Vogue Knitting Winter 2021/2021: A Review

 

Today we're going to have a look at Vogue Knitting's Winter 2020/2021 issue. Yes, I'm aware that this issue was released months ago. But better late than never, and I have to start somewhere when it comes to catching up on my reviews, etc., so I've decided that, for this first review in a longer interval of time than I can bear to specify, I'll start with the most recent issue from the most widely circulated knitting magazine. 

I can definitely see the pandemic's impact on this issue. The designs are all very low-key, comfy-type styles suitable for home/running errands wear, and the colour palette is neutral/subdued. It makes sense to focus on making things you can wear, of course, but I'd encourage you to select yarn in colours that you love to look at, whether that colour is a bright or warm or low-key one, and that feel good to the touch. Using a yarn you love is a good idea at any time, but little pleasures like that can mean so much when one is having a hard time, and these days everyone's life is somewhere on the "this fucking sucks" spectrum. 

But let's get to the 18 designs in this issue. 

Pattern #01, Bodie. Nice simple cap with an attractive cable device. 

Pattern #02, Cape Neddick. This hooded cape has a "novitiate nun wear" look to me, but it is a practical, wearable piece that can be worn with casual clothes when out and about, and if, before this pandemic is finally over, you should find yourself in a convent, dressed in this cape and with the convent's mother superior warbling "Climb Every Mountain" at you, maybe reconsider whether you need to retreat quite that far from the rest of the world.  

Pattern #03, Montauk. A classic cabled cardigan, with a little bit of innovation in the interlocking diamond cables. 

Pattern #04, Seguin. Classic and luxuriously comfortable-looking scarf. 

Pattern #05, Isabel. Love the unusual and attractive yoke detailing on this sweater -- the Ravelry pattern page for this design says the yoke cables are meant to resemble orchid blossoms. This is one of those designs that are suitable for wearing nearly anywhere, depending on how one styles it. 

Pattern #06, Wind Point. A lovely pullover. The leaf-like cable devices on the front are so eye-catchingly pretty.

Pattern #07, Sankaty. Not a bad cowl. The Latvian braid makes for a fun-looking edging. 

Pattern #08, Acadia.  This one's a little rough and unfinished-looking for my taste, but it's objectively a decent casual piece. I think there are better colourways for this design than this one, which has that "not quite working" look.  

Pattern #09, Stonington. Oooh, very nice-looking, reliable cardigan -- it's the kind of piece one can almost live in. It reminds me a lot of a thrift shop zippered Jacob cardigan I bought for $10 in 2002 and wore very regularly for at least 10 years until it got past mending. I would enjoy picking out the yarn for this one. A neutral colour with glimpses of one's favourite colours might be a good direction to go.

   

Pattern #10, Quoddy. Strikingly handsome wrap. 

Pattern #11, Columnea. This kind of unstructured, minimalist style is very much not my thing, but I must admit this design is a good example of its kind. It sits well and looks easy to wear. 

Pattern #12, Ixnora. Baggy sleeves, shapeless body... I can't sign off on this one. This is the kind of design only a professional model can carry off without looking frumpy, and that isn't even all that practical for around-home wear, because it will get into everything from your breakfast cereal to your children's art projects to the casserole you're making for supper. 

Pattern #13, Davillia. Nice stitchwork in this one. I'd just raise those dropped shoulders and neaten up the fit a little.

Pattern #14, Zamia. Ah, a pair of knitted booty shorts. Pandemic or no pandemic, Vogue Knitting means to show us it has not lost its sass. I must admit, I actually like these. They have some fun detailing and would be cute and comfortable to wear to bed.  

Pattern #15, Calathea. This is one of those designs that didn't impress me all that favourably at first glance, but that grew on me as I studied the sample photos. The construction is interesting and I liked the curved hem. I am itching to fix those dropped shoulders, though. 

Pattern #16, Pilea. A very pretty and useful layering piece. Love the edging detail, the garter stitch waistband detail, the front tie. Again, I would raise those dropped shoulders. 

Pattern #18, Areca. Not so taken with this one. It has a confused, messy look to it.

Pattern #18, Ficus. Rather a nice, simple little pullover, though I would be inclined to make it standard length and put full-length sleeves on it rather than making it as originally intended, as I don't find the cropped length or 3/4 sleeve comfortable or flattering. Your yarnage may vary, of course.  

Vogue Knitting Spring & Summer 2020: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released their Spring & Summer 2020 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

#01, Structure. This is the first of six designs in what Vogue Knitting is calling a capsule collection. This piece is certainly the kind of reliable, versatile piece that works well in a capsule wardrobe. I'm not crazy about the mullet hem, but otherwise it's a classic that could be styled in any number of ways, and worn nearly anywhere.

#02, Staple. This is the kind of piece I'd rather buy than make because I find them tedious to knit and because knit tops like this are so readily available, but if you like a simple project and/or are really committed to making as many of your own clothes/gifts as you can, it's certainly a good t-shirt design as to shape and finish.

#03, Integral. This one's a little too minimalist for me, so much so that it looks unfinished, but the overall style has a "Mary Tyler Moore goes contemporary" vibe, and a woman could certainly do worse.

#04, Foundation. Knit skirts can be a challenge, but I think this one may pass muster. The shape is streamlined and classic, and the ribbing should help it keep its shape.

#05, Key. Good stitchwork and shape. I'd be inclined to add buttons and buttonholes, but then open front cardigans never sit well on me -- it's a boob thing.

#06, Elemental. Lovely.





