Knitty has published its
Winter 2013 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?
The
Superduper megacowl. This larger-than-life cowl won't be to everyone's taste, but if you like a certain element of playful exuberance in your wardrobe, you can probably carry it off. It can be worn as a shrug, and possibly also as a hammock. And with a gauge of 3 stitches to 4 inches, this will be a
very fast knit.
The
Princess Franklin cowl. In the accompanying text designer Franklin Habit tells us that the cowl is based on a recreation of an antique "Princess Mary" plaid scarf pattern and talks about how he chose the colours. I very much like this piece. The technique is an interesting one (it's knitted in garter stitch with the vertical lines woven in during the finishing stages) and replicates the look of a woven piece admirably well.
The
Zaria shawl is attractive in an offbeat, modern way.
The
Moebius Braid cowl. I quite like this piece. It's designed to be reversible, has an appealing texture and is oversized in a way that'll be easy to scale with the rest of your outfit.
The
Streymoy cardigan. Love this one, with its elegant air. It's like a modern take on an Edwardian waistcoat.
The
Henry Tudor pullover. Quite like this one with its terrific cable treatment. I'm not completely sold on those clasp fastenings. They don't quite accord with this sweater. I think maybe they're too high contrast colour-wise and would work better if they toned in better with the sweater.
The
Galanthus tunic. This is quite pretty and wearable for women who suit the empire cut.
The
Lempster pullover. This one is quite nice and wearable. My one quibble is with that front centre panel, where the cable panel looks a little randomly plopped amid the honeycomb stitches. If I were to knit this, I'd consider continuing a two-cable pattern throughout the honeycombing above and below the larger cable pattern.
The
Key and Knot jacket is a nice classic piece. If you knit this one, be sure to make it big enough that it won't be pulling open a little between the buttons as it is here. Cabled patterns can be tricky to size because they're so dense.
The
Whiteleaf pullover. This is ever so pretty, and so classic and go-anywhere that you'll be able to wear it until it falls apart.
The
Parhelion pullover is another solid classic piece.
The
Armande cardigan. This is a plain, retro-style cardigan which relies on good overall lines to work. And it has them. This collar sits very well. Do make sure to knit the sweater large enough for the wearer, as gaping at the button bands always detract a lot from the overall look.
The
Vintersolverv is a classic pullover is based on the traditional Norwegian ski sweater pattern, and has the dropped shoulders that are usual with the style. Tradition or no, I'd raise the shoulder seam to the shoulder as a standard fit shoulder is so much more flattering on most women.
The
Skullcracker cap. This is a pleasant enough little cap. I'm not crazy about the two-tone version. I think it looks better in single colour, or if you want to use two different colours, perhaps a more analogous colour scheme might work. The high-contrast colours look too tacked together.
The
Duplice cap. I quite like this design, though again I don't think this is the pattern where a high-contrast colour scheme is the best choice. I'd go for two colours that nearly blend together, such as blue and lavender.
The
Contempt headband will allow you to broadcast your stance on winter, whether that's love, hate, or both (in which case you could knit one expression on each side and reverse the headband as desired. I have to admire the wit of this concept, and for a woman putting a slogan on a headband definitely beats sporting it on your chest, since it will be stared at.
The
Roses socks are very pretty. Love the line of leaves that blossom into a rose at the top. I'd just have to knit these in red or pink or apricot.
The
Wraptor socks are very cool, if not quite the socks you'll want to wear the morning after the night before. Love the visual effect that makes them seem to move when you look at them.
The
Olla mittens. These look more than a little clumsy to me, but if you don't mind that, they're otherwise fine, they will be warm and practical, and I do like the embroidered leaf designs.
The
Sssstarter mittens. These aren't too exciting but they're wearable and pleasing enough.
The
Peko cats egg cozy. I'm not exactly sure why this "cat's" whiskers are springing from its forehead, but this isn't a bad pattern if your tastes run towards the cute and whimiscal and/or you're trying to make breakfast time more fun for your children. Or if you just like your eggs kept piping hot.
