Vogue Knitting Late Winter 2020: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released their Late Winter 2020 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

#01, Overlapping Patches. When I saw the preview photo for this design on the VK website, I thought how much it looked like a Kaffe Fassett pattern. And then, upon viewing its Ravelry page, I learned it was in fact a Kaffe Fassett piece. His aesthetic is as distinctive as a fingerprint. The quilt-like design is a fun direction for knitting, and his colourway is masterful as always.

#02, Sunday Brunch. A very decent casual, relaxed piece. The collar sits well.

#03, Tea Time. The cardigan's nice, but I'm not sure how I feel about the combination of the (attached) collar and the standard v-neck of the cardigan. It looks a bit silly to me, but then it is a new look, and sometimes I mellow (or simply get worn down) on a new look that I disliked at first after I have had time to get used to them.

#04, Cocktail Hour. No need for me to mellow on this look -- I love it and would totally wear it myself. It makes me think of Joan Holloway's dictum of 1960, "Men like scarves." (For the record, I don't think men do find scarves an especial draw on women, and that 15-20 years later a more liberated Joan Holloway Harris would put it, "I like scarves.")

#05, Striped Pullover. This is an interesting and smart contemporary look. While I'm prone to suggest neatening up the fit/shape of designs, in this case I wouldn't, as I think this is a design that requires a loose shape and geometric lines.

#06, Fluo Flow. This one verges on afghan territory, but I think it remains just within bounds of wearing apparel. I rather like the way they've styled it.

#07, Ringwald. A classic open front cardigan.

#08, Ice Pop. I love the tartan pattern, but I would correct the dropped shoulders. I'm not crazy about the colourway, but then few knitters use the sample colours/yarn anyway. Picking out colours you love is part of the fun of knitting your own pieces.

#09, Vibes. Not bad. I won't suggest fixing the dropped shoulders, because I think that the lines of the brioche stitchwork make them work in this case, but I would suggest a new colourway, as this one is a little retina-searing.

#10, Geode. Very much like this one, with its striking abstract yoke detail.

#11, Gamine. Comfy "around home" sweater.

#12, Kyoto. This cowl is essentially a lovely sampler of knitting patterns. It looks better worn double than in "deflated inner tub" style, of course, but I've used this photo so you can see the stitchwork in it.

#15, Lady Susan. This collar is a lovely thing in itself, but I am not sure how one would actually wear it. I don't like the way it's styled here -- I think a crewneck sweater would pair better with this collar.

#16, Wentworth. With the last pattern ("Lady Susan"), we entered a Jane Austen category of design, in which the aesthetic takes a turn for the antique. The stitchwork on this capelet is beautiful, and it will add a touch of period drama to a classic outfit.

#17, Miss Bingley. This looks like one of the lesser designs in Knit Simple. Poor Caroline Bingley not only did not succeed in attracting Mr. Darcy, but must needs be saddled with... this.

#18, Morland. Love this one. It's both handsome and practical.

Neutral Gear Cabled Turtleneck. This a "from the archives" design, originally published in the 2002 special men's issue. It's classic menswear.

Lattice Cabled. Another reprint, this time from the Holiday 1986 issue. It's aged just as well as the previous pattern, which is to say -- not at all. But then that's menswear for you.

Noro Magazine Fall/Winter 2019: A Review

Today we're going to have a look at Noro Magazine's Fall/Winter 2019 issue.

#01, Rambler Ruana. This would be fine if it came anywhere close to fitting properly. This model looks like a little girl who's playing dress-up in her mother's clothes.

#02, Turtleneck Pullover. This is better -- it's oversized, but not ridiculously so, and the shaping and cable detailing is good. I'd just fix the dropped shoulders.

#03, Open Cardigan. Love the colourful stripe pattern, but would neaten up the fit considerably.

#04, Long Cardigan. This isn't so bad aesthetically speaking, but I can't imagine wearing something like this. It would be constantly getting into everything and catching on things.

#05, Center-Cable Pullover. I like this one on the whole, but that centre cable does have a slightly not-quite-working look. I think what I would do is work five or six cable repeats, instead of only four. Then there wouldn't be those long uncabled stretches at the bottom and top, which look as though the cable is reaching out its strands to strangle the wearer.

#06, Gradient Cable Pullover. I wouldn't change a thing about this design.

#07, Eyelet Wrap. This isn't a bad piece, but I can't get away from the feeling that it would look better on a couch than on a person.

#08, Tabard-Style Turtleneck. I like this piece in the main, but I can't say I think those sad, skimpy ties at the side are working, visually speaking. I'd attach some actual buttoned tabs, or make a belt for it, or contrive some other sort of fastening that has a bit more polish.

#09, Two-Direction Poncho. This normally wouldn't be at all my kind of design, but I kind of like it. The yarn and the stitchwork are pleasing, and the shaping/size is restrained enough that it wouldn't be a pain to wear.

