Knit Simple Fall 2014: A Review

Knit Simple has posted the preview of their Fall 2014 issue. Let's have a look, shall we?

We begin with a striped capelet. It's a cute and useful little piece.

A baseball shirt-styled sweater. It's not bad. More sophisticated colour choices would elevate it.

Ribbed fingerless gloves, trimmed with a second colour. I like these, and that mustard and lavender colour combination is one I would never have thought of but that actually works surprisingly well.

A simple garter stitch cowl. This isn't bad, though I don't think I'd go with that colour blocked effect. A single colour for the body and a second colour for the edging would be fine.

This pullover has a definite "shrunk in the wash" look. The whole thing looks weirdly askew and misshapen.

A hood with an attached cowl. Not even this beautiful model can lend this piece any chic. Fun fur yarn is always a challenge as a design element, because it tends to cheapen whatever item it's on, but it definitely doesn't belong with the other yarn used here. Mohair would have been a better choice for the trim, if this piece must be trimmed. I'd be inclined to go with a single beautiful yarn. Query: What's the term for a hood with an attached cowl? Is it a howl?

The fun fur has broken out again, but here it works fairly well. These ribbed fingerless gloves look fun and girly.

Nice afghan with a great colour and nice texture. That is, if this is as I think and hope and pray, an afghan rather than a monster-sized cowl.

Simple crocheted cushions. These aren't exactly marvels of design or even interesting, but are adequate: they'll be comfy and durable, they'll make nice bright accent pieces for your couch or chairs, and they'll go with most decor styles.

This cowl is... okay. I would want a cowl that is less bulky and lies more gracefully and looks more sophisticated than this, but this one will knit up very quickly and has some texture and will keep you warm, so basically it's doing its job as a cowl pattern.

Knitted dishcloths. I hate knitted dishcloths as they get all disgustingly gunked up with soggy bits of food, as opposed to a regular old J-cloth which doesn't hold food and rinses quite clean under the tap, but I know some people love knitted dishcloths. So I'll just say if you are or are knitting for one of those people who are Team Knitted Dishcloths, these are a good way to practice some different stitches.

I like these knitted throw pillows. They look ever so comfortable and they have more style than the crocheted ones above.

I'm pretty sure this is a colour block scarf rather than two scarves worn together. If it's the colour block scarf, I like it. The two scarf idea wouldn't work so well as few people are going to want to bother wearing two scarves at once.

Classic pair of fingerless gloves.

Very respectable looking cowl.

Basic shaker knit cap.

Ribbed men's sweater with leather shoulder patches. I actually like the leather-patched look in men's clothing, but I don't think I care for this particular example. It's a little too homemade looking for a design element that usually upgrades a look.

Nice classic vest, and this model looks as though he's been properly coached on how to hold the knitting needles. (If he actually knows how to knit, that's even better.)





A collection of fairly basic knitted hats. Nothing really stand out as especially attractive, but if they were done in a beautiful yarn in your favourite colour, they'd look fine.





A collection of crocheted hats. These all look kind of amateurish and as though they were made by someone who wasn't even using a pattern, except the rust tam with the green trim at the bottom, which has some style and looks as though it were designed by a professional.

Hmm, a cowl with little rosettes on it. I actually like this. It's cute and fun, though I do think it belongs on someone under 25.

This striped skirt looks like it's been fashioned out of a thrift shop sweater by someone who is on a 'shroom trip and who will bitterly regret it when she comes down. It's hideous and the shape is remarkably unflattering.

Classic cabled pullover. Can't find a fault with this one.

Basic cabled cap anyone could wear.

This drape front sweater isn't bad on its own, but this style does tend to be hard to wear and this piece is likely to prove unflattering on most women.

Basic bandeau. If you want to knit yourself a bandeau, I'd look further for a more interesting and attractive one.

Very simple gray and white sweater. It's not bad, but I'd neaten up the fit a little as this one is going to look a little dumpy on.

Work sock boot toppers. These aren't bad, for boot toppers. They at least look convincingly like the top of a knee sock, which is how boot toppers work best. I'm afraid I am boot topper-ist.





A layette with sock, cap, blanket, and a sweater and a jacket pattern. There are more interesting baby layette patterns out there but this one has a certain sturdy, practical appeal and is an easy knit.





These are cute in their way, but if I were to make a bunny I'd want to make a bunny that was shaped like a bunny rather than one that was shaped like a sock with ears attached. However, if you make one of these for a baby, said baby will be perfectly happy with it.

I wouldn't call this issue terrible, but I will say it's lacklustre. The patterns were generally very plain and basic. I realize I'm not Knit Simple's demographic as I'm advanced knitter and these are easy knitting patterns intended for beginning knitters, but beginning knitters deserve projects that are not only easy but also attractive and interesting, and it's possible for knitwear designs to be all three. I'm hoping the Knit Simple editors will set the bar a little higher in future.

