Knit.Wear Spring/Summer 2014: A Review

The Spring/Summer 2014 issue of knit.wear is out. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

The Folded Lace Tank. I like the ingenuity shown here with the use of pleats and lace, but A-line tops can be unflattering on many women, so proceed with caution. I'm also not crazy about the way the trousers and brassiere this model is wearing is showing so plainly through the top that it almost appears to be knitted in gradient sections.

The Box Pleat Scoopneck. This isn't bad. It's well shaped and the pleats at the neckline are an interesting, modern touch.

Front Pleat Dolman. This one is going to be wildly unflattering on most women, making them look six months pregnant at best. Notice how this model is having to raise an arm over her head to give it any semblance of style?





The Pleated Elliptical Cardigan has good points. I love the lace yoke, and the back looks good. But that front doesn't appear to sit well. One of the front view photos show the model holding it closed with her hand, the other with with her arm. I suspect it will flop open unattractively when it's not held closed.





The One-Sided Raglan. I rather like this one, which has a stripped-down modern vibe. The cropped length and side cut-outs aren't for everyone, but are also easily remedied.

Can't say I care for the Gusset Tunic. That side tail looks just pointless. Or more accurately, it has a point, but it's not a point worth taking.

I like the detail on the XOX Tee. I'm not crazy about the shape of it, but it looks loose fitting without looking at all sloppy and you can always neaten up the fit a bit if you like.

The Funnel Collar Pullover. I actually quite like this one. Yes, that collar looks more than a little like a braided rug with a hole in the middle, but it sits well and isn't unflattering, and the rest of the sweater is so well shaped that it balances the collar.

The Fitted Turtleneck Tee is a great little piece; very flattering and with a little texture and interesting detail in the line of contrast colour around the neck and sleeves.

The Six Point Tee. Another good piece. It's wearable, it's going to flatter most women, and it has a certain simple deconstructed charm. Make this in a beautiful yarn in your favourite colour and it'll serve you well as the perfect thing to throw on with jeans when you want to look casual yet put together.

The Ruched Yoke Sweater. I like this one a lot until we get down to the A-line lower half. That excess width isn't doing anything for this model and isn't likely to do anything for the rest of us.

The Diamond Funnelneck. I like the texture here, and the funnel neck, but some shaping through the body would have done wonders for the item as a whole.





The Cameo Caftan. I love the stitchwork used here, but I can't sign off on the caftan construction, and that "cameo" looks for all the world like a camouflaged tarantula biding its time.

The Bohemian Tee. I like this one. It's pretty and feminine and interesting and could function as an extra layer over your dress or tank top when you don't want to be bothered with a shawl.

The Circular Tunic. I'm gathering that knit.wear seems determined that we knitters shall swamp ourselves in excess knitted materials this summer, but I for one am not going down without a fight. This design looks like two tablecloths stitched together. Pretty tablecloths, but tablecloths nonetheless.

The V-Line Tee. I like this one, which has an elegantly relaxed outline.

The Painted Mesh Pullover. I rather like this one, which should be a comfortable and useful second layer for cool summer weather. I'm not a fan of that longer back hem, but if you feel the same way, it's easily fixed.






The Botanic Pullover. Hmm, there's much to like here. The leaf pattern is beautiful, and the attention to detail shown in the leaf motif continuing up the side hem and the garter stitch hems make this look like a certified design rather than something that's just been slapped together. And I can totally see a few friends of mine who have a modern dress sense rocking this. So yes, I like this piece on the whole, though I think of it as a "shawl to 'pull over' one's outfit" rather than a "'pullover' sweater".





The Naiad Tank. Those mesh ruffles look like they were attached by a drunken designer with a glue gun, and that is one ugly yarn.





The Zigzag Mesh Pullover. Very much like this attractively textured little sweater. I would stitch up those ribbed hems though.

This Ruched Cowl is really rather cool. I can see it working in a number of colourways and with a variety of wardrobes, though as a fall/winter item rather than a spring/summer one.

