Ta Douleur et Ton Tricoter

In this 2005 video for French singer Camille's song "Ta Douleur" ("Your Pain"), Camille is provided with her onscreen wardrobe by some helpful animated knitting. If you don't speak French, you can find an English translation of the lyrics for "Ta Douleur" here.

Please be warned that this video is possibly not safe for at work viewing.

Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2014: A Review

Vogue Knitting has released its Early Fall 2014 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Pattern #1 Cropped Cardigan. This is very pretty and has some interesting detailing. The cropped length won't be for everyone, but it can be lengthened.

Pattern #2, Open Front Cardigan. Another very