Hare Skins

This is a stop animation video for the song "Les peaux de lièvres" ("Hare Skins") by the former French-Canadian indie pop band Tricot Machine ("Knitting Machine"). Those who made this video used an incredible 720 separate pieces of intarsia to tell the story of two lovers spending an evening outside during a snowfall, and the characters depicted in the video actually resemble Tricot Machine members Catherine Leduc and Matthieu Beaumont. The song title itself refers to an old St. Lawrence River coast expression, used when there's a heavy wet snow, "it's snowing rabbit/hare skins/pelts", and this video features subtitles that contain both the French lyrics and an English translation of them.

Rowan Knitting & Crocheting Magazine 56, Part 2: A Review

Welcome to Part 2 of my review of Rowan Knitting & Crocheting Magazine's issue no. 56, Part 1 having been published two days ago.

The Martina design is a good piece of work. I do like to see a vertical stripe pattern now and then. Designers tend to go with the horizontal stripe so much more often, probably because it's easier to knit, but the fact is that vertical stripes are so much more flattering that they're worth the extra work.

The Gisela pullover. Very pretty. It has a certain vintage-like feel to it. Smart little short-sleeved knit tops were a wardrobe staple for women between the 1930s through the early 1960s.

The Anja design. This isn't bad. I wouldn't pair it with a flirty little skirt, though. It looks more to me like a very casual piece that belongs with jeans.

The Franziska pullover. I can't get behind (or more to the point, into) the very oversized sweater thing. They're unflattering for most women and they catch on things and generally look sloppy. The overall design of this is quite attractive, but if I were to make this I'd make it a standard fit and raise those dropped shoulders.

The Karolin sweater. This is attractively and interestingly patterned sweater, but I wouldn't wear it with that pink skirt. For that matter, I wouldn't wear that pink skirt with anything.

The Brigit sweater. This is totally cute. Love the polka dot and stripe combination, and the shape is excellent.

The Lea pullover. Another little top with vintage appeal. This is really adorable.

The Isolde Wrap has a southwestern U.S. style, an offbeat colourway, and a name from a German opera. There's nothing like a little eclecticism, I suppose, especially when a knitter can take or leave all three. I do like the wrap, though it would need to be styled a certain way to work.

The Ulrika cardigan. I would have called this one The Coat of Many Colours, but it doesn't seem like a design likely to arouse much jealousy in one's siblings. I think it falls down on the sleeves, which look too drab and disconnected from the rest of the sweater even though they do echo the brownish stripe used through the body, and in the shape, which is too much on the shapeless side.

The Symphony design. This lace tunic is pretty in its way, though I am trying to figure out how one would style it. One would need to wear basically a full outfit under it (unless one is, say, Rhianna), and that would take some thought, because layering another sweater under it would be too bulky and I don't think wearing trousers under it would look right. I don't think even this professionally styled outfit is quite working. I may seem to have gone off topic here, but figuring out how you'll wear an item should be part of your decision process when you decide whether and how to make it if you want to be able wear it once you're done. I have one sweater I have yet to wear even though I love it, because nothing I own looks quite right with it and I haven't gotten around to buying or making something specifically to go with it.

The Poetry sweater. This is pretty basic but it's a competent piece of design and could be a useful item for a woman to have if the tunic-length sweater is her style and works on her figure.

The Muse pattern. This is a very simple item, but it does have some texture and the shape is good. The thing to do with basic patterns like this is to make them in a beautiful yarn in a colour you love, because it'll wind up looking like a special piece as well as one that you can wear to death.

The Prose design looks like a costume straight off the set of Depressed Housewives. If you're going to knit this one, make sure it buttons through the hips, because "a few strained buttons done up in the middle" is not a flattering look. You can probably also find a more appealing colour than this drab oatmeal.

The Song tunic. This piece is filet crochet. I like it — the shape is good and the chevron pattern is a nice look.

The Melody sweater. Not a bad piece, though I think I'd go for a more sophisticated colour than a pastel.

The Lyric pattern. Not a bad little piece but it won't be the easiest sweater to wear. It would me look terribly dumpy. Shortening the cap sleeves by a few inches and lengthening the body/making the waistband shorter would make this an easier item to carry off.

The Ballard pullover. This is one of those designs even a model can't carry off.

The Drama pattern. I don't know why they named this pattern Drama because there is no drama in sight. The split hems are the only design feature here, and they aren't adding anything. I'd give this pattern a pass entirely, because it's nothing special in any way and there are so many wonderful patterns out there.

The Verse design. This isn't a bad basic sweater, but I'd neaten up the fit somewhat.

The Stanza sweater. I like this one. I think my favourite thing about it is the wide turtleneck, which is a good way for those of us who don't look good in turtlenecks to wear a turtleneck.

The Rhyme design. I like this one, but I would make those sleeves more fitted. Baggy sleeves never did a woman any favours.

