Rowan Knitting and Crochet Magazine 55: A Review, Part 1

Rowan Knitting and Crochet Magazine Issue 55 is out. Let's have a look at the first half of the patterns today and the second half on Wednesday.

The Praise design. The lace is very pretty and I like the subtle colour shading, but the overall lines of this item bring the expression "sadsack" to mind. I'd neaten up the shaping if I were making this.

The Mercy design. Hmm, a drape front cardi. It's not a bad thing of its kind. I can't wear this kind of unstructured design myself, so I have a bias against it, but it is the kind of thing that can look attractive on and be useful to the right person.

The Hope design. I rather like this one, which with its lacy texture and slightly contrasting arm, neck and waistbands, manages to be more interesting than you would expect of something the colour of oatmeal. But I would not pair it with a gathered skirt, which as you can see here is conspiring with the waistband to do no good even to this professional model.

The Trinity design. A lace poncho with... a train. Or whatever all that excess knitting at the back is. The only reason this looks vaguely attractive is that it's Kidsilk Haze, which always looks luscious, and the lace pattern is lovely. But the shaping is ridiculous.

The Genesis design. I rather like this one, which could be a pretty summer cover-up and a nice alternative to a shawl.

The Prudence design. Cute and pretty little top.

The Rhapsody design. Don't care for this one. The hourglass shape on the front isn't a bad concept, but the execution just looks crude, as though it were a mistake.

The Bliss design. Very pretty lace scarf.

The Harmony design. I'm not enthusiastic about this one. Well, it's crocheted (and I am hardly ever enthusiastic about crochet), but aside from that I don't care for the tiered look. This isn't flattering and will make whoever wears it look like a lampshade.

The Loudres design. Love the delicate charm of this one.

The Deva design. Beautiful lace, beautiful yarn... but this is another sack-like design. Even lovely lace like this needs to be shaped like a garment rather than a bag.

The Madonna design. Dropped shoulders, horizontal stripes and tunic shaping add up to one unflattering sweater. Which is a shame, because the texture in those stripes really is something special.

The Promise design is really lovely except for that butt sling shaping in the back. I would so omit that.

The Julieta design. This is a Kaffe Fassett piece, and though the colourwork is as lovely as his always is... the shaping isn't great, and the combination of horizontal lines with this shaping isn't a well-advised one. Note that Rowan didn't use a full frontal photograph of this piece. I'd be inclined to use this design's masterfully subtle striped colour for another pattern altogether.

The Filippe design. This is basic but adequate design. The lines are good and the colours chosen work together well.

The Dia design. This is one of those designs that didn't get where it deserved to go. The patterned yoke and texture used throughout the body are interesting and attractive, but the dropped shoulders, boxy shape, and unfinsihed-looking hem are really detracting. Fix the dropped shoulders, add waist-shaping and a ribbed waistband to the body, and you'll really have something.

The Eldora design. This is attractive and interesting, but I would want to neaten up the shape and fit a little bit.

The Alma design. This is an offbeat colourway and texture that I think actually really works, but again I would tidy up the shape and fit. See how big that armhole is on the left? Everyone is going to have an excellent sideshow view of the wearer's bra and more.

The Crista design. Not wild about the texture on this one. It looks too much like the wrong side of an elasticized material. And this is a design that's doing even this lovely model no favours.

The Estefan design. Not thrilled with the colourway here, but I think the design would be fairly effective in, say, black, charcoal and light gray.

The Fernando design. This is actually pretty gorgeous, though I'm not sure too many of the men of my acquaintance would care to wear it. If you're making this for a man (and you aren't the man it's for), I'd get his approval first.

The Esperanza design. Rowan really seems to have thing for horizontal stripes all of sudden. This pattern doesn't look too bad here on a professional model, but it will be about as flattering as an awning on most women.

The Madia design. Oh man. A lot of sweaters are unflattering while being quite lovely articles in themselves, but this is not one of those sweaters. It's cropped and boxy with cropped sleeves that create a most unkind horizontal line, and the texture is horrible, as though the sweater were infested with worms. Let's just move along quickly and pretend this never happened as best we can.

The Guido design. Quite like this one, which takes the man's striped sweater to a new level with its subtle colourway and gradient effect.

Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54: A Review, Part 2

Today's post is the second half to the review of Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54, the first half having been posted yesterday.

I rather like the Rya pattern, which has an interesting stripe pattern, a unique colourway, and is well-constructed. But with those stripes extending from arm to arm, this isn't going to be a very flattering item to wear. Notice how they don't show a full frontal shot of the model?