The Bold Stripes Wrap is very smart and wearable.

The Chevron Mesh Scarf. Not a fan of this one. I think it's the combination of the stitch and the colours used, which make it look like a strip from an afghan. Doing it in a single solid or variegated yarn would remove the ripple effect that's so afghan-esque.

Quite like the Bolt Tee, which is both well shaped and has an interesting and effective graphic design.





The Short-Row Vest. This is one of those patterns that at first glance seem to me to warrant a negative review, but that I come to like after more careful appraisal. This piece is has a striking graphic design and an interesting construction that sits well. It won't work on every figure or for everyone's taste, but then few knitwear designs do. On the right person with the right outfit this could be an original and eye-catching piece.

Knitty Spring & Summer 2014: A Review

Knitty's Spring & Summer 2014 issue is online! Let's have a look at it, shall we?

This is the Regenerate shawl, and it's quite gorgeous. The fabulous yarn used here really adds a lot. There's a picture of another sample knitted in a solid colour on the pattern's page, and although it's still a very nice item it isn't anything like as stunning as this one.

The Sweet Tantalate shawl has a clever and striking design.

The Havina shawl is an attractive piece that seems to drape well.

The Naga Fuji shawl. This one is a lovely item in itself, but doesn't seem to drape as well as the previous shawls in this issue. The rectangular shawl shape seems to be a difficult one to carry off, as it tends to look awkward.

The Sunday Sunrise shawl is well named. For me it's a happy reminder of the way the sun looks in children's drawings. It's a pretty item, looks good on, and is small enough to be used as a scarf if the wearer wishes.

The Anthi pattern is very similar to the 1930s Beehive pattern I wrote about in my very first post on this blog, and later made for myself. As I compare the two of them, I find I much prefer the vintage version, which looks so much more polished. I think the main problem with the Anthi is that I wish it had a better designed scarf tie. This one looks just too rough and ready.

The Carousel pullover is made perfectly symmetrical. The sleeves, the hem, and the neckline are all exactly the same size and this sweater can be worn any which way because there isn't a top, bottom or sides. I'm usually disapproving of gaping sleeves or armholes like this, but this pattern is so inventive and original that I just have to admire it. It's a reasonably wearable, attractive piece, though it's perhaps not for every woman (i.e., not for me as the last thing I need is excess material in the chest area) and it will probably require an underlayer as the open sleeves will otherwise show everyone an excellent view of the wearer's brassiere/sideboobs.

The Rosarian pullover is another atypical design that takes some especially careful thought to assess. I normally don't like a batwing sleeve, but I think I like this one. The openwork texture of this item gives it an airiness that makes it more like a shawl than a top, which means it's subject to different standards. That is to say, rather than being a top that will have excess rolls of knitting under the arms, it's a shawl that will stay in place and look charmingly cute and off-beat.

The Kali vest. I quite like this one. It has a good shape and the honeycomb pattern is sharp and modern.





The Icarus tank is a nice piece on the whole, but if I were making this one I would definitely do something about that rough-looking neckline and hemline, such as adding a crocheted edging. It makes this piece look so unfinished.





The Fifty Fifty tank is a nice piece, though I would do something a bit different with that eyelet triangle just below the back of the neckline, such as putting a version of the lace motif used below in it, or omitting it altogether. It looks out of place as is.

The String Theory Socks. There's a debate among knitters as to which method of knitting socks is preferable: top down or toe up. I hate to think what these socks will do to that conflict, as they are "knitted from the heel on upwards and sideways". They are cute and they look like a great way to showcase a good variegated yarn.

The Octopodes socks. I like the tweedy toe and ankle and the band of striking stranded colourwork of this design, but I'm not crazy about the stripe running along the side. The designer describes it as "creating a strong visual line", but to me it looks too much like visible seaming.

Coming up: Look for the review of knit.wear's Spring/Summer 2014 issue on Friday.

