Noro Magazine Issue 11: A Review

In today's post we're going to have a look at Noro Magazine Issue 11. Before anyone points out that this was the Fall/Winter 2017 issue, yes, I am rather late in getting to this review, as I'd been neglecting my blogging, but better late than never, and I'm nearly caught up on the backlog of reviews now.

Pattern #01, Faux Double-Breasted Cardi. I rather like this one. As we can see from the styling here, it would make a good cool-weather top layer. I can't help feeling that it would be more useful with long sleeves, but if you do lengthen the sleeves, make sure to make them a little more fitted.

Pattern #02, Textured Cocoon Cardi. I think this one would make me feel as though I was wearing a hammock.

Pattern #03, Diamond-Texture Cardi. Another nice topper. I like the retro feel of the cut and the great texture of the diamond pattern.

Pattern #04, A-Line Cardigan. I like the sleeves and bodice of this one, but that is waaaaaay too much excess fabric about the hips. This very tall, slim model is really putting the effort into making it work and still not quite pulling it off.

Pattern #05, Elbow-Length Cardi. Very wearable. I'm not a big fan of the open front cardigan, but this one sits really well.

Pattern #06, Long Ribbed Cardigan. This one's so bulky it's more of a jacket than a cardigan, but it also sits well, and that is one pretty yarn.

Pattern #07, Diamond Motif Scarf. Very attractive scarf, and this is definitely a "how to showcase Noro" item.

Pattern #08, Marled Cowl. Some interesting texture and colour in this cowl.

Pattern #09, Brioche Cowl/Capelet. A nice, simple yet not boring capelet. The colours are so appealing.

Pattern #10, Infinity Cowl. I love the stitchwork in this one. It's an excellent choice for this yarn.

Pattern #11, Star Blanket. So pretty and fun.

Pattern #12, Fringed Poncho. This looks like a floormat with a hole cut in the centre.

Pattern #13, Striped Poncho. Love the yarn in this one, but the construction makes it look like a bathmat tacked together.

Pattern #14, Fringed Poncho. This one's an area rug with a slit in it.

Pattern #15, Capelet & Arm Warmers. I like the capelet, but not the arm warmers, and not the combination of the capelet and the arm warmers. After all, if you need to keep both your torso and arms warm, wouldn't you just wear a sweater?

Pattern #16, One Button Capelet. Simple and wearable.

Pattern #17, Kimono Ruana. This one looks like an afghan. Call me old-fashioned, but I stand firm in my belief that clothing designs should look like clothes and fit and flatter the wearer, rather than presenting like something that would look better on a couch or a floor.

Pattern #18, Pullover With Origami Collar. This collar is knitted separately, and I'm really liking the concept of a cowl made to coordinate with a pullover, which can then be worn together or separately. I like both the cowl and the sweater as well. The cowl has an interesting architectural look, and the yarn in that sweater is so very pretty.

Pattern #19, Oversized Vest. I like the vest part but not the oversized part.

Pattern #20, Cable Embellished Top. I like the design on the whole -- those interlocking circles are an interesting look -- but again, it would be so much more attractive if it fit. The model's slanting her body backward to make all the excess knit hang behind her, and how often does one stand that way in real life?

Pattern #21, Jacket. I like the yarn used here, but not the design. The jacket has a rough, unfinished look like a beginner project, and those lacing details look crude.

Pattern #22, V-Neck Cardigan. This isn't terrible but it isn't great either. It doesn't seem to sit all that well, and though that mitred construction creates an interesting effect in terms of the yarn's 90 degree change in stripe direction, the seam itself is unattractive and distracting.

Pattern #23, Pencil Skirt. Love this one, and I would style it very much as it's been styled here, with a simple, solid-colour pullover and matching tights, as the skirt itself holds all the visual interest the outfit needs.

Pattern #24, V-Neck Pullover. Love the yarn, which is like a Monet water lily painting, but I'd fix those dropped shoulders and neaten up the fit -- or just go with another more polished pullover pattern entirely.

Pattern #25, Poncho Top. This is another oversized piece, but this one actually has enough shape to it that it hangs pretty well.

Pattern #26, Sleeveless Tunic. This one had some great detailing -- love that wrapped effect in the neck, the ribbed edges, and the line of stitching up the front and on the pockets, but I'd neaten up the fit considerably. This is a piece that should be roomy, but I'd aim for one size larger than the wearer needs rather than more, and make those armholes much smaller.

Pattern #27, Shell Stitch Wristers. These crocheted "wristers" are actually quite interesting from a design perspective, with their beaded crocheted floral effect contrasted with ribbing, but I can't help wishing they were part of a sweater.

Pattern #28, Short-Row Scarf. A very attractive scarf. The play of colour and play of width work well together.

Pattern #29, Boxy Cardigan. This is quite pretty, and the shape is rather good, but I think I would add two more buttons at the top, as this has a "barely held together" look with only one.

Pattern #30, Bias Miniskirt. This skirt has that "reclaimed afghan" look, and worse, it looks as though it was made out of an afghan that was beyond redemption.

Pattern #31, Cabled Asymmetrical Vest. This one has some nice detail and the construction looks good, but I do have my suspicions about the lines of the body, which I can't see properly in this one photo that's been made available.

Pattern #32, Tunic Cardigan. Attractive design on the whole, but I'd neaten up the fit.

Pattern #33, Textured Stripes Hat. Nice hat. The yarn is delicately pretty.

Pattern #34, Oversized Asymmetrical Vest. Oh dear. The fit, the mullet hem, the sheer depth of those armholes... the neckline and the yarn is attractive, but the shape and sizing need a pretty thorough overhaul.

