Twist Collective March 2018: A Review

In today's post, we're going to have a look at Twist Collective's March 2018 issue.

Rainier. This design has a detailed back, a plain front, and garter stitch side seams. And a mullet hem, but for some reason I'm not as ready to advise fixing it as I generally do. (I hope this doesn't mean that I'm softening on mullets in general, because that is one treacherously slippery slope.) This is overall a very decent, polished design.

Lusca. This shawl is both delicately pretty and visually interesting.

Verden. A classic cable and lace pullover with a very slight mullet hem.

Ninfa. This is quite a pretty and intricately stitched cowl.

Gramercy Park. Quite a pretty summer sweater. The lace work is really lovely.

Trinket. I like the alternating diagonal lace and garter stitch panels in this scarf, which gives it a contemporary feel.





Maida. The front view isn't bad, but the back does have an unfortunate patched-together look.

Inachis. Another cable and lace effort. It's not bad. It's a little small on this model, which is detracting a bit. Good fit is so important.

Birdwatcher. Love this mitts and cowl set, with its elegant and fanciful birds and tree branch design. This would have been my pick for the cover design.

Farnia. Not too taken with this one. I'm not a fan of the "edge loop" buttonhole style, because the side edges tend to pull apart (as they are doing here), which makes the sweater look too small on its wearer. I also don't tend to like the rolled edge effect on necklines and sleeves and hems, because it looks unfinished. The stitchwork around the bottom is quite attractive, but otherwise this cardi looks like it needs some more work.

Barling. This is quite fetching. I'm liking the effect created by the horizontal sleeve and yoke lacework construction, and the simple detailing through the body.

Damhsa. The "candy floss and split pea soup" colourway of this shawl isn't for me, but once I look past that I love the design. Garter stitch tends to have a "beginner project" look and it's always nice to see an accomplished designer turn out a carefully polished and finished garter stitch project. The shaping of this shawl is excellent and it consequently sits and drapes beautifully, the edges are crocheted, and the decorative cable running along the hem is all the detail it needs.

Woodbury. A classic and well-shaped eyelet lace sweater.

Coppice. This is ever so cute. The shaping and stitchwork are all good, and those contrasting buttons really make the look. I'm getting a sudden urge to make a cardi with fun buttons.

Chimera. This one's a bit afghan-y for my liking, but I must admit that this wrap drapes well in all the shots on this design's Ravelry page, that the lacework is very attractive, and that it would be fun to put together a colourway for this project.

Brooksby. This is a pleasant little number. The shaping and stitchwork are good, and the slight flare in the cuffs gives the pullover a bit of verve.





Reveal. Another nice summer cardi, with some inventive cable detailing.

42nd Street. A classic pair of lace and cable socks.

Italic. This is decent, but I can't help thinking a more finished type of edging would have done more for this sweater than these rolled edges.

Knitscene Spring 2018: A Review

Today we're going to have a look at Knitscene's Spring 2018 issue.

Aberdeen Pullover. Not bad for a casual look. I'd fix the dropped shoulders, neaten up the fit a little, and probably add waist shaping.

Bonn Vest. I see beauty in the delicate, diaphanous texture of this piece, but perhaps not wearability given that I have questions about how well it sits. I'm finding it pretty suspect that there isn't a single front view photograph of this design on its Ravelry page, and am inclined to think that this design isn't a flattering vest so much as a beautiful lace curtain with armholes.

Broome Turtleneck Vest. A classic ribbed turtleneck vest given a fresh look with some young, contemporary styling.

Carollton Top. A basic tee. The cropped length won't be for every woman but that's easily corrected.

Cherry Blossom Cardigan. Poor shaping can make the difference between a frumpy cardigan and an attractive one. I'd fix the dropped shoulders on this and neaten up the fit and shaping.





Cotswold Sweater. I like the design twist of putting the beautiful lace work on the back of the sweater, making the front plain, and adding triangular sections of garter stitch. It gives this attractive sweater a touch of the unexpected.

Fullteron Sweater. I'd fix the dropped shoulders on this one, and neaten up the fit a touch.

Heckerling Pullover. I'm liking the texture of this one, and the neckline and raglan sleeves. I'm not a fan of the boxy crop length, but if you would also prefer a more fitted shape and standard length, it would be easy to fix that.