I'm not really sure the Milas pattern quite works. That deep v-neck invaded the chest stripe and so needed something to balance out the effect, but I'm not at all sure the collar's doing that. And the scarf worn Ascot-style isn't a good idea. I think what I would do with this item is leave the collar off, knit the entire top of the sleeves and the front and back in the second colour rather than just making it a stripe, and pair it with a t-shirt. Deep v-neck sweaters on men calls for layering so we don't see too much skin (or chest hair) there. Sorry, guys, but though your manly bare chests are welcome at the beach or in a backyard or the bedroom, they don't play well in low-cut neckline peepshows.

The Marash pattern isn't bad at all, but I think the colourway could be better.

This is the Kilim Wrap pattern, by Kaffe Fassett. I wish Rowan had shown us a full frontal view, as I find it hard to assess how this flatters the wearer. The pattern and colourway are as beautiful as they always are in Kaffe Fassett designs, but this does look a little bulky. I'd say if you want to make this for yourself to make sure the proportions are right for your figure.

The wrap front on the Izmir design looks bulky and rumpled even on the model, but that pale, subtle Harlequin pattern is quite remarkable. I'd be inclined to forego the wrap style and use the pattern charts to make a basic v-neck or turtleneck.

In any other designer's hands, the Kashmir Scarf Wrap would look exactly like an afghan with delusions of being a wrap. But if anyone could turn the ripple pattern into a clothing item, it's Kaffe Fassett. The sophisticated colourway, the use of mohair, which helps blend and soften the colours, the addition of a twisted cord motif to the ripples, and especially the belt really help make this look like a wrap. It's still not going to be a look for everyone, but then those who like it but can't wear it can always use the pattern to make, well, an afghan.

The Madame Butterfly is the second pattern in this issue which has employed the waistline tie effect, and I just can't agree that it's a workable gimmick. It makes the waistline look bulky and bunchy.

The Bizet has a lot going for it. The brocade pattern is lovely, the cuffs are such a nice touch and that collar sits just so perfectly. But I do have my concerns: the description mentions a back pleat panel detail that I wish had been shown to us, and I don't know how flattering this sweater would look in a full frontal view because it does appear to be pulling up and flaring out in the front. However, these are things that can be fixed if they do prove to be an actual problem.

The Vivaldi pattern has something different. I've always admired a wrapped neckline in blouses and dresses, but I don't think I've ever seen it in a sweater. I wonder if it could be an alternative to the turtleneck for those of us who look terrible in turtlenecks?

The Silla pattern is another design that imitates a classic blouse style: the blouse with a lace yoke and sleeves. I like the concept very much, but don't think this execution quite works — the lace components look just look a little too heavy and overbearing for the body of the sweater. Different yarn choices might make this work (gorgeous as these yarns are).

The Juliet design is a third blouse-translated-into-knitwear example (and technically into crochet too, as that middle panel is crocheted). I like this one quite a lot. It has the elegance and formality of a blouse but the comfort and warmth of a sweater.

The Rameau Wrap is a basic but nice shawl pattern.

The Corelli jacket is very nice (love that collar!), though the bagginess around the waist does concern me a little and there's a buttoned back detail not shown here. I wish there were a better pictures available that showed more detail.

I've been waiting to get to the Berenice Wrap, which is the cover look for this issue. It's a really lovely stole, with such an elegant and luxurious air.

The La Scale is another beautifully detailed jacket. I do have my worries about that one-button style — upper body wear that stands away from the midsection just doesn't tend to be flattering, but again it's hard to tell how it's going to look from this picture, and a pleated skirt and loose-fitting top were not the right items to pair with this jacket.

I very much like the Verdi pattern, but man does that tapestry-like panel begin in an unflattering place. I'd take enough rows out of it to keep it completely away from the bustline, but even then if you don't like emphasizing your waistline, this is a design to stay away from.

I love the La Boheme pattern, but I would want to fix those dropped shoulders. I know they're supposed to be a design elements but I just don't think dropped shoulder sweaters ever work on women unless they're otherwise sleeveless.

The Salome design would be pretty hanging on a hanger, but the reality is that there are very few women who would be able to carry off all those bulky ruffles at the waistline. I'd omit the top two and just leave in the one around the bottom.

The pattern on the Aida design is attractive, but I do think this pattern needs some reshaping because it would make most women look dumpy. Reshaping this top to be a standard fit and shortening the sleeves would give it a definite lift.

Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54: A Review, Part 1

Rowan has published Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54, so let's have a look at the patterns in it. As always, I'll be reviewing half the designs today and the other half tomorrow, as there are always oh-so-many designs in Rowan's magazines. This, of course, is an accomplishment on Rowan's part and great for you the purchaser, but a little bit of a strain for a reviewer.

I initially thought the Crystal pattern was a shawl and was about to review it as a shawl when I realized that this design is a "wrap sweater" — the shawl is actually the collar of the sweater. And I'm not that enthusiastic about that idea. The sweater part looks a little on the shapeless side and the shawl collar is going to add bulk to a woman's front, and she doesn't have the option of just slipping it off, say at lunch, if she's too warm and/or doesn't want to risk spilling soup on it. But that's one gorgeous shade (I do love a soft gray blue) and Kidsilk Haze looks like a beautiful yarn.

