Creative Knitting Summer 2018: A Review

Creative Knitting has released their Summer 2018 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Donna Pullover. Some really interesting stitchwork in this -- note how the cables in the sidepanels on the front are diagonal. The dull oatmeal colour of this yarn does not do this pattern justice.

Maureen Pullover. Quite pretty and wearable.

Sandra Cardigan. I can't quite get past the "beach blanket with sleeves" vibe of this one.

Wendy Cardigan. Not bad. It sits well and has decent shaping.

Angela Tee. I'm liking the lace on the bottom, and the neckline, but that front pleat does not do this design any favours -- it gives the shape a dowdy look.

Cecilia Headwrap/Shawl. This shawl is as simple as it gets. The fun variegated yarn used on this sample can pretty much carry it, but I'd still pick a design with a little telling detail rather than this one.

Sylvia Shawl. Beautiful lacework in this one, and that is one gorgeous yarn. It's Hedgehog Fibres Silk/Merino Lace, and it looks beautifully soft and luscious.

Yvonne Vest. Not bad. Wrap style designs tend to be tricky to get right, but this one sits pretty well.

Baby Turtleback. Adorable. Sometimes a non-knitted embellishment, such as the chiffon ribbon used here, adds a lot to a design.

Cotton Candy. This is one I wouldn't do in a variegated yarn, as it makes difficult to see and appreciate the lacework in the skirt and gives the outfit a busy, fussy look.

My Only Sunshine. This has a crude, unattractive look. The only nice thing I can about this one is that I like the idea of a child's jumper with an accompanying knitted toy for the pocket.

Bertram Tank. Not bad. I like the chevron pattern in the body. I would add some sort of edging to the neck and armhole edges as they look a little unfinished as is.

Cyril Ruana. Big drapey wraps like this are not normally my thing, but there's no denying this is an impressively high-impact piece.

Joanna Shawl. There are more carefully finished striped shawl patterns out there. I'd go with one of them rather than this one.

Nigel Shawl. A fun and attractive mitred square shawl.

Interweave Knits Spring 2018: A Review

Interweave Knits has released its Spring 2018 issue, and it's a very solid effort from them. Let's have a look at it.

Bergen Peak Pullover. Very much like this one. I might make that cabled yoke a little shorter in order to raise the Fair Isle bands, as this sweater has a slightly top-heavy, disproportionate look as is.

Bronson Rock Pullover. I'm loving the gansey stitchwork on the body of this. I'm not sure I'm sold on the contrast sleeve effect, though. I think I might use two colours that worked together better, such as a solid yarn for the body and a coordinating variegated yarn for the sleeves, and/or work the collar in the sleeve colour.

Clear Creek Cardigan. Classic cabled cardigan.

Compass Rose Pullover. This one garnered an, "Oooh, love that!" from me when I first saw it. The chart work on the front and back is very strikingly attractive, the shaping is good, and the ribbed detail at the sides and neck gives the sweater a finished look. This design would have been my pick for the cover design, rather than the classic but comparatively dull cardigan above.

Dual Sport Pullover. Not a bad contemporary take on the classic chevron design.

Elk Meadow Pullover. Very nice! This would be a fun sweater to pick out the colourway for, because one could go for a subtle, muted look as has been done here, or something crisp or bold.

Evergreen Mountain Pullover. Some beautiful stitchwork in the front of this pullover. It does have a mullet hem, but that's easily fixed if you feel the way I do about mullet hems.

Genesee Mountain Poncho. Fantastic stitchwork in this capelet, and it sits so well. Very nice work!

Kittredge Wrapper. I'm not a fan of this one, which has a sloppy, unfinished look.

Open Road Vest. This would be quite a useful piece for spring and summer because it can be either layered or worn alone. This design makes good use of a nubby yarn.

Saddleback Mountain Cardigan. Love the colorwork design of this one, which has the look of an Arts & Crafts wallpaper. I'm liking the flat, wide collar too -- it's something a bit fresher and more contemporary than the expected shawl collar or narrow bands.





Scoot Jacket. This jacket sits quite well in the back but quite poorly in the front.

Squaw Mountain Pullover. Far be it from me to claim to know the mind of a man, but I think most men would be perfectly happy with this pullover, which is perfectly attractive and wearable.

Straightaway Cardigan. Very much like the combination garter stitch and brioche stitch used here, but I can't help wanting to fix the dropped shoulders and neaten up the fit on this cardigan.

Throttle Moto Jacket. Motorcycle jacket-like styles often don't translate too well into knitwear because yarn is far softer, drapier medium than leather, but this designer has managed to rise to the challenge and create a linen stitch piece that both sits well and has a rather smart and very unique tweedy look.

Torque Hat. The hat design is good, but I can't say I think that leather snap detail works. The leather snap looks as though it wandered off the model's jacket during a photo shoot break, got stuck on her hat, and couldn't get back where it belong again. I'd use some other kind of buckle or snap closure.

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.