#07, Zaffre. I like this on the whole -- the lace samplers and the lace and ribbed stitchwork used as edging makes for a good look -- but I'm not crazy about the notched collar, which comes across looking more bug than feature.

#08, Majorelle. Love the stitchwork in this. The shape is too boxy for my liking, but this is one of those linear designs that would be hard to reshape.

#09, Aegean. Love the "Edwardian blouse gone modern" vibe of this one. Maybe in my next life I'll have enough neck to wear it. I will say this design doesn't look all that practical for summer, as it will require an underlayer.

#10, Deep Dive. This is so beautiful I think I may have just found my wedding dress (and now I just have to find someone I'd care to marry). Both stitchwork and shape are excellent.

#11, Cable Trellis Dress. This is "from the archives" pattern, and was first published in VK's Spring/Summer 2002 issue. As soon as I saw the photo on Vogue Knitting's website I knew it was a re-run, and that I already had the issue it originally appeared in on my shelves, and it turns out I do indeed. It's a timeless piece that could have been worn to advantage at any time these past eighteen years.

#12, The White Way Cabled Pullover. This is the sweater version of the dress above, and the design concept works equally well in sweater form.

#13, Ripple Dress. This crocheted dress has excellent shaping and stitchwork like the "Deep Dive" dress above, but then again, it is crocheted, and the odds of my voluntarily crocheting myself an entire dress are about the same as my ever getting married. This dress does have a rather bare effect, which can be either a pro or a con, depending on your perspective.

#14, Conscious. This is a fun, contemporary take on the Breton stripe sweater, but I would nix the mullet hem.

#15, Curve. The colour and the styling give this lace shawl such an eye-catching, modern look.

#16, Reversal. Such a fun, energizing play of colour and texture in this one.

#17, Departure. The yarn for this shawl is Koigu Painter's Palette Premium, and having daubed more than a few palettes with paint myself, I have to agree that it's well named. The play of colour fascinates me, and the lace pattern and shaping is attractive as well.

#18, Tweed Chevron Pullover. I like the chevron stripes, but not the boxy fit. I'd neaten up the fit on this one considerably -- fortunately this is one of those designs that won't be compromised by a reshape. Honestly, the only things that ever look good to me in boxes are the goodies I order online and could hardly wait to have arrive.

Vogue Knitting Late Winter 2020: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released their Late Winter 2020 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

#01, Overlapping Patches. When I saw the preview photo for this design on the VK website, I thought how much it looked like a Kaffe Fassett pattern. And then, upon viewing its Ravelry page, I learned it was in fact a Kaffe Fassett piece. His aesthetic is as distinctive as a fingerprint. The quilt-like design is a fun direction for knitting, and his colourway is masterful as always.

#02, Sunday Brunch. A very decent casual, relaxed piece. The collar sits well.

#03, Tea Time. The cardigan's nice, but I'm not sure how I feel about the combination of the (attached) collar and the standard v-neck of the cardigan. It looks a bit silly to me, but then it is a new look, and sometimes I mellow (or simply get worn down) on a new look that I disliked at first after I have had time to get used to them.

#04, Cocktail Hour. No need for me to mellow on this look -- I love it and would totally wear it myself. It makes me think of Joan Holloway's dictum of 1960, "Men like scarves." (For the record, I don't think men do find scarves an especial draw on women, and that 15-20 years later a more liberated Joan Holloway Harris would put it, "I like scarves.")

#05, Striped Pullover. This is an interesting and smart contemporary look. While I'm prone to suggest neatening up the fit/shape of designs, in this case I wouldn't, as I think this is a design that requires a loose shape and geometric lines.

#06, Fluo Flow. This one verges on afghan territory, but I think it remains just within bounds of wearing apparel. I rather like the way they've styled it.

#07, Ringwald. A classic open front cardigan.

#08, Ice Pop. I love the tartan pattern, but I would correct the dropped shoulders. I'm not crazy about the colourway, but then few knitters use the sample colours/yarn anyway. Picking out colours you love is part of the fun of knitting your own pieces.

#09, Vibes. Not bad. I won't suggest fixing the dropped shoulders, because I think that the lines of the brioche stitchwork make them work in this case, but I would suggest a new colourway, as this one is a little retina-searing.

#10, Geode. Very much like this one, with its striking abstract yoke detail.

#11, Gamine. Comfy "around home" sweater.

#12, Kyoto. This cowl is essentially a lovely sampler of knitting patterns. It looks better worn double than in "deflated inner tub" style, of course, but I've used this photo so you can see the stitchwork in it.

#15, Lady Susan. This collar is a lovely thing in itself, but I am not sure how one would actually wear it. I don't like the way it's styled here -- I think a crewneck sweater would pair better with this collar.

#16, Wentworth. With the last pattern ("Lady Susan"), we entered a Jane Austen category of design, in which the aesthetic takes a turn for the antique. The stitchwork on this capelet is beautiful, and it will add a touch of period drama to a classic outfit.

#17, Miss Bingley. This looks like one of the lesser designs in Knit Simple. Poor Caroline Bingley not only did not succeed in attracting Mr. Darcy, but must needs be saddled with... this.

#18, Morland. Love this one. It's both handsome and practical.

Neutral Gear Cabled Turtleneck. This a "from the archives" design, originally published in the 2002 special men's issue. It's classic menswear.

Lattice Cabled. Another reprint, this time from the Holiday 1986 issue. It's aged just as well as the previous pattern, which is to say -- not at all. But then that's menswear for you.