Out of Ireland

Aran patterns have an interesting if somewhat uncertain history. There's some debate as to when the Aran sweater as we now know it began to be knitted, with some historians arguing that it has existed for centuries and was standard wear for Irish fishermen. However, it's thought that Aran knitting is too stiff and thick to be practical for fishing and most historians believe that although similar Gansey sweaters had been a part of traditional knitting in the British Isles for hundreds of years, Aran knitting came into being as late as the early twentieth century when Irish women who wished to earn money by selling their work began knitting simplified Gansey patterns with thicker yarn in order to increase their productivity. The first commercial Aran patterns became available in 1940s, and in the 1950s Vogue magazine featured Aran sweaters and Ireland began to export handknitted Aran sweaters. Since then Aran sweaters have been standard wear in the Western world.

It's also thought that the stitches used in Aran knitting have meaning: the honeycomb symbolizes the supposedly industrious bee (though modern scientific study has revealed that bees spend most of their time flying aimlessly about); the cable, so common to fishing boats, represents the maker's hope that the wearer will be safe and lucky when fishing; the diamond stands for wishes of success and wealth; and the basket stitch symbolizes the fisherman's basket and the hope that it will be filled with a good catch.

In honour of St. Patrick's Day, I've put together this post of selected Aran knitting patterns. A Ravelry search for the term "Aran" produces more than 200 pages of results, and while I won't pretend to have looked at all those patterns, I did at look at enough pages to come up with seventeen patterns that I thought were interesting and attractive modern examples of the Aran style. And if Aran knitting isn't Irish enough for you, you can always check out my St. Patrick's Day post from 2013, where shamrocks abound.

The photo above is of the Cabernet Hat, designed by Monika Sirna. This pattern is sized to fit all heads from babyhood to adulthood and is available for $5.85(USD).

This is the Aran Sweater with Rounded Yoke, and it's a vintage Vogue Knitting pattern that dates from 1957. I've made this one twice myself (once for one of my nieces and then for a young cousin), and it was a pleasure to knit as well as being a very attractive, wearable, practical piece. This pattern is not available for download, but has been reprinted in four (out of print) Vogue Knitting publications, so you should be able to find one of those books at your local library, or purchase a secondhand copy online.

This is the Aran Pullover, by Kristin Nicholas, and the larger scale cables on a moss stitch background give it an updated feel. This pattern is available for download for $5.50(USD).

If you'd like an Aran knit that shows off your figure, this Aran off-shoulder pullover by Stitchlogue by Calista Yoo may be for you. I'd omit the crocheted flowers. This pattern is available for $7.00(USD).





Here's a comfy looking little shrug, the Aran Cabled Shrug in Kaya Wool, by Crystal Palace Yarns. This pattern is available for free.

This Tweedy Aran Cardigan by Norah Gaughan will serve you well for years. This pattern is available for download for $5.50(USD).





The sweater depicted on the right is the Urban Aran Pullover, by Patons. Knitter Jared Flood, whose version is on the right, adapted it into a cardigan. As he points out on his project page, the pattern was so perfectly suited to being a cardigan he couldn't believe it wasn't one already. This pattern is available for free.

The Alphabet Sweater, by Debbie Bliss, is a good way to introduce your baby to not only Aran knitting but also to the alphabet. This pattern is available in Special Knits: 22 Gorgeous Handknits for Babies and Toddlers, by Debbie Bliss.

The Düsseldorf Aran, by Fiona Ellis, has some interesting and eye-catching sleeve detailing. This pattern is available for download for $5.50(USD).

The Hooded Aran Coat, by Debbie Bliss, looks luxuriously warm and comfortable. The pattern appears in Debbie Bliss's Land Girl Pattern Book.

Cables and moss stitch go together like bread and butter. These are the Aran Isle Slippers, by Jennifer Lang. This pattern is available for C$5.50(CAD).

This is the I Heart Aran design, by Tanis Lavallee. It features not only hearts but the x's and o's that connote hugs and kisses, so that you can feel the love without being too twee about it. This pattern is available for $6.00(CAD).

