Interweave Knits Winter 2018: A Review

Interweave Knits has released their Winter 2018 issue. Let's have a look at it!

Anchorage Cardigan. Good texture and shaping in this one.

Clinton Creek Hat. I'm liking the concept of a textured band and a stockinette body in a cap.

Dawson City Pullover. A lovely and classic fair isle yoke pullover.

Eagle Island Cardigan. This is a very attractive example of a Cowichan-style sweater, and it's also quite Dude-esque. I like the combination of gray, black, cream and red, as a nice change from the traditional black, grey, and white, or brown, tan, and white.

Elim Poncho. Some really lovely stitchwork in this one. I'm not as thrilled with the shape of this thing, but then I'm no fan of the poncho in general. It does drape well.

Grand Forks Pullover. Strikingly beautiful.

Grayling Cardigan. Another beautiful fair isle piece. I'm not crazy about the belt, which obscures some of the pretty pattern and does nothing to make the sweater sit attractively. Surely it would be better to shape this sweater at the waist.

Ibex Valley Mittens. Love the pinecone design, and these look super warm and cosy.

Iditarod Pullover. Fabulous cable patterns. I so need a broad-shouldered, hunky boyfriend to knit this for. Interested eligible bachelors are welcome to apply!

Klondike Pullover. Very decent piece with some interesting cable work.

Mount Lorne Pullover. So beautiful! That yoke is really fabulous.

Nome Pullover. The front cabling is good. I'm not crazy about the neckline, which is a bit too low and open for a man's sweater.

Rohn Pullover. Another lovely yoked sweater.

White Mountain Ruana. This has some great texture, but these loose, bulky, baggy numbers never really appeal to me much.

Whitehorse Pullover. Not bad, but I would fix those dropped shoulders. The sleeves look so absurdly short.

Yukon River Stockings. Ah, thigh high stockings for the sensible showgirl who wants to dance the can-can in Whitehorse without developing pneumonia. I kid because I love -- these are well-shaped and beautifully cabled, and they would be a good way to add some extra protection in extremely cold temperatures.

Interweave Knits Holiday 2017: A Review

Interweave Knits has released its Holiday 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Alcova Scarf. How handsome! And the scarf is very attractive too. (Sorry, more than a little deprived here.)

Buckwheat Cowl. An attractive, classic piece.

Cable & Seed Knee Socks. It's hard to go wrong with such classic stitchwork. Though I would like to point out that these socks go nowhere near the model's knees. I suppose the name "calf socks" doesn't have quite the same ring.

Cookie Decorating Set. This is meant to be a play set for a child, and I suppose a child baker might have some fun playing with it. The oven mitts are too cute.

Dickensian Dolls. These are quite a good recreation of Scrooge and the three ghosts from A Christmas Carol. I'm not crazy about the blank faces, though I know perfectly well it is difficult to create likenesses with yarn. The blank face does work in the case of the Ghost of Christmas Past, because it makes him look scary, and he's supposed to be scary.

Entwined Shawl. Very nice!

Fantastic Fox Family. These don't look very much like foxes, but they are undeniably cute and cuddly.

Frost Mittens. These are pretty, and they're lined for extra warmth.

Jacquard Mittens. These are different. I don't know if they quite appeal to me, but they certainly have a lot of textural interest. In this brown yarn they have a certain "woven from straw" look.

New Growth Shawl. A lovely, even elegant, wrap.

Oslo Hat. I don't even like this style of hat, but this one is so well rendered, so nicely detailed and carefully shaped, that it's appealing.

Parallelogram Hat. Nice classic cap.

Powder Puff. This is pretty basic, but like most basic designs it's wearable and useful.

Solstice Hat. Love this one. The fair isle design is beautiful and the slightly offbeat colourway works really well.

Tree Boughs and Trails Hat. I'm really liking the combination of the pine-needle branch-like cabling and the twisting cables.

Two Cables Socks. This is a very handsome pair of classic cabled socks.

Wayworn Cap. Another classic cap.

Winter Sky Mittens. These are cute, but I do wish they had a more graceful shape and fit more snugly around the wrists. Leaving the wrists that open is not going to be too conducive to keeping the wearer's wrists and hands warm in winter.

Winter Snowflake Stocking. Really cute design. I'm liking that the designer didn't just make a classic snowflake pattern stocking, but added some interesting extra touches: the lace at the top, and the cream heel and toe with a decorative line of seed stitch in the main colour and a contrasting colour.

Winter's Chill Cowl. This is a pretty little piece. I'm liking the combination of pale blue, aqua, and white.

Woodland Lace Stole. This a fabulous piece of knitted lacework. It's modelled on traditional Shetland shawls, and indeed, it could pass for one.

Yeti for Bed. This doesn't look much like my idea of a yeti, which are usually depicted as furrier/hairier than this, but I must admit that the idea of dressing a fearsome creature in long undies (complete with a buttoned flap on the rear end) and bunny slippers is a very witty one.

Interweave Knits Fall 2017: A Review

Interweave Knits has released its Fall 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.

All Who Wander Cowl. Lovely. The pattern is very attractive, and I'm also enjoying the offbeat colourway.

Angelina Pullover. The yoke is good, but that is one unflattering shape.

Astral Road Ruana. That cape is one beautiful piece of work, but I can't help feeling it would show to better advantage on a couch.

Cash Pullover. Nice piece. The cabling has an Art Deco feel.

Free Falling Pullover. A very decent piece, but I can't help feeling that it needed a more finished-looking neckline.

Gold Rush Shawl. What an exquisite piece of lace.

Goldsmobile Top. This isn't such a badly designed piece -- the cables and shaping are good -- but I can't get past the thought that a heavy, turtlenecked vest isn't a concept that makes much sense.

Hank's Pullover. A very decent, wearable piece.

Highway 61 Pullover. A classic piece, though I have my reservations about the fit through the lower body -- it looks too loose and floppy in several of the pictures.

Madame George Pullover. Nice wearable piece with some textured stitchwork to keep the look interesting.

Nelson Pullover. Love this one, which perfectly integrates contemporary (the drawstring neckline) and classic (the cables) details in an attractive, wearable piece.

Prairie Wind Cardigan. I'm liking the fair isle and the hood, but that is one dowdy shape.

Subterraneans Cardigan. Beautiful, classic cardigan... that deserved better than this "sister wife" styling.





Tangled up in Gray Pullover. Nice! I especially like the back detail.

Whiskey Creek Pullover. This one isn't bad -- the shape is excellent and the shawl collar sits perfectly -- but I think it needed something a little more, like a marled effect in the reverse stockinette stitch panel.

Whitman Hat. Cute and rather eye-catching cap.