Can't say I particularly care for Pattern #01, Clutch Bag. It's a clumsy shape and the yarn used isn't particularly attractive.
Pattern #02, Cushion. It's stretching the term to call this a pattern. Patterns are supposed to require some effort to write.
Pattern #03, Polo Neck Poncho. I'm no friend of the poncho, but I actually kind of like this one. The neck is good, the stitchwork is sharp, and it looks to me like those sides are stitched together at the bottom, which would keep this item in place.
Pattern #04, Tunic Sweater. I'm trying to figure out what that design on the front of this tunic is supposed to be: building or wine bottle? And I have another question: statement on the role alcohol plays in modern urban life, or bad design?
Quite like Pattern #05, Lacework Hat. It has an interesting shape and great texture.
Pattern #06, Teddy Jacket. I don't care for this one. Those lacework sleeves just don't work with the casual, sporty style or the bouclé body of the jacket.
Pattern #08, Pullover. And I thought some of the trendy patterns from the eighties were bad.
Pattern #07, Crochet Hat. This isn't much of a design and looks a bit cobbled together, but I suppose it is the kind of thing that will look cute and sporty on someone young and cute.
Pattern #09, Sports bag. This isn't a bad crocheted gym bag, though I wonder how it'll hold its shape when it's stuffed with the kind of things gym bags hold. My guess is it's been filled with tissue paper for this photo.
Pattern #10, Pocket cushion. The concept here is that one is supposed to use this cushion as a handy place to put the remote and reading materials, and it's not a bad idea at all, especially if your living room is too small to allow for a coffee table or end tables as mine is, but I keep thinking I'd forget there were non-cuddly objects in there and try to snuggle with the pillow only to have some part of me make painful contact with the remote. I hope this pattern includes charts for every letter of the alphabet so anyone who knits this can use their initial.
Pattern #11, iPod tidy. Don't care for this one. Bergere de France was aiming for a trompe-l'oeil effect here as per the famous Schiaparelli bowknot sweater, and didn't achieve it because the execution is just too thrown together and amateurish looking.
Pattern #12, iPod armband. If you must wear an iPod armband, I suppose this isn't worse looking than the usual commercially made iPod armbands.
Pattern #13, Striped Hat. Not a bad simple striped hat.
Pattern #14, Scarf. Quite like this scarf, which would be very easy to make and yet has some interest and sophistication. It's a beginner project that doesn't look like a beginner project.
Pattern #15, Teddy Jacket. This one isn't bad except for the pockets, which are focus-pulling, but not in a good way, because all I can do is stare at them and think about how out of place they look. I'd make the pockets in the charcoal colour and just trim them with a stripe or two.
Pattern #16, Snood. This snood, which I would tend to call a cowl, is really quite delicately beautiful. But I would advise women against wearing it with a sweatshirt and a huge fur cap. Bergère de France's idea of chic and edgy is not universal, I promise.
Pattern #17, Drawstring Bag. I thought this wasn't a bad bag when I saw it by itself, and was only going to say I'd leave off the lettering, or at least use another "word". ("Brr" being a sound effect rather than a word.) But then I saw how big the bag is. Drawstring bags really only look good when they're small. Enlarge them like this and they look like you're on your way to the bowling alley with your friends Myrtle, Velma, and Gladys.
Pattern #18, Long Hooded Jacket. For a minute there I thought my monitor needed cleaning. No, those are little multi-coloured bobbles deliberately yet randomly knitted into this otherwise inoffensive design. For those winter days when you want to look like a great big dollop of ice cream with candy sprinkles on it. If, like me, you have never had one of those days, the bobbles can be omitted.
Pattern #19, Rug. I don't know why there needs to be a pattern for something this incredibly basic.
Pattern #20, Long Sweater. I quite like the allover cable design on this one. This design is definitely one that will need to be tweaked for flattery though. I'd definitely raise the dropped shoulders and make the length to suit the wearer.
Oh lord. Pattern #21, Hooded Scarf is a trainwreck wrapped in an identity crisis. Scarves should have neither hoods nor pockets, and if they insist on having them they could at least not be so... baggy and sloppy about it.
Pattern #22, Hot Water Bottle Cover. This fair isle pattern and the colour combination used for it is really pretty. If you think your hot water bottle needs a sweater, you could do worse than this.
Pattern #23, Legwarmers. These legwarmers are quite pretty too. I will say I'm glad to see this fair isle pattern wasn't wasted on that... thing... a few patterns up.
Pattern #24, Cushion. Quite like this pattern, which is a simple yet sophisticated take on the basic striped pillow.
Pattern #25, Crochet Cushion. I'd like this pattern much better if it were knitted. I could say that of every crochet pattern of course, but here it seems warranted because the bands between the faux fur bands would look better if they weren't so textured. Stockinette stitch interstices would be a less noisy, less competing look, which is desirable here when the fur gives the cushion all the interest it needs.
Pattern #26, Cushion. This isn't bad, I suppose, objectively speaking. Though personally I don't care for it as the way the light hits this cushion makes me feel like I'm looking into the crocheted version of a strobe light.
The second half of this Bergère de France review will be up tomorrow morning.