Rowan Knitting & Crocheting Magazine 56, Part 1: A Review

Rowan Knitting & Crocheting Magazine has released issue 56. It has 41 patterns in it, which is a bit much for one review, so as per usual for me when I write Rowan reviews, I'm going to review the first half of the patterns today and the remaining patterns on Friday. Let's look at the first 20 patterns, shall we?

We begin with the Ordie design. I like it, and I like the idea of incorporating stripes of colour, though I don't care for the colours used in this sample.

The Moraig design. Like this one too. It's classic, and yet that fair isle pattern is a little different from any I've ever seen before.

The Ness design. Love this one. The colourway is gorgeous and that's a really original rendering of a fair isle yoke. I'd be inclined to continue the pattern all the way down the sleeves and just work a cuff length in the main colour, though. This does have a slightly unfortunate dropped shoulder visual effect.

The Ashie pattern. Very much like this tartan and cable pattern, though the colourway doesn't appeal much.

The Carlochy design. Love the tartan design of this one, but have my concerns about the shaping. If those front edges don't meet in the front, I'd reshape them so that they do, because that is not a flattering style for most women.

The Heilen pattern. This is a decent design except for the sleeves, which manage to look both stretched out and shrunken. I'd make the patterned part of the sleeve no longer than cap-length and knit the rest of the sleeve in the blue.

The Scaven design. This is a nice piece, though that gradient yarn effect isn't quite working as it should — it looks a little muddled. It can be difficult to find yarns that are just the right shades for a project like this.

The Brack Cape has a good texture but I don't know if anyone will notice it because they'll be too preoccupied with wondering if the wearer's arms are deformed.

The Roan jacket. This is quite a gorgeous piece of design (love the stitchwork and the colourway), but I would raise those dropped shoulders.

The crosses used here make the Fergus design a new take on the classic cabled pullover for men, because they stand out so much. I'd say they work quite well.

The Laide pattern. Love this one. It's simple enough to go with a pattern as it does here, with this kilt, and yet interesting enough to be worn with a basic skirt or jeans.

The Brora sweater. Love this one too, with its classic cables and very well integrated leaf vine motif.

The Ailish turtleneck. This one is a very decent piece of work. I don't think I like the colour change in the cuffs — they look a little random. I'd do the cuffs, collar and hem in the same colour, whether that colour is the main colour or one of the colours from the tartan.

The Craggie turtleneck. This is a little unusual in terms of menswear, but I think it works. If you're knitting this for a man who isn't you, I'd run it by him first to make sure he will wear it.

Quite like the Fyn jacket.

The Katja sweater. I knew as soon as I saw the thumbnail for this design that this had to be a Kaffe Fassett design, and it is. I can't imagine I'll ever criticize a Fassett design for its colourwork, as he is a master of colour, but I will recommend raising the dropped shoulders and maybe neatening up the fit of this design a little.

The Tanja design is another Kaffe Fassett piece. It's an eye-catching piece and the shape is good.

The Elsa pattern. I like this one, but am I imagining things or do I see a subway stop in that pattern?

The Heike design. I like this one, though I am fighting the urge to make a bib joke.

The Angelika design. Another pretty one. It's perhaps a little boxy in shape, but that's not hard to fix.

Look for the second half of the Rowan Knitting & Crocheting Magazine issue 56 review this coming Friday!

More Power to Your Knitting Nell!

New York-trained and based Canadian soprano Melanie Gall hates knitting, but knitting (which totally doesn't hate her) has lured her into its meshes, as knitting tends to do. Gall's sister Deborah is an avid knitter, and in 2009 the two sisters launched a podcast called The Savvy Girls, in which they "take a playful and thoughtful look at knitting, travel, and life". Members of their audience began to write to Melanie and Deborah in order to tell them about knitting songs dating from World Wars I and II. Melanie Gall began to get interested in this subgenre of music and to collect old knitting songs. Once she had over a hundred wartime knitting songs, she decided to use them to write a show. And so the one-woman show, More Power to Your Knitting Nell!, came into being. More Power to Your Knitting Nell! is the story of Sadie Goldstein, an aspiring singer who gets a singing gig playing "Knitting Nell" on a radio show intended to promote knitting for the war effort during World War II. It would be a dream opportunity except for the unfortunate fact that Sadie hates knitting.






More Power to Your Knitting Nell! was performed, among other venues, at Fringe Festivals in a number of locations including Orlando, Edmonton, London, and Winnipeg, in a knitting store in Calgary, and at the National Museum of Military History in Luxembourg where the Battle of the Bulge was fought. If you were weren't able to take in any of these performances, the video above offers a quick preview of Gall playing Sadie Goldstein playing Knitting Nell.






Gall has also uploaded a video of her show performance of "I Wonder Who's Knitting for Me Now".






And here is a video of Gall's performance of "Soldier, Soldier Dear Unknown".

In 2012, Gall also recorded and released an album called Knitting All the Day, which contains the knitting songs she used in the show. You can listen to samples of each song and purchase the CD itself at CDBaby.