Knitscene Winter 2014: A Review

Knitscene has released its Winter 2014 issue. Let's have a look at it.

The Haubergeon Sweater. Hmm. This isn't bad. It has shaping and some interesting detail and it's carefully finished. That sleeve length isn't going to be flattering on a lot of woman, but it's easily raised or lengthened.

The Cuirassier's Cardigan. Nice simple cardigan over all, but the way the front edges of this piece ride up makes it look like it shrank badly in the wash.

The Ornate Greaves legwarmers. These are nicely detailed legwarmers, but my guess is no woman who isn't either a dancer and/or under 20 would be willing to wear legwarmers out in public, and that even then she won't want to wear them styled like this. Sandals with legwarmers... really?

The Gothic Gloves. I rather like these. They're fun. But I would knit them in another colourway that does not include this dirty-looking yellow, and I'm not quite seeing how this design is at all gothic.

The Purbeck Pullover. This is a nice piece. The shape is good and the yarn choice works really well. I'm a little concerned about the way the hemline seems to curve up in front and longer in the back, but I'm hoping that's just the way the sweater happens to sit in the photos.





The Tongshan Sweater. The shaping is good, and the colour blocking at the shoulders and wrists isn't a bad idea, but I think there are much more attractive and interesting colour combinations for this sweater.

The Carrara Shawl. This is one outstanding piece of design. It's rare for stripes to look this polished and elegant.

The Siena Mittens. There are better colour schemes for these mittens, and certainly it's possible to better coordinate them with one's outfit than has been done here, but they're not bad.

The Paros Hat. Cute little hat, though again... you probably have yarn sitting in your stash that would look much more attractive than what's been used to make this sample.





The Kolmården Jacket. Very much like this piece. It has a polished look and smart lines and it would be a very useful item, looking equally right with jeans and a t-shirt or over a dress at the office.

The Malaga Pullover. Hoo boy. This sweater looks very much tacked together and homemade, as though it were made by this model's addled mother, who has never stopped treating him as though he were five and insisted that this sweater would be perfect for him to play cowboy in (he can pin his badge on the pocket!), then forced him to don not only the sweater but his old cowboy hat so she could take his picture and coo about how cute he looked.

The Ravenna Cowl. Nice piece, with nice textures in nice colours, styled nicely.

The Neon Mosaic Scarf. I like this one, though there is a right and a wrong side to this pattern and it might take some doing to keep the right side foremost.

The Otranto Cowl. Not sure about this one. The mosaic-style pattern is attractive enough, but it doesn't sit well in any of the five sample photos provided at the link. I'd be inclined to knit this one as a scarf.

The Tessellating Leaves Scarf. This is a really beautiful, striking piece.

The Thyri Pullover. This isn't a bad design on the whole, though there are more polished and pleasing versions of the circular yoke pullover, but this design marks the point where I decided I just can't even with the whole "half glove cuff" trend, open minded as I have tried to be about the concept. It makes the wearers look like they stuck their thumbs through the stretched out sleeves of some thrift shop sweater.

The Kelda Socks. Love these. I'm pretty sure that if I had a pair I would barely be able to stand putting shoes on over them.





The Hanne Sweater. Nice little piece with some interesting garter stitch detailing. It's on the simple and plain side, so this is one of those sweaters that call for an extra special yarn to elevate it a little.

The Ilsa Cardigan. I don't know about this one. Those circle and bracket motifs on the front just aren't that pleasing. It doesn't help that they look for all the world like eyeballs. Maybe it would work better in a more subtle, sophisticated colourway.





The Sanna Shawl. This is a very clever design that can look very different depending on how it's styled. It's quite modern and chic.

The Lene Vest. This is... not good. This poor model looks like she's been buttoned into something belonging to a child, perhaps by the same unhinged mom who is still forcing her grown son to play cowboy. This design looks pretty good from the back, but the way it hangs open in the front makes it look unflattering and too small.

The Rebecca Sweater. This looks like a 1980s design, and worse, like a 1980s design that should have remained in its own decade. The collar is ill-proportioned and the stripe and dot pattern looks cheesy.