The DNA Scarf, by June Oshiro, uses Aran cables to evoke the double helix. This pattern is available for free.

These are the Cross-Country Socks, by Ingrid Hiddessen. I love how the simple pattern used for the foot takes a turn for an intricate at the ankles. This pattern is available for free.

Of course, I had to wind up this post with something more specifically designed for today. This is the St. Patrick's Day beret, by Andrea Babb, and the pattern may be found in 50 Knitted Gifts for Year-Round Giving: Designs for Every Season and Occasion Featuring Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted.


Coming up: Look for the review of Knitty's Spring & Summer 2014 issue on Wednesday.

Tatting for the 21st Century

I was reading Franklin Habit's February 26th post on his first foray into the art of tatting last Saturday morning when I remembered that I've been meaning to write about tatting for my own blog. This tatting post intention is actually of such long standing that I thought perhaps I already had written about tatting, but the search tool assures me I haven't.

Very well then. Tatting is about 200 years old, emerged as a way for women to make their own lace at a time when real lace was extremely expensive to purchase, and declined as commercially made lace became affordable. Georgia Seitz's amazingly thorough article on tatting in the 19th century will probably tell you all you want to know about tatting's history. There are three kinds of tatting: shuttle tatting, needle tatting (which is similar to shuttle tatting but looks slightly looser and thicker), and cro-tatting, which is a combination of crochet and tatting, employs a tatting needle with a crochet hook at the end, and is reportedly the hardest of the three to learn.

I first heard of tatting when I was little girl and my grandmother told me of it. She mused over the idea of teaching me but said she didn't know whether she "could learn me to tat or not." She wasn't sure she could remember how herself and she also didn't know whether she still had her tatting shuttle. So the tatting lessons never happened. The closest I got to tatting was when my mother complained bitterly of the "tats" in my very tangle-prone hair every morning before school. I instead learned the craft of English paper piecing from Grandma. Over the years I have often toyed with the idea of learning to tat in memory of my grandmother and because I always want to learn every craft going anyway. But whenever I've picked up a book on tatting I was put off by the fact that I had no use for any of the projects therein. I mean, that picture on the cover of the book above is one impressive piece of work, but what the hell would I do with it? The patterns in the books were always all about collars and lace trim, edgings for handkerchiefs and table linens, and doilies. And I don't particularly like lace. I do have tastes that are so retro they're anachronistic, but they run early to mid-twentieth century, and lace is Victorian. Unless you count knitted items that have lace patterning (I don't), I don't have a single lace-trimmed garment in my entire wardrobe unless you count my underthings (and no I don't make those). I use tissues, not handkerchiefs, and lace-trimmed table linens wouldn't suit my house, though I do dream of someday embroidering some. And who even uses doilies these days? My 75-year-old mother thinks they're hopelessly antiquated. But... my urge to learn to tat would not die. So when I researched this post I also tried to find justification for my acquisition of the skill. Surely someone somewhere was tatting things I would like to make.

I did searches and found the expected traditional collars, cuffs, lace-trimmed linens and handkerchiefs, then upon digging a little further some less traditional uses such as pasting pieces of tatting on cards for special anniversaries or using it artwork, seasonal decorations such as angels and baubles for the Christmas tree, which was more interesting but still wasn't the kind of stuff I'd want to make. These, which are by deviantArt user a asfina, are lovely, though.

I'm happy to say, I now have the excuse I wanted to learn to tat. The tatted jewelry I came across really got my attention. Deviant Art and Pinterest have loads of great examples of tatted jewelry. Necklaces and earrings and cuff bracelets are suitable for tatting, and there are even some fabulous masks for the goth/steampunk types. The necklace and earrings above are by deviantArt user asfina, whose blog is worth a look.

From asfina's blog. I wouldn't wear anything like this except on Halloween, but it's pretty awesome.

These earrings are by deviantArt user spinstermaiden.

This incredible necklace is all the reason I will ever need to learn to tat. It's from the blog Yarnplayer.

