Knitscene Winter 2015: A Review

The Knitscene Winter 2015 issue is out. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

The Queen Street Sweater. This is the cover design, and I can't say I agree that it deserves to be so featured. Despite the fact that this design employed a good quality silk, wool, and mohair blend yarn, it looks slightly shrunken and ratty and like something you'd keep for wearing around home. Incidentally, this sweater and the following five designs were given Toronto-related names as the two sisters who designed them are based in Toronto. Queen Street West is Toronto's street fashion, vintage clothing, and textile district; I go down there quite regularly to buy yarn, fabric, or other sewing supplies. Admittedly, one does see understated clothes like this on Queen Street West. It's not Yorkville, which is the high-end fashion district.

Bay and Gable Tunic. This one's better and has a rather nice, polished look. The bracelet-length sleeves and tunic length won't be to everyone's taste but are easily altered. The Bay and Gable name refers to an architectural style that is ubiquitous among Toronto's century homes.

Deep Woods Toque. Cute! I like the leaf motif and the thin line of colour with the matching pom pom. This design must have been inspired by the fact that one cannot live through a winter in Ontario without a toque.

Casa Loma Jacket. Not bad. This would make a nice topper for a cool day. I think I'd shape it a little more generously so it would meet in the front, as it looks a little too small on the wearer this way. I suppose the gray stone-like texture relates the sweater to Casa Loma, Toronto's one and only castle, a Gothic revival style mansion erected a century ago by a Canadian millionaire.

Yorkville Wrap. Attractive and polished wrap. This model would look quite apropos strolling around Yorkville, which as I mentioned above is Toronto's high-end fashion district, the Toronto equivalent of New York's Fifth Avenue.

Little Norway Pullover. A simple yet finished-looking and wearable design. The sweater is both a Norwegian-esque style and has a design that resembles military uniform chevrons, both of which tie it thematically to a bit of Toronto history I had never happened to hear about, the existence of Little Norway, a WWII-era Toronto training base for Norwegian air force personnel.

Red Loop Pullover. Classic cabled men's pullover.

Kaolin Tunic. Love the detailing on this (the collar looks fantastic), but am less than enthusiastic about the shaping. Very loose tunics like this tend to be unflattering on a lot of women. I'd turn this into a standard fit sweater, or at least make it not more than slightly oversized.

Field Notes Cardigan. I like this piece but am not sure about that slightly off-centre front fastening. It doesn't look quite asymmetrical enough to look deliberate and looks more like a mistake than a design feature.

The Hepsemantic Sweater. Nice piece. I like linear quality of the stitchwork, which gives a basic design a distinctive look.

Trapunto Vest. Nice-looking and incredibly useful piece. It's even reversible.

Chamei Pullover. Not a bad design. I'd want to knit this one in an especially attractive variegated yarn to give it a bit of a lift.

Snowfall Sweater. Adorable, except for the neckline, which looks too unfinished for my taste.

Fire Isle Sweater. Love this twist on the fair isle sweater. This design would have been my pick for the cover. I would fix those dropped shoulders, though.

Buffalo Checks Scarf. This has both a collegiate appeal and is adult enough for anyone well past their college days to wear. Also this looks like a great stash-busting project.

Vänskap Mittens. These look a little too juvenile for my tastes.

Northern Hat. Not a bad style, but I'm not liking how roughly the chevron motif was done.

Morphing Cowl. Wearable cowl.

Quetzal Cowl. This cowl is knitted in a scarf-like shape and then the ends are whip-stitched together to form a cowl. I'm not sure that the resulting formation works all that well. The pictures at the link provided show the cowl worn several different ways, and they all look more like something that belongs in a magazine spread rather than a style one would wear in real life. The lacework is lovely, as is the yarn used.

Finial Hat. Ooh, I like this one and would totally wear it.

Hotpoint Socks. Nifty!

Knitscene Fall 2015: A Review

Knitscene has just released their Fall 2015 issue, which also happens to be their tenth anniversary issue. Let's take a look at it.

Canted Pullover. This isn't bad, but it's not great either. The slightly asymmetrical design looks more like poor workmanship than a design. This piece does have some good points though, as the yarn used here is lovely and the neckline and sleeves have very graceful lines.

Solitude Jacket. Not bad. It has a certain dependable, comfortable appeal. I find the name appropriate, because this really does look like something a woman would wear on a day when she's alone in the house and is able to either get down to work on some sort of important task on which she needs to concentrate, such as writing a dissertation or a sonata, or just put on a favourite album, sip her favourite hot beverage, and watch the snow fall outside the window.

Allatrope Pullover. Lovely! The lines are good and the diamond motif is fantastic.

Pennant Cardi. Can't say I care for this one, but the problem seems to be the colourway, which isn't pulling together. When I imagine the sweater done in, say, charcoal gray with the shoulder detail done black, white, another lighter shade of gray, and one bright colour such as crimson or purple, it looks much better.

Caen Cowl. Nice, slightly offbeat piece that'll be a fun finishing touch for a basic outfit.

Bayeux Scarf. Attractive and simple yet polished piece with good texture.

Tourlaville Shawl. Well designed, and visually eyecatching and enlivening. This one's a real focal point.

