Interweave Knits Fall 2018: A Review

In today's post, we're going to have a look at the Interweave Knits Fall 2018 issue, in which things have gotten very cable-y -- in a very good way.

Breakwater Beach Vest. I like the vest with its good shaping and cabled panels (though yes, I see what you did there, mullet hem), but I would definitely recommend wearing it over almost anything other than a striped jersey.

Cambridge Cardigan. I like the tartan and the "old-style collegial-wear" concept of this sweater, but I would neaten up the fit some. This is a style that would look best slightly oversized, but that means one size up from what the wearer would normally wear, not two or three.

Classic Gansey Cardigan. What the name of this piece says. I would wear this one myself.

Follins Pond Pullover. A clever use of cablework on this one.

Great Island Pullover. Nice piece on the whole, but I am not a fan of that overly large v-neck.

Herring Cove Wrap. Beautiful wrap.

Massachusetts Ave Pullover. An eye-catching use of cables, and a nice piece, except that I do glimpse a slight mullet hem.

Monomoy Dolman. Nice! I'd just add a few rows of ribbing to that neckband, as it looks a little skimpy as is.

Mt. Auburn Cardigan. Very handsome piece!

Oxford Street Pullover. Excellent rendering of a classic style.

Prescott Pullover. Attractive cables.

Quincy Pullover. This argyle-style cable pattern is so creative and looks fantastic.

Race Point Pullover. Nice!

Sandy Neck Pullover. Another great-looking cabled pullover.

Wendell Street Pullover. This one has such an inventively contemporary vibe.

Widener Pullover. I like the concept of an attached shawl collar and cuffs in a contrasting colour, but perhaps not so much the execution. Maybe I'd like it if the collar and cuffs were a little wider? I'd fix the dropped shoulders, and the transition between the moss stitch shoulders and the front cabled pattern looks a little on the rough side and should perhaps be replaced by some sort of patterned band.

Yarmouth Pullover. Oooh, nice! I love the way the designer has used the cables to complement the raglan sleeves.

Pom Pom Quarterly Autumn 2018: A Review

In today's post we're going to have a look at Pom Pom Quarterly's Autumn 2018 issue.

Artemis. Not bad. The idea here is that the neckline is supposed to represent the crescent moon, and it is a fun concept. I'd fix the dropped shoulders though.

Ceridwen. I like the stitchwork, but this is terribly unflattering even on a professional model, which never bodes well for the rest of us. This could be reshaped, but honestly it would be easier just to go with another pattern.

Hecate. Pretty, and as much as I like the blue and pale gold colourway, I am enjoying imagining all the other colour schemes this could be made in.

Hypatia. Very attractive in a subtle way. This is one of the more interesting and creative textural effects I've seen in a while, and yet it was done so simply, with just garter and stockinette stitches, and two similar shades of yarn.

Ixchel. This is absolutely fabulous. I've seen a number of moon and stars-themed knits over the years, and it's always a nice theme, but this one is truly out of this world.

Luna. There's some good texture going on here, but the overall effect is so schlumpy.

Moonbow. This isn't so much a sweater as a mutant sofa cushion with sleeves.

Moondust Hat and Moondust Mittens. Nice hat and mitts set.

Sina. I'm not sure about the two moon halves on this one. Sure, it looks kind of cute when the wearer holds her hands together, but when the mittens are separate (as they will be most of the time), they look like two random and pointless half-circles.

Sky Map. I want to like this, but I don't. This wrap looks as though it's been darned, and not particularly well. Maybe I'd like it if the embroidery were better.

Twist Collective September 2018: A Review

Today we're going to have a look at Twist Collective's September 2018 issue.

Maidstone. A classic wearable piece with some appealing stitchwork.

Cedar Hill. These open-front pieces are always a challenge because the front really needs to sit well... and this one doesn't.

Passerine. Oooh, pretty. I'm always a sucker for this sort of tracery design, especially when it involves birds and branches. There's something so charming about the effect.

Caspia. An attractively classic piece.

Parallax. I like the contemporary, graphic vibe of this scarf.

Dancing Meadow. So, so pretty.

Acacia. I like the concept of this one, and the stitchwork is perfect, but I would neaten up the fit a touch and nix the mullet hem.

Ostraka. This one's a little rough-looking for my liking, and I think it also needs a more interesting yarn.

Glenevin. I like this kind of pullover: it's simple and classic enough to go with everything, and yet has enough interest in its stitchwork and details that it will never look boring or unpolished.

Peryton. Fantastic stitchwork and shaping in this one.

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".