to be the ticket to ultimate warmth and as though they'll stay on, which are both excellent qualities in slippers. Besides that, they're quite nice looking and don't at all suffer from the clunkiness that can be a problem with slippers.

The Emerson Hat. Not a bad-looking hat for the younger, hipper kind of guy, though this particular model was the wrong choice for this item.

The Bryony Cap. Classic cabled cap with a ribbed brim. I bet we've all owned hats just like this one at some point in our lives.

The Ribby Slipper Socks. These, like the Amy's Slippers design, will be warm and stay on, but they do leave something to be desired in terms of style. However, they're not unattractive, will be very comfortable, and will be a quick knit.

The Flash Mitts. These are really basic (to the point that they are entirely lacking in the titular flash), but they'll do the job of keeping your hands and wrists warm.

The Tweed Scarflet. This one's.... okay. It's practical and wearable, and it does have a certain utilitarian appeal.

The Insignia Shawl. Simple yet polished shawl.

The Serpentine Cowl. This is a nice little cowl, though one does have to look past the completely ridiculous outfit it's been paired with.

Interweave Knits Fall 2014: A Review

The Interweave Knits Fall 2014 issue is out! Let's have a look at it.

This is the Ropemaker Pullover. It's the kind of "classic with a twist" design that most appeals to me. It's wearable and yet there's something new and interesting about it, the twist in this particular case being the angled bottom of the front cabled panel that is a very clever way to incorporate pockets.

The Hitch Pullover. The overall design of this is fine, but the cropped sleeve length and the placket that is probably not designed to button in front make make the sweater look too small rather than looking like deliberate design decisions.

The Polo Pullover. I like this one on the whole, but am not sure about that broken rib yoke. I think maybe it needs a strip of some other contrasting stitchwork along the bottom to make it look finished off, rather than just stopping randomly as it does.

The Redfern Cardigan. Very much like this one. It's got quite lot of interesting detail and is totally wearable for daily life.

The Bee Stitch Cardigan. This says "depressed and frumpy sixties housewife" to me. It's shapeless and unfinished-looking.

The Zipper Cowl. The graphic design of this is very attractive, but the shape is perhaps not quite working. Cowls do have a certain unfortunate tendency to get that "flat tire hung around the neck" look. I'd maybe scale this one down a little.

The Wheaten Pullover. This isn't bad, but it is a tad on the boxy and sloppy side. I'd raise the dropped shoulders and add a little waist shaping.





The Meadow Tunic. I like this one although I am not sure about the built-in sleeveless glove gimmick on the cuffs. I'm assuming the half-gloves will fold back to look like cuffs, which will be useful should the wearer want to, say, eat a sandwich or use the toilet, but I do have other concerns. I know I've previously praised a jacket design that had attached fingerless gloves, but that was a jacket. This sweater looks meant for indoor wear and it doesn't make much sense to wear gloves all day long when you're indoors, unless you're the type who is always cold, but even then the gloves give the item a depressive look. This sweater looks like part of Sandra Bullock's wardrobe from While You Were Sleeping, in which she plays a dispirited forlorn type who always wears her sweater sleeves down to her knuckles and sits around eating cookies she's dipped into her cat's milk bowl. Which had a certain charm, but we all wanted her to move on from that, right?

The Tandem Scarf is convertible: it can be worn as a cowl as you see here or, when unbuttoned, as a scarf. It's a clever idea, and I love the intricate cables used here. I'm not sure the secondary colour adds anything, though. I would probably do this one in a single colour.





The Saddleback Cardigan. Classic beautifully detailed piece. Nothing to criticize here.

The Whitewood Beret and Mittens. Lovely cabled tam and fingerless mitts set.

The Tugboater Pullover is an attractive man's sweater. As a Torontonian, all I can think of is it looks like an adult, unobtrusive version of a Maple Leafs hockey sweater. Strangely though for a team that hasn't brought home the Stanley Cup in most of its fanbase's lifetime, its fans usually have little interest in being unobtrusive.

The Blush Cardigan. I don't care for this one, though I think it would look much better if it had been styled differently. Worn over an empire-waisted dress, or one without seams in the front, it would be much more attractive. One of the biggest problems with these cropped length cardigans is that they chop the figure up visually by creating too many horizontal lines in a way that isn't flattering to any woman. About the sweater itself, I do like the detailing around the neck, and the beautiful yarn used. The bottom hem and cuffs have been left looking a little too plain and unfinished looking.

The Erstwhile Scarf. This is another "convertible" cowl/scarf with buttons. It's quite lovely, with great texture, and it lies so well as a cowl. No flat tire here.

The Rock Quarry Stole is quite a nice piece. The linen stitch and bobbled edge are an interesting new combination.

The Milkweed Shawl is a lovely little item. It will be useful either as a shawl and as a scarf.

The Fiddlesticks Cowl. The copy for this design says it "uses a twisted stitch found in traditional Austrian and Bavarian knits. Twisted stitches are essentially mini-cables, giving the fabric the textural interest of cabling without the cable needle." Interesting, because I had initially thought this was cabled. Nice piece with great texture.

The Roosevelt Cardigan. Another lovely classic cardigan. As in the Ropemaker Pullover above, the pockets are ingeniously integrated into the cable design.

The Black Baccara Cardigan. This is a very decent piece of work overall, but I think the neckline detracts. It looks unfinished and even a little ragged.

The Climbing Rose Henley. I love the concept of a henley with pretty, feminine touches, but not quite sure I care for the execution. The roses are lovely, but I'm not sure the contrast colour used at the neckline, cuffs, and waistband is quite the best direction to go here. I think I might do the piping and the ruffled neckline band in the rose colour, do the waistband and cuffs in the main colour, and omit the ruffles at the wrists.

The Archway Hat. Nice little cap.