The
Knitscene Winter 2013 issue is out. Let's have a look at it, shall we?
This the
Victor Shawl. Which looks to me more like a really big scarf. Nothing wrong with that, of course, as large-scale accessories can be fun and this one has some clever stitchwork.
These are the
Stereo Mittens. They're a nice pair of cabled mittens. They are plain stockinette stitch on the palms, which strikes me as practical idea because it should be easier to handle objects without the extra bulk of cables in the way.
The
Quadraphonic Cardigan. Open front cardigans don't usually do it for me, but I like this one because it's designed to hang so well.
I like the
Hi-Fi Pullover as well. It's very well cut and flattering. Not every woman would want a sweater this snug, of course, but it can always be knitted to fit more loosely.
There's nothing terribly exciting about the
Sylvia Cardigan, but it is a nice, wearable piece.
The
Tara Jacket. The back looks great, but the front looks pretty awkward regardless of how much or how little it's zipped up.
The
Gemma Pullover. This one's pretty wearable, and I like the little touches of cable at the wrists and waistband. I can't quite figure out what's going on at the neckline, though, and whatever's happening there, it's making the transition between the neck ribbing and stockinette looks a little rough.
The
Mauveine Henley is very pretty. If you don't like emphasizing your hips quite as much as the deep border of lace will do, just work one row of lace diamonds rather than two, or just use the sleeve border pattern around the hem of the bodice.
The
Purpurpeus Shawl is very, very basic. It might be a good pattern to use for a yarn that you love so much and that it is of such excellent quality it can stand alone, but the yarn used for this sample wasn't that kind of yarn.
The
Byzantium Stole is another big, attractive scarf, this time with a nice lace pattern.
The
Heliotrope Hat is a pretty standard cabled cap, but it's a good example of one. It looks equally good from every angle.
The
Manganese Cowl isn't bad. It has a modern feel to it. I think it would definitely need to be paired with the right kind of coat.
The
Tyrian Loop is one of those cowls made long enough to be worn either single or doubled. Which is a great idea, though this one definitely looks much better worn doubled. Worn single it looks a bit like a flat tire hung around the model's neck.
The
Boxelder Cardigan is another fairly standard pattern, but it's definitely a very attractive and polished cabled hoodie.
The
Gambel Shawl. Not bad. I like the way the
Knitscene editors have chosen to tie it on the model. I thought at first it was some new style of cowl.
The
Narrowleaf Sweater. I very much like this one, except for that buckle on the shoulder, which at first glance looks like a strip of black electrical tape holding this model's sweater together. The concept of a buckled shoulder isn't bad, mind you, but I don't like this particular buckle on this particular sweater. I'd find a better one, or use buttons. By the way, have I ever expounded on my belief that it's best to buy such notions as buttons and zippers and buckles before you begin to knit an item? That way you can be sure you'll have the right thing to finish off the item, and you'll know if you need to tailor an item to suit what's available, i.e., if you can only get a half dozen of the perfect buttons, you can make six buttonholes instead of seven.
Love the
Wild Plum Shawlette, which is intricate and striking.
The
Hoptree Scarf uses two different weights of yarn to give an otherwise traditional lacework pattern more a different kind of look. It's not bad, though not really to my tastes — the different yarn weights make it look so cobbled together.
I quite like the
Mountain Ash Pullover, which uses solid and variegated yarns in similar tones to create a striped effect. It's a subtle and fresh way to wear horizontal stripes, which can tend to look not only unflattering but rather juvenile.
I like the simple little
Pinyon Vest, though to me it does look more like something I'd be more likely to make in a cotton and wear by itself in the summer than a wool piece for winter layering.
The
Black Cherry Pullover. This one is rather boxy and isn't terribly flattering even on the model, but that's fixable: fix the dropped shoulders, add waist shaping, and lengthen it to hip length.
The
Bristlecone Pullover. One good way to incorporate a bold pattern into knitwear is to use it just on the bodice and make the sleeves, neckband, and waistbands a coordinating colour. This looks quite sharp without being overwhelming as an all-over, large-scale houndstooth pattern would have.
The
Chokecherry Scarf is another quite traditional pattern, but again it's a particularly good example of its kind.
I love the back of the
Thinleaf Jacket, but I'm not at all sold on the front, which looks awkward and unflattering. It's not sitting well even on this model. I'd be inclined to turn this into a turtle- or cowl-necked pullover and run the Celtic back design up the front as well.