How fabulous is this one? I do a little beading, and I'll be learning to tat as an adjunct to that skill.

A tatted lace bookmark might make a good starter project. This one is the work of deviantArt user seandreea.





I'd say my first task is to pick out a tatting shuttle. I'm most drawn to shuttle tatting purely because I get to buy a lovely shuttle to work with. Shuttles are made from every possible material: wood, metal, bone, plastic. It's possible to buy antique shuttles, though when purchasing those you'll be competing with collectors who don't even know how to tat. The shuttles above are made from acrylic, brass, decoupaged, sterling silver, and carved wood. If your local craft stores don't have shuttles to your taste, try eBay or Etsy for an antique or hand-crafted shuttle. The decoupaged shuttles above are made by Etsy user La Cossette, and the acrylic and wooden shuttles by Grizzly Mountain Arts.






How does one learn to tat? YouTube has many instructional videos, such as the one above, which is first in a comprehensive series. There are plenty of other resources on the net, such as the British-based, international tatting organization Ring of Tatters, and Tatting Pattern Central, which has tutorials and tips for beginners as well as the patterns the name suggests. Do be prepared to be patient. Franklin Habit reports his first five-hour attempt at tatting resulted in a knot so small it would have disappeared up his nose if he'd inhaled deeply, and it's not like he's a stranger to crafting.

Old Men Knitting Sweaters

Check out the song "Old Men Knitting Sweaters", composed by vocalist and accordian player Willow Rutherford, with animation by Mariah Burton. The full 3:17 version of the song is available on Willow Rutherford's MySpace page.

Knitting for Penguins: A Cautionary Tale

Over the past several months a number of my friends and readers have flipped me links to stories about a call for hand-knitted sweaters for penguins who'd come into contact with a recent oil spill. The story also began cropping up in the Facebook newsfeed for this blog's Facebook page. I meant to look into the story further and then write about the matter, but never got around to it.

It turns out that my procrastination paid off (as procrastination sometimes does), because as it happens wildlife rescue workers don't use sweaters on oil-soaked penguins. Sweaters, even the cutest of them, would press the oil against the bird's skin, impair the evaporation of the aromatics emitted by the oil, and needlessly distress the wild animal. Rescue efforts instead rely on warm baths and heat lamps to clean, dry, and warm the birds. The pictures of the penguins in sweaters you've seen are posed photo ops. Oh, and there hasn't been a recent large oil spill.

The penguin sweaters sent by helpful knitters from around the world are actually being used as outfits for the toy stuffed penguins sold by the Phillip Island Penguin Foundation's gift shop, with the proceeds being used to fund their wildlife aid operations. The whole "penguins in sweaters" knitting drive story actually dates back to 2000 and has been through a few incarnations. Blogger Mike Dickison has the whole story on his site, Great Flightless Birds, and he winds up his article by offering tips on how organizers should manage a call for knitwear donations and make sure it doesn't wind up getting wildly out of hand as the "sweaters for penguins" drive has each of the three times it has arisen.

I am very relieved not to have played a part in disseminating false information about the penguin sweater matter either here or on Facebook. The first I posted about it was last Friday, when I shared Mike Dickison's post and an informative cartoon about the story on this blog's Facebook page. And I hope that if I had written about the penguin sweater story I would have researched it properly and found out the actual facts of the matter. The whole fiasco has led me to think about knitting for charity in general, and I'd like to set out some advice on how knitters can do so effectively.