Hillwood Sweatshirt. This is kind of fun in its way. It mimics a kid's sweatshirt but isn't too childish for a grown woman to wear. Ordinarily I'd advise fixing the dropped shoulders, but in this case they kind of work with the colour blocking.

Lea Mills Thermal. This pullover was inspired by thermal undershirts, and I must admit the designer recreated the waffle pattern of a thermal undershirt to good effect, while adding some flattering shape. The result is an attractive and wearable piece.





Midtown Pullover. I quite like this one, with a few minor quibbles: I would make the sleeve stripe some combination of green and light gray rather than merely green; and I would work the v of the v-neck differently so that it doesn't look like it has a run in the centre of it.

Palouse Top. This has such a pretty, airy, graceful effect. I love the shaping and the lacework.

Provence Wrap Sweater. The lines of the wrap effect on this sweater work really well. The seam in the middle of the sleeve is striking me as awkward, but I don't see how one could fix it without interfering with the wrap effect. Instead, I think I might just leave the sleeves elbow length, and finish them off with a rib cuff.

Savannah Pullover. I'm really not liking that unfinished-looking, off-the-shoulder neckline, or the awkward bracelet-length sleeves. I guess I like, um, the lace detail at the bottom?

Verona Top. If you would like a sheer mohair pullover to wear over a pretty camisole or other lingerie-turned-outerwear type top, this isn't bad. I'd fix the dropped shoulders though.

Wilmington Pullover. Knitscene has really gone all out on the boxy crop top designs in this issue. I don't happen to think it's a length that flatters most women, but if you agree, it's easy enough to lengthen a sweater design to the desired length. This is otherwise a quite attractive, classic sweater.

Creative Knitting Spring 2018: A Review

Today we're going to have a look at Creative Knitting's Spring 2018 issue.

Below the Pier. This is a rather attractive piece, but I can't help thinking that given its rectangular shape -- which is an awkward shape for a shawl -- it would look better sized up somewhat and left on a couch.

Buttercup Tunic. Beautiful stitchwork in this, but that enlongated sleeve and body length isn't for every woman. However, it's easy to shorten the pattern to suit the intended wearer.

Cabotage Cardigan. Not a fan of this one. Open front cardigans tend to look too small (and this isn't one of the exceptions) and the rolling edges look unfinished.

Cruising Cowlette. This is a pretty little scarf.

Elland Shawl. This is a beautiful wrap with great shaping and texture.

Everywhere Eyelets. This isn't bad. The asymmetrical panel in the front may be making me a little twitchy, but I'm doing my best to firmly suppress that, as it has a rather offbeat appeal. This sweater would be a fun one to do in a crazy variegated yarn and to wear with jeans.

Hilo Cardigan. This piece, with its smocked-like yoke and cap sleeves, is quite cute. I totally could not carry this look off personally, but it would be adorable on the gamine type who could.

Peach Pullover. A standard tee. This is one to make in an interesting yarn.

Princeville Vest. Not a fan of this one, but I think I might like it better if it were made in a more interesting yarn with a more attractive buckle. It looks a little too plain and sensible this way, and consequently has the effect of some sort of 1920s undergarment, and I'm not talking about the undergarment found on the kind of twenties-era girl who danced the Charleston and carried a flask in one of her garters.

Scarlet Skies. Not bad. Both shaping and stitchwork are good.

Shifting Cypress. Beautiful lacework in this.

Skygate Stole. Love the gradient colour used here, and the stitchwork is lovely, but I do wish the designer had gone with another shape than rectangular.

Smooth Sailing Shawl. This is kind of fun in an offbeat way. I can't help thinking the shawl didn't get the best styling here, and isn't being shown to advantage.

Temple Valley Vest. I'm not a fan of these long, draped, trailing vests. They're impractical and don't tend to be too flattering. Even this professional model isn't quite working this carefully styled and posed look.

Topsail Tee. I'm quite liking the fan motif on the yoke, and the shaping isn't bad, but I would add some sort of trim to the sleeves and neckline to make them look finished. That neckline looks positively ragged.

Waterdrop Pullover. Good shaping and finishing, and I like that this designer did something new with the eyelet pattern by giving the eyelets a teardrop shape.