Pattern #35, Simple Cardigan. When it comes to "simple" as a descriptor for patterns, simple should indicate that there is not very much detailing, rather than that the designer didn't put enough effort into designing a collar that it would sit properly.

Pattern #36, Ribbed & Ridged Vest. Some nice stitchwork in this, and the yarn is beautiful, but this vest needed edge finishing at the neckline, hemline, armholes, and front edges.

Pattern #37, Ribbed Scarf. One almost can't go wrong with a classic ribbed scarf, and it's a good way to showcase a beautiful variegated yarn like this one.

Pattern #38, Sideways Hat. I like the yarn used in this hat, but not the shape or the fact that it sits stiffly upright. If I wore this, I think I'd feel as though my name should be Tuppity, Feefo, or Jinks, and that I should be living in a tree and making cookies for a living.

Pattern #39, V-Neck Vest. Not bad. It's nothing special, but it fits, has a decent shape, and is wearable.

Pattern #40, Cozy Capris. These capris remind me of that episode on Six Feet Under in which teenaged Claire and her best friend Parker try magic mushrooms and do some sewing while under the influence. The usually caustic Claire, who always gets sentimental when high, makes a pair of ball-fringed culottes in a crazy fabric or two, and presents them to her mother, Ruth, with a fervent hug and a declaration of love. Ruth, who is always thrilled to get any demonstration of affection from her children, proudly wears the culottes the next day, which only adds to the suffering caused her daughter's 'shroom hungover. Which is to say that while I may enjoy being reminded of this scene... I wouldn't make or wear these capris unless I was high on magic mushrooms or something.

Noro Magazine Issue 10: A Review

Noro Magazine has released Issue 10. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Pattern 1, Boxy Pullover. Love the colours, but would neaten up the fit to make this a Pullover rather than a Boxy Pullover.

Pattern 2, Basketweave Tee. Like the pattern above, I'd fix the drop shoulders, add waist shaping, and make this standard fit. Boxy fits simply aren't flattering on most women. As you can see, even this professional model isn't able to carry this one off.

Pattern 3, Marled Stripe T-Shirt. A nice-looking casual piece.

Pattern 4, Cabled Tee. I like this one on the whole, but would do that front panel in a seed stitch instead of mesh in order to avoid letting the whole world know what bra I was wearing underneath.

Pattern 5, Colorblock Tee. I'm not crazy about the combination of the cabled effect with the gradient moss stitch. It makes this sweater look like the result of a head-on collision between two different designs.

Pattern 6, Side Slit Tee. I rather like this one, and I even think the dropped shoulders work pretty well because the shaping is so good, but I think I might shorten the sleeves a trifle.

Pattern 7, Openwork Cowl. This is kind of fun, but it would make me feel like I was wearing some sort of artsy scarf hanger.

Pattern 8, Pleat and Eyelet Scarf. This looks a little too much like the kind of scrap yarn project that one makes up as one goes along. While drinking.

Pattern 9, Buttonhole Cowl. I'm quite liking this one with its fun and effective combination of colour and texture.

Pattern 10, Garter and Lace Cowl. This one also has too much of a scrap yarn project feel, though this one at least looks as though it was made by a sober person.

Pattern 11, Dimensional Tuck Stitch Cowl. Very pretty. The colours and the tucked effect work well together.

Pattern 12, Crochet Wave Poncho. Even a beautiful yarn and intricate stitchwork can't save a design that has the shape and hang of a Hefty bag.

Pattern 13, Rhombus Poncho. For the late bloomer who needs the world to know she is emerging from chrysalis, and therefore needs a chrysalis from which to emerge.

Pattern 14, Easy Striped Wrap. I would modify this by renaming it "Easy Striped Throw" and placing it on a couch.

Pattern 15, Chevron Jacket. This one almost works. I'd help it complete its transition from afghan to jacket by making the sleeves more fitted and adding front closures.

Pattern 16, Swingy Poncho. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may know that I hold that items meant to be worn by a human being should not look like afghans. To this I must now add that clothes should also not look like curtain valances from a 1940s bordello.

Pattern 17, Lacy Ruana. This one also belongs on a couch.

Pattern 18, Chevron Throw. The design is fine, though I can't say I care for the colour palette.

Pattern 19, Modular Afghan. Fresh and pretty.

Pattern 20, Patchwork Afghan. This design deserved better than to be rendered in a "Barbie's Dream House Meets Mudslide and Oil Slick" colour palette.

Pattern 21, Patchwork Pillow. This pillow is done in such happy colours that they make me smile when I look at it.

Pattern 22, Origami Pouch. This is a rather nice-looking tote. I would line it with fabric and probably also some sort of interlining to keep it from sagging all to hell.

Pattern 23, Sleeveless Jacket. This design looks too unfinished and crude to be really attractive.

Pattern 24, Short Sleeve Jacket. Very pretty. Love the colour, the subtle lace pattern, and the cute, stylish shape.

Pattern 25, Dolman Sleeve Jacket. This has promise but it doesn't hang well at all.

Pattern 26, Sleeveless Top with Pockets. I'd add waist shaping to this one, and do something a little different with the pockets, such as adding little button flaps, instead of going with the bow shape and the eyelet detail on each one, which isn't working.

Pattern 27, Sleeveless Top. This is pretty. And I would neaten up the fit a little, but only because that's my personal preference. This loose-fitting top does look good as is.

Pattern 28, Cross Stitch Top. Interesting texture but I'm not sure the shape is so good, though it's hard to tell from this side angle photo.

Pattern 29, Vee Neck Pullover. Pretty, though I would make this a little more fitted and add waist shaping.

Pattern 30, Broomstick Lace Shawl. An attractive wrap with a very cool and interesting texture.