Love of Knitting Winter 2017: A Review

Love of Knitting has released its Winter 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Bohuslän Sweater. I like this quite a lot on the whole, and find the idea of putting the chevron details in the body of the sweater rather than in the contrast yoke where it would usually be to be interesting and unique, but I would nix the garter stitches from the stitchwork through the body and do it all in stockinette. The garter stitches don't seem to be adding anything, but are rather giving the chevrons a slightly muddled effect.

Clare Pullover. This is rather a nice piece. I'd shorten it, but that's because I don't care for tunic length items, not because there's anything objectively wrong with it.

Cliffs of Moher Vest. Not bad. Something like this can be useful for when a woman's going very casual and just wants a layer to put over a flannel shirt.

Connacht Cowl. Lovely. But then it's hard to go wrong with a cabled cowl.

Furuset Gingerbread People. Cute, but I think I'd tweak the facial expressions somewhat. The pink spot for the cheeks ought to be situated in the cheek area rather than at the ends of the mouth -- unless I've been putting my blusher in the wrong place for the last three decades.

Jagody Mittens. Nice on the whole, but I'd add a bit of cuff trim. The edges look a little unfinished and one of them is rolling up.

Jūratė Cowl. Some nice stitchwork in this.

Kattegat Pullover. Oooh, I like this one. It's so simple and wearable and yet the collar, cuffs and waistband make it so distinctive.

Ruhnu Cropped Pullover. The cropped length will show off whatever cute shirt is worn underneath, as it does on this child model, but it does have a "shrunk in the wash" look.

Sandwick Pullover. I like the overall concept of this and the shaping is good, yet somehow it's not quite pulling together, perhaps because the colours don't seem to work together that well. I think I might do this one in two yarns, rather than three, using a variegated for the main colour and a coordinating solid for the contrast colour and ribbing.

Scalloway Scarf. This is a handsome scarf that'll set off a simple outfit well, as it does here.

Scapa Flow Shawl. I'm not crazy about this one. The texture's good, and I love the yarn used here, but it looks awkward in all three of the professionally styled photos on the pattern's Ravelry page. Wraps this heavy don't tend to sit well.

Sherkin Island Shawl. An attractive, classic wrap.

Skellig Micheal Sweater. Beautiful. How I wish I had enough neck to wear a look like this!

Spitsbergen Cowl. Love the fair isle and the colourway in this, but not those clunky lines of garter stitch just inside the ribbing. They look like the knitter making this temporarily forgot which was the right side of the piece.

Tarfala Valley Shawl. Nice! I love the edging and the fact that the wrong side of this shawl would look nearly as good as the right.

Yell Island Cowl. Another attractive piece with interesting stitchwork.

Twist Collective Fall 2017: A Review

Twist Collective has released its Fall 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Aam Panna. Some pretty lacework in this one.

Safdie. The combination of a dropped shoulder and a cropped sleeve length always makes for such an awkward-looking sleeve. But those things are easily changed if you feel the same way.

Farro. This one actually made me catch my breath slightly. What fabulous, dramatic lacework.

Scarrington. A handsome classic sweater.

Mangrove. Interesting stitchwork in this one.

Allegheny. The cables and shaping are attractive, but I have my suspicions about how those front edges are going to look when they aren't being held in place.

Belem. Nice! I like the shoulder detail.

Iznik. Intricately pretty mittens.

Espe. Lovely, and it drapes so well. I like the gradient effect as well.

Bereza. Love the stitchwork in this one.

L'ascenseur. Oooh, love this. The combination of a crocheted lattice over a reverse stockinette background worked in two analogous colours really makes for something strikingly different.

Helenium. This brioche tulip yoke is ever so pretty.

Pom Pom Quarterly Winter 2017: A Review

Pom Pom Quarterly has released its Winter 2017 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Tabular. I rather like the colourblock yoke detail, but not the cropped length. However, that's easily changed.

Stellate. Very cool, contemporary style wrap.

Selenite. This isn't a bad twist on a simple striped sweater. I'd neaten up the fit a touch.

Orianna. Nice, and rather fresh, combination of fair isle and cables.

Fluorite. I really like these, and yet technically they are almost as simple as socks can be. Reverse stockinette stitch and a range of expertly arranged subtle colours make them very interesting.

Ephemeris. Another very cool shawl with a modern appeal.

Dipyramid. Very catchy graphic effect.

Bindrune. Love the stitchwork on this cardigan, but not its shaping.

Cobaltoan. Love both the brioche and the colour palate used in this hat.

Chrysocolla. A fun and visually interesting mix of cables and bobbles.

Knit.Wear Fall/Winter 2017: A Review

Knit.Wear has released its Fall/Winter 2017 issue. Let's take a look at it.

Balsa Slouch Hat. Simple, useful, big needle knit.

Bendz Pullover. It's clear that a lot of care and effort went into this one, which has some interesting shaping and detailing, but the overall effect is that of a "frumpy, depressed homeschooling mom of seven". I half expect those pockets to be stuffed full of used tissues.

Bianca Pullover. Classic cabled pullover. I'd just fix the dropped shoulders.

Big Sur Pullover. The shaping of this one says "horse blanket" to me, an effect that is only added to by the harness-like straps at the neck. Giddy up!

Demetria Cowl. This looks luxuriously soft and luscious, but it's so large that it looks awkward and/or overwhelming no matter how it's styled. I'd scale back the size somewhat.

Eckersberg Pullover. Some beautiful stitchwork on this one, and the cabling is so good.

Eira Pullover. Another solid cabled pullover.

Elderberry Ribbed Cowl. Another simple, big needle knit, but it's a perfectly adequate pattern. This is one to do in an interesting yarn.

Hansen Pullover. I'm really liking the Art Deco-esque cable effect on this turtleneck.

Iclyn Sweater. I love the cable chain motif on the front and sleeves of this design, but the mesh shoulders and asymmetrical hem don't quite work with it. It feels as though the designer tried to combine too many elements into one design.

Janus Pullover. Nice! Love the lattice cable effect.

Kobke Pullover. A slight variation on the classic gansey.

Lumi Tunic. Some good stitchwork in this. I'd neaten up the fit a bit.

Lundbye Scarf. I do like a scarf with good stitchwork.

Marstrand Pullover. A smart little number. I even like the shaping of the hem, as it's so organic to the lines of the sweater.

Monterey Tee. Beautiful lacework in this, and I like the neckline and cap sleeves, but I would neaten up the fit through the body a little.

Niamh Pullover. This looks like one of the sloppy shaker knit sweaters we wore back in the eighties, but even in the eighties we knew better than to tack a couple of placemats on the bottom.

Olwen Cardigan. This is another frumpy piece. Even the model can't give it any allure, though she's plainly giving it a hero's try.

Rorbye Cardigan. This doesn't look too bad through the upper body, but the way it hangs below the waist is just tragique.

Skovgaard Hat. This is cute in an elfin way, and yet it's cute in a way one needn't be under 15, or even 25, to wear.

Thorvaldsen Pullover. A attractively cabled piece, and I even think the dropped shoulder effect is okay here because it sits so well when rendered in this exceptionally soft yarn, but I would fix that slight mullet hem.

Topanga Canyon Cardigan. The shaping of this piece makes it look like it's a sweater that's given up on itself and indeed, on life in general.