#10, Pointed Poncho. I'm a hard sell on a poncho at the best of times, but I just cannot even with this mutant poncho. It's so bad that the stylists clearly decided, "Fuck it, let's just dress this model like a clown with an MBA in circus administration." Even the poor model's expression is all, "Look, I'm doing my best here under the circumstances by making sure you can see the one nice thing I've been given to wear for this shoot. JUST LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL RING."

#11, Poncho. Cutting a hole in the centre of an afghan and knitting a ribbed turtleneck into it does not an attractive or practical item of wearing apparel make.

#12, Wave Pattern Poncho. Love the undulating lines of colour in this piece. It would look nice on a couch.

#13, Fiesta Scarf. This is a lovely lace and cable stole that did not need to be tarted up with both pom poms and tassels. (Of the two, I'd ditch the pom poms.)

#14, Wavy Triangle Shawl. An understated, contemporary take on the shawl that will work well with many a modern outfit. Very nice!

#15, Slouchy Hat. Pretty decent cap. I like the vivid play of colour in it.

#16, Cowl. Not bad. The design is dead simple but workable, and the colours would brighten up a neutral outfit.

#17, Hat and Fingerless Mitts. Nice stitchwork and perfect shaping, and the yarn is attractive.

#18, Slip Stitch Cowl. This is rather a nice little piece. I admire the designer's eye for colour. I'm not sure I would ever have thought of pairing a dark coral with a variegated blend of purples, turquoise, lime, and fuchsia, but it works.

#19, Short-Row Shawl. This one is essentially a piece of wearable contemporary art.

#20, Rectangular Shawl. A handsome, classic piece.

#21, A-Line Pullover. This one is a very wearable nice-looking piece. The yarn and the use of stockinette, reverse stockinette, and garter trim give it all the visual interest and polish it needs. It's oversized but not sloppily so, and look, the shoulder seam is in exactly the right place.

#22, Cable Rib Pullover. Love the yarn and the stitchwork, but I'd shorten up the sleeves, neaten up the fit, and add a little waist shaping. This looks a bit dumpy and boxy as is.

#23, Hat. A nice, simple little cap.

#24, Asymmetrical Pullover. LOVE the fun colourway here, and I like the asymmetrically pieced design. I would raise the dropped shoulder and neaten up the fit somewhat.

#25, Stockinette Vest. Not a bad piece at all, but I'm not sure I like the ribbing that runs down the sides, and according to the description, forms the back neckband. I wish there were side- and back-view photos provided.

#26, Fingerless Mitts. These aren't hard to look at, but I'm not sure I would like those bands of garter stitch around my hands -- I think I might find them awkwardly bulky.

#27, Cowl-Neck Pullover. I don't like the sit of the cowl neck and the sleeves are too short -- this sweater looks less like it was designed to be the way it was than it appears to be the result of several technical mistakes.

#28, Textured Vest. Not a bad open front vest -- it sits well.

#29, Horizontal Cable Cardi. Handsome and wearable. I would just fix the dropped shoulders.

#30, Textured Panel Pullover. Not bad, though I'm not quite satisfied with the sit of that neckline. I might rework the neckline, and I would add a little waist shaping.

#31 Poncho/Shawl. The play of colour over the stockinette stitch is attractive, but this style of wrap has never made much sense to me -- such pieces tend to look like an unfinished project.

Pom Pom Quarterly Spring 2020: A Review

Today we're going to have a look at it Pom Pom Quarterly's Spring 2020 issue.

Aloft. This photo isn't without a certain charm -- it's hard to resist that model's smile -- but the actual design, with its dropped shoulders, cropped length, oversized fit, and baggy sleeves, will be tremendously unflattering on nearly any woman.

Aperature. A very pretty light shawl.

Aubade. The yoke detailing is gorgeous and I love the way it's combined with stripes, but the cropped length combined with the baggy fit does the design no favours. I'd make this pattern in a standard length and fit.

Cairie. Pretty decent eyelet pullover, but I would fix the dropped shoulders.

Chapman. This shawl verges on granny afghan, but somehow it's basically working in a kind of hip, offbeat way. I can imagine a certain kind of young woman carrying this accessory off just as the model is doing.

Lacuna. The lace pattern is very attractive, but the shaping is awful. God, those stumpy little sleeves, the mullet hem, the general bagginess of the thing -- it's so unflattering on the model.

Niebla. I rather like this one. I like the contrast between the detailed yoke, snug cuff, and hem done in a matte yarn, and the soft body and puffy sleeves in a mohair-silk yarn. I would just lengthen it somewhat -- cropped lengths tend to be unflattering.

Solasta. I'd neaten up the fit of this and nix that mullet hem and long side vent, but I can't help liking the sorbet-coloured yarns used here.

Susurrus. This pullover, with its bands of merino silk lace and mohair stockinette, is very pretty.

Vayu. This latticed crocheted shawl is an interesting and attractive contemporary take on the lace shawl, with its linear rather than curved lines.