The Lise Hat and Armwarmers. Cute, fun set.

The Meko Pullover. And we end well with a simple but striking classic piece with clean lines.

Knitscene Fall 2014: A Review

Knitscene has released its Fall 2014 issue. Knitscene has taken a turn for the classic with this issue, and added some good menswear. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

The Dauphine Cardigan. Classic cardigan with a bit of a twist in its play of cables.

This is the Clocktower Kimono. I quite like this piece. It's got a seventies retro vibe, and yet it feels very 2014, and it also has a certain relaxed elegance.

The Dauphine Hat. Clever design of interlacing cables.

The Steampunk Pullover. I like this pullover, but I'm not sure if your average steampunk aficionado will. Steampunkers are given to sniffing that sticking gears all over things do not make them steampunk, and given that this is otherwise a modern sweater with a gears motif, it might not pass muster. It does with me, as this is a striking design cleverly worked out, and the overall shape is good.

Deer Isle Pullover. Solid classic piece.

The Block Island Sweater. I quite like this one, but the dirty-looking colourway here is really pretty awful. I had to squint at the pictures to make out the details. In an attractive colourway this sweater will really sing.

The East Neuk Hoodie. This is an updated take on the guernsey with a lot of surprise details in it, including pattern on the back of the shoulders and hood and elbow patch detailing. Nice work.

The Bournemouth Cardigan. Not too thrilled with this one. It's fine in general, but those pockets bother me visually. They look too much like they should be top opening pockets.

The Plum Island Pullover. The female counterpart to the Deer Island Pullover, which works just as well for women. I take it we're going with a hunter/gatherer gender divide in the names?

The Rockland Socks. It's hard to go wrong with a classic cabled sock.

The Eastbourne Sweater. This isn't a bad piece overall, but I'm really not liking those sleeves. The fullness combined with the length is so unflattering. At that width I'd make the sleeves full-length or shorten them to a cap length. Alternatively, if you want to stick with the elbow length, make the sleeve more fitted.

The Kittery Hat. This designer has translated a traditional guernsey stitch pattern into colourwork, and it's worked out quite well. I like the finishing touch of a line of red around the edge. Nice piece.

The Vista Scarf. The texture of this piece is so visually satisfying and polished that it needs no other details.

The Lory Shawl. A simple piece with a bit of contemporary appeal in the raised rib pattern.

The Stout Scarf. Classic houndstooth scarf. It might be fun to try making this one in an offbeat colourway.

The Larimer Scarf. Nice piece if you (or the intended wearer) can handle the bulk.

The Roslyn Farm Scarf. As a Canadian, all I can think when I look at this piece is that I would have called it the Canadian Tire Scarf, as it looks like a free promotional item featuring the Canadian Tire logo. It's not a bad piece in its own right. I wouldn't do it in red and green, though, as that is both too Canadian Tire and too Christmassy.

The Soldier Canyon Scarf. Very attractive and wearable classic scarf.

The Baleshare Cardigan. This sits so badly, flopping and sagging all over, that even the model isn't able to make it work. Was this sweater named the Baleshare cardigan because one is supposed to share it with a bale of hay?

The Glenveagh Mitts. Cute, fairly basic little fingerless mitts. I would have some fun with my yarn and button choices with this pattern in order to punch up the look a little.

The Callanish Cardigan. I think I would make this one as a single-breasted design. Double breasted designs are always so limiting because they don't look good worn open and aren't comfortable to sit in when buttoned up. I do like the design otherwise. Jacket styling is tricky in knitwear because knits don't quite have the properties to make design elements like a notched collar sit just right, but this designer has managed fairly well. The button cuff detailing is a nice touch.

The Bluestack Sweater. Oh, I like this one! Very eyecatching graphic design and I like the drawstring details at neck and cuffs. I'm not sold on the colourway but it would be a lot of fun to come up with my own.

The Ballyshannon Cardigan is another solid classic piece with its shawl collar and back cabled panel. The owner of this sweater will get lots of wear out of it.

The Berneray Pullover. And a final fine classic piece, with a bit of added distinction in the slightly different stitchwork used in the collar, cuffs, and hem.