The Shannon pattern doesn't even flatter this model and that means bad things for most of the rest of us. The cropped length is always a challenging one to begin with and that wide band of stitchwork through the midsection makes this an impossible item to pull off. If you like the rest of this sweater, lengthen it and perhaps just add a few rows of that textured stitchwork around the bottom or narrow band of it at the waistline.

Oversized collars can be dramatic, such as this one on the Stacy pattern, but oversizing at the hips is just unflattering and sloppy looking. If you want to make this item for yourself, make sure it isn't either too long for your body or too wide for your hips.

The Wendy Wrap looks like an afghan. A nice, textured afghan suitable for an understated comtemporary décor and for snuggling under while reading a book on a stormy afternoon, but an afghan nonetheless, and shawls and afghans should be two distinctly different entities.

The Melissa pattern is a basic but not bland pattern. It has an eye-catching texture and, although I'm not a fan of the cropped sleeve length, in this case it was the right choice because it gives this design the lift it needs. If a crew neck and cropped sleeve length suit you, this is a sweater that will serve you well.

I like the Laura pattern, which has a good shape to it and would be practical and comfortable to wear. Do be aware that given that this item is ribbed and knitted in an Aran weight it will have a bulky look.

The Mary didn't quite get to where it was going, so I'd suggest a couple of tweaks. I think a pattern this graphic doesn't really work in these subdued neutrals and I'd try something sharper and higher contrast. And I'm not crazy about the dropped shoulders on this pattern, but that's easily fixed.

Quite like the Christine pattern! The classic shape really sets off that amazingly well-rendered cheetah on the front. I love that it's in an interesting pose rather than just face to face with us. This is how you do an animal sweater for a grown up who wants to wear an animal sweater without feeling or looking five years old. If the cheetah were my totem animal (and I had enough neck for a turtleneck), I'd be all over this one.

The Sharon sweater isn't without a certain interest, but between the weight of the yarn, the bobbled texture, and the oversized shape, man is this sweater going to be bulky and unflattering. You could reshape it to a standard fit, but contrary to what Meatloaf told us, two out of three can still be pretty bad.

The Sherry design has its good points (the neckline, the crochet edgings, the lace panel in front), but putting those pleats in the front was intended to give the sweater some waist definition and style and succeeded just made the sweater look rucked up around the waist and no less bulky overall. The only way to eliminate bulk at the waistline is to get rid of the extra material at the waistline.

I like the Erin pattern from the front, but the description says there's a "split back opening" and I have no idea what I might be signing off on because there doesn't seem to be a back view photo available, either on this site or on Ravelry. So I'll just say cautiously that I like the front. You'll have the option of making the waistband narrower if you don't like emphasizing your waistline.

I like the Angela design. It's a sweater that will go anywhere and with anything that a standard turtleneck can, but will look like a more interesting choice.

The Holbein sweater reminds me of a sweater in one of my knitting fables posts, the one I made a varicose vein joke about. This one isn't quite so lurid, but I still don't think contrasting cables are a terribly good idea on a man's sweater. This might work if the whole sweater had been knitted in the same colour.

I quite like the Nepal Wrap. The stripe pattern and the colours look really good; they're eye-catching yet neutral at the same time. I am not sure how this wrap stays in place (do the tassels get tied together?) but however it's been put on it works.

The Anatolia design looks a little busy for my tastes. I think doing a Fair Isle with both atypical patterns and atypical colours put it slightly over the top and that perhaps dialing back the colourway while keeping the innovative patterns would make for a more attractive item.

The Ukraine pattern is a good one. It's cropped with a deep waistband, but both of those things can be easily changed to suit the wearer if needed.

I very much like the Armenia pattern, with its delicate floral pattern. But I would consider changing the colourway, specifically the oatmeal background colour, to give it a fresher and more uplifting look.

The Soumak Scarf Wrap is really very striking, if you're the type of person who can carry off a dramatic wrap like this (and can stand to do the constant adjustments). If you're not that person but love the design, buy twice as much yarn as specified in the pattern and make a beautiful afghan.

I think the Bodrum Mens pattern is successful as a design, but that colourway isn't doing it any favours. Warm and cool shades really shouldn't be mixed together. A different and better colourway would take this sweater those extra few miles to the finish line.

I wish I could see what's really going on with the Dhurrie design. It looks like it's essentially a cape with a matching scarf worn over top. I'm not crazy about that concept. Capes can be unflattering as it is; adding another bulky element to it is not going to improve matters. If you want to make this set for yourself, I'd suggest you wear them separately.

Look for part deux of the Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54 review tomorrow morning!