First of all, I'd encourage any knitter who wishes to knit for charity to give the items he or she makes to local organizations. Unless you live somewhere extremely remote such as, say, Antarctica, there are sure to be a number of charities in your own community that will welcome your knitwear donations. Depending on what causes appeal to you, and what kind of items you want to make, you can knit for:

- Neonatal Intensive Care Units or Special Care Nurseries in your local hospital. Preemies require very tiny items that aren't all that easily found in stores.
- Christmas toy drives.
- Organizations created to help children in need. Toys, clothes, and blankies will all be welcome.
- First responders such as fire fighters, police and EMTs sometimes accept donations of small knitted dolls and toys to give to children to comfort and distract them from the stress and pain they are experiencing.
- Cancer treatment centres often take donations of knitted caps, which are given to patients undergoing chemo who have lost their hair.
- Knitting circles that make prosthetics for breast cancer survivors. Women who have had mastectomies sometimes much prefer a custom-knitted prosthetic rather than a very expensive, heavy, and ugly commercially made prosthetic.
- Homeless shelters. They usually have an endless need for hats, mittens, scarves, sweaters, and socks in winter.
- Women's shelters. They can use a variety of knitwear to help outfit the women and children who seek refuge with them.
- Group efforts to collect knitted squares to be assembled into blankets which are then sent to hospices, shelters, or anywhere there is need.
- Animal shelters and rescue operations are often happy to receive bird nests, blankets, toys, and other items for the animals in their care.

When you find an organization in your area that you wish to knit for, check their website or contact them to find out what their needs actually are. Some organizations may not be willing to take the knitted items at all, some may have more than enough such items coming in at present, and some may have specific requirements for any knitted items they receive, and you want to make sure you have reliable, up-to-date information about their needs and requirements before you donate. Learn from the mistake made by the members of a Women's Institute in Devonshire, who spent a year crafting a knitted village for sick children, only to find out that no children's hospital or hospice would take it because it couldn't be sterilized. The miniature village was eventually sent to a South African orphanage, but still... ooops.

You may wish to join an existing charitable knitting circle in your area that will give you information about what to knit and be responsible for passing the items along to the organization that will use them. Lion Brand actually has a special interface on their site that interested U.S. knitters and crocheters can use to search for an existing knitting charity in their location or even register their own new knitting charity if they wish.

If you wish to donate to an international organization, or even an organization that is farther away than you can conveniently get to, I'd urge you to do due diligence on the organization to make sure it's legitimate — and then to send a cheque. I know there's much more emotional satisfaction and a feeling of connection to be derived from hand knitting items to be given as is to those far away, but if you really want to help others, keep in mind that in most cases aid organizations can do far more good with whatever amount it cost you to ship your knitted item hundreds or thousands of miles than they can with the knitted item itself. Shipping handmade donations internationally isn't a cost-efficient way to help others. If you were a foreign aid worker, what would you rather receive in the mail: a hat and mittens to help keep a child warm, or the monetary equivalent that could be spent on medical supplies which could save three children's lives?

The one exception I can think of to this "knit locally, send money globally" rule is the D.O.V.E. Fund Bandage Brigade, which collects knitted leprosy bandages to take to countries where leprosy is still a problem. In that particular case, there is a specific need for the handmade bandages because they breathe better than commercially made bandages, and can be sterilized for re-use as commercially made bandages cannot be. So yes, in that particular instance, go ahead and knit the bandages and ship them.

If you feel you must answer some far off call for specific knitted items, do exercise some caution. The organization you are knitting for should have a web site of its own where they can manage the donations coming in. There should be contact information on this web site, and details about what items are needed, and where to send them. There should be updates on how many items they've had come in, on how they're using them, and how many items they still need. The Knitting for Nutrition project, that took place in February 2012 in Burkina Faso, Africa, did exactly this, got the 1076 pairs of baby booties they wanted for their project, and then announced that they weren't accepting any more booties for the time being. If an organization hasn't set up a simple, free blog to manage the knitwear donations they are receiving, it probably isn't sufficiently organized to receive the donations, and the whole call for knitwear may be a hoax, a misunderstanding, or outdated. The workers of this organization may in fact be buried under bales of knitted items that have been shipped to them from knitters all over the world, that are way in excess of what they can ever possibly use, and that they perhaps never even asked for.

In general, before you knit for others, do take the time to make sure your work is needed and welcome before you so generously and kindly donate the items you worked so hard on. Hand knitted items are a terrible thing to waste, especially when there is sure to be someone out there who is very much in need of them.