Orne Cardigan. Will look sad and baggy on most women. I said above that the Solitude Jacket looked like just the thing to wear when concentrating or relaxing, and this sweater by contrast looks like the sort of thing one would wear when binge eating a box of Choco-Puffs, binge watching hours of the Desperate Housewives of Wherever, and binge crying.

Bessin Scarf. Love this one. The unexpected circular patches look like an especially adult and sophisticated take on the polka dot pattern.

Argentan Pullover. The dropped shoulder and the lack of waist shaping make the lines of this sweater unflattering, and though ordinarily I usually would just add a blithe, "That's easily fixed," after such a criticism, I can't in this case as the side ribbing that is this sweater's only design feature would make it very difficult to correct for those things without changing the look entirely. Also, this has a mullet hem.

Cormac Sweater. Another dropped shoulder and (possibly?) lack of waist shaping, this time fixable. Though you may not want to. Airy layering pieces like this are one of the types of clothing that make it easier for a woman to carry off a larger, looser fit. I would neaten up the fit at least a little, though.

O'Connor Cowl. Nice, sensible cowl with a pleasing texture. It makes for a nice pop of colour on this outfit.

Faulkner Hat. Hey, I like this one. It's dead simple except for that cabled band, and it's so striking that it's all the hat needs.

Caldwell Pullover. I want to like this one, because the simple garter stitch and yarn over detailing is appealing, but that is one wonkily shaped sweater, especially in the sleeves.

Williams Cloche. The designer of this knit cap managed to give it the style of a twenties cloche, which is no mean feat. One of the pictures shows the model wearing the cap with the twist at the front, but I'd wear it at the side, as it looks a little "Norma Desmond turban" when it faces the front.

Maduri Sweater. Fix the dropped shoulder and add waist shaping, and use a beautiful yarn to make this simple textured pullover, and the woman who wears it won't feel the need to go crazy with her hair styling to keep everyone from looking at it.

Hyannis Port Pullover. Lovely classic, polished turtleneck.

Couturier Jacket. Very cute and smart little jacket. It would be fun to select the yarn and buttons for this one, as there are so many directions one could go.

Oddity Scarf. This is both fun and chic. It looks like something Agent Carter might wear.

Brigitte Headband. Nice, visually striking piece, though when it comes to a headband this wide, I am left wondering why the maker didn't go all the way and turn it into a hat.

Virginie Pullover. A simple v-neck pullover in a beautiful mohair yarn is never to be despised, but if you want to make this one I definitely recommend raising the dropped shoulder and adding waist shaping. As you can see here, the bagginess of this sweater is doing nothing even for the gorgeous model who is wearing it, and it's making her arms look mutant-length.

Prewitt Socks. Really like these. I bet there were men wearing silk socks like these in some of those 1940s-era film noir movies.

Knitscene Accessories 2015: A Review

Interweave Press has just released their Knitscene Accessories 2015 issue, and with very exceptions, they've hit it out of the park with the designs in this issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Harper Shawl. Interesting and even rather cool.

Beacon Shawl. Very striking and totally cool.

Cait Shawl. This one's more basic, but it's pleasing and useful in its own, quieter way.

Sarcasm Shawl. Sharp and to the point, as sarcasm should be.

Ship That Shawl. This one has promise, but I don't think it got the colourway it deserved.

Knit a Bit Wall Hanging. This is hokey but I do agree with the sentiment.

Cask Baskets. There are many much more attractive knitted basket patterns out there.

Zagtarsia Blanket. This one's okay. It has a contemporary appeal. I'd have some fun with planning the colourway on this one.

Rhodesian Pillow (in front) and Polar Morn Pillow (in back). Good texture on these.

Cobblestone Throw. I do love a simple, single colour, textured throw.

Wallis Shawl. Pretty, and it sits really well.

Grace Clutch. Stylish and useful clutch. I'm impressed — this is probably the best handmade clutch I've ever seen.

Cara Scarf. Simple yet elegant and distinctive scarf.

Sabrina Socks. Lovely socks.

High Street Ascot. This is a bit too bare bones for my liking, but I do admire the stylish way it sits. This cowl isn't wrapped in place — it's designed to sit like this.

Nicole Necklace. This is too "Cindy Goes to Craft Camp" for my tastes.

Regina Hat. This hat is over the top, but gloriously so. If you're the type who loves and can carry off humongous hats, go for broke, girl!

Awry Hat and Awry Mitts. These are very cool, and the perfect way to add a bit of interest and colour to a very basic monochrome outfit.

Ostia Hat and Ear Warmer. Nice design that comes with hardtop and sunroof options.

Remiges Hat and Remiges Mittens. Striking and attractive hat and mitten set.

Opulent Cowl. Love this piece which, though it has that "sad flat tire" look when worn singly around the neck, looks amazing worn doubled. So elegant and sophisticated.

Antica Cowl. Like the textured outside and faux fur inside of this cowl, but I do have my concerns about the way it sits when the model isn't tugging on it as she's doing in every photo shown here.

Nocked Socks. Some nice and rather unique detailing on these.

Catalyst Cowl. This one's... okay. I'd go for interesting buttons rather than buttons that are simply huge here.