Vogue Knitting Holiday 2018: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released their Holiday 2018 issue. Let's have a look at it.

#1 Brioche Striped Pullover. This is a creative and interesting new take on the striped sweater.

#2 Brioche Rib Cardigan. Great brioche stitchwork in this, and the shaping is passable.

#3 Two-Color Brioche Shawl. Beautiful! I love the two-tone effect and the stitchwork and the shape... and well, everything about it, really.

#04 Tuck Stitch Cowl. I like the tweedy, varied effect of this one.

#5 Two-Color Brioche Raglan Pullover. Not bad. I think there are happier colourways for this one.

#6 Balaclava. I'm afraid I'll never be able to get on board with the balaclava. It has such unfortunate associations: the Crimean War, convenience store robberies, prophylactics (not that condoms are to be classed with the first two items as a bad thing, but they aren't exactly known or valued for their aesthetic).

#7 Ridge-Pattern Hood. Cowls that can function as cowls are a far more attractive option than the balaclava. This pattern was originally published in 1986, and looks ahead of its time given that it can be worn as either a hood or a cowl, and knitted cowls were unknown back then.

#8 Ribbed Hood. The pom poms on this give it a court jester look.

#9 Deep Raglan Pullover. I'd neaten up the fit a bit.

#10 Lace Trim Swing Pullover. I know this is supposed to be a swing style, but I'd alter it to fit through the torso and hips. The swing silhouette is a difficult one to carry off.

#11 Dolman Long Cardigan. This is going to be unflattering on most women. It isn't even working on this professional model.

#12 Drop Shoulder Pullover. Normally I advise fixing drop shoulders, but in this case where the dropped shoulders are the titular and almost only distinguishing feature of the design, I advise going with another pattern.

#13 Triangle Fusion Shawl. A simple wrap with just enough technical detail that it looks polished.

#14 Striped Raglan Pullover. I really am liking the look of brioche stripes that's been a theme in this issue. And in this case I also love the colourway.

#15 String of Pearls Pullover. This is something different -- perhaps unsurprisingly, as it's from Nicky Epstein, who is known for her whimsical designs. I find myself liking it. It's more of a poncho than a pullover, though with better lines than is usual for a poncho, and the colourway and the inverted stripes and the "string of pearls" stitchwork all play together so well for an eye-catching look. But I would suggest making it with a cowl rather than a flat collar.

#16 Hat and Cowl Set. An attractive and wearable set. The stitchwork is good, and the narrow edging in a contrast colour adds so much.

#17 Yoke Cowl. This is such a smart, attractive cowl I can't help wishing the designer had kept going until it was a sweater.

#18 Arc Wrap. Love the sophisticated polish of this one.

#19 Coat Cowl. This cowl looks really good with a coat over it... and really awkward without it.

#20 Brioche Striped Cardi. I remember when this design was originally published in Vogue Knitting's Winter 1992/1993, and I have the issue in my knitting pattern library. I liked it then and I like it now.

Vogue Knitting Fall 2018: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released their Fall 2018 issue preview. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

#01, Fair Isle Shawl. What a variety of fun, beautiful motifs. I'd love to see this one expanded into an afghan.

#02, Fair Isle Hat. Doing this one in an atypical colourway really sets it apart from the usual fair isle hat.

#03, Fair Isle Pullover. A very attractive, classic piece.

#04, Three-Piece Rose Pattern Set. I would find the sight of all three of these pieces a little overwhelming in real life, and those mittens are more than a little oven mitt-y in shape, but of course there's no need to make/wear all three of these pieces and the sweater and the hat are certainly good examples of design. I also like the idea of making these items in two neutrals and a bright contrast colour.

#05, Leaf Motif Pullover. Nice, but I would fix the dropped shoulders and lengthen the sleeves.

#06, Mosaic Wrap. This is another one that would be quite lovely as an afghan as well as a wrap.

#07, Lace Stripe Shawl. Nice!

#08, Offset Triangle Shawl. A fun, contemporary piece.

#09, Tassel Yoke Pullover. Cute sweater. I'm giving the tassels serious side eye, but I think they'd work on a very young wearer. The 25+ crowd should probably leave them off.

#10, Graphic Yoke Pullover. Fun and colourful.

#11, Twisted Yoke Pullover. Beautiful. The yoke is interesting and eye-catching, and the edges have such a finished look.

#12, A-Line Tunic. Another lovely item. I'd be inclined to lengthen this one and turn it into a dress.

#13, Yoke Patterned Pullover. Fun yoke, but the sizing could certainly do with some neatening up.

#14, Yoke Patterned Cardigan. A lovely, classic piece. Although, Vogue Knitting copyeditors, just to be tiresomely pedantic for a minute, this pattern and the last pattern should have been titled "Patterned Yoke Pullover" and "Patterned Yoke Cardigan". These designs aren't patterned with yokes.

#15, Asymmetric Triangle Shawl. A very handsome, polished wrap that looks good however it's worn.

#16, Lace Shawl. Very pretty piece of lace work.

#17, Crossed Stitch Jacket. Not bad at all. This one would make a distinctive outfit out of a plain, neutral top and bottom. The pattern blurb says this design was inspired by the Chanel jacket, and I can definitely see the influence.

#18, Tuck Stitch Dress. Love this one, which would be a surprisingly useful, versatile piece given that it looks equally good worn on its own or worn as a jumper over a turtleneck. The mini-skirt length wouldn't work on everyone, but can be easily lengthened for a wearer who feels she's beyond her mini-skirt years, or just doesn't like minis.

#19, Bell Sleeved Pullover. Alas, I am destined to never wear this, as it's the sort of thing that makes me look terribly dumpy as it's not a style for well-endowed women, but it would be quite cute and smart on the right person.

#20, Shawl-Collared Pullover. This one's an Isaac Mizrahi design from 1998, but honestly Vogue Knitting has so many patterns in their vault that they could have chosen better than such a schlumpy, undistinguished number.

Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2018: A Review

Today we're going to have a look at Vogue Knitting's Early Fall 2018 issue.

Pattern #01, Yoked Pullover. The yoke on this turtleneck is fabulous. What I wouldn't give to have a little more neck so that I might wear styles like this one.

Pattern #02, Tuck Stitch Yoked Pullover. Nice smocked effect on this one. It's a larger, looser fit than I would recommend, but it would be easy to make it a little smaller, and this is a design that suits a relaxed fit.

Pattern #03, Textured Yoke. Another comfy and attractive pullover. I'd neaten up the fit a little.

Pattern #04, Yoked Sweater. A very wearable, classic piece.

Pattern #05, Herringbone Tee. Not bad. This would be a bit on the thick and bulky side as to texture, but it has a certain smartness to its shape and gradient effect.

Pattern #06, Placket Neckline Poncho. I like the tweedy effect of the yarn, but I am sure I would find the shape cumbersome and unflattering. I'm not a fan of the poncho in general though, so your mileage may vary.

Pattern #07, Collegiate V-Neck. Cute and sporty little piece.

Pattern #08, Turtleneck Tunic. I rather like this one, which strikes me as a versatile piece that could be worn with trousers, leggings, or tights and boots. I would add a bit of waist shaping though.

Pattern #09, Gradient Cardigan. Not bad. The shaping is good, and I do like a gradient effect, though I think there are more interesting colourways to do it in.

Pattern #10, Hooded Poncho. Call me rigid, but I don't believe that one's knitwear should be large enough to house more than two people.

Pattern #11, Lace Dress. This one's an undeniable head turner, if not for the faint of heart.

Pattern #12, Cable Cardigan. The cabled texture is great, the lines of the design aren't bad, but I feel like this this one needed edge finishing and a front closure.

Pattern #13, Kimono Cardigan. This looks like neither a kimono nor a cardigan. This looks like an unfinished piece of knitting that's been slung around this woman's body.

Pattern #14, Openwork Tunic. This tunic can double as a shopping bag, but I think I'd use it solely as a shopping bag.

Pattern #15, Mesh Sleeve Pullover. A good, wearable piece. I like the idea of putting the texture on the sleeves.

Pattern #16, Tasseled Cowl. Not bad. As you can see from the photo on this pattern's Ravelry page, this cowl looks better when worn doubled around the neck. Wearing a cowl single strand like this tends to have that unfortunate "deflated inner tube" look.

Pattern #17, Buttoned Gradient Wrap. This one doesn't sit to advantage on the model, but I'm inclined to go easy on it because I like the colours and stitchwork.

Pattern #18, Poncho Fit Pullover. This one has a "frumpy thrift shop number from the 1980s" look to it.

Pattern #19, Ribbed Yoke. As soon as I saw this, I knew I'd seen it before, and indeed I had, as it originally appeared in Vogue Knitting's Winter 2001/02 issue, which I have in my collection. I liked the pattern then and I still like it, but I may need a little time to recover from the realization that a pattern from 2001 is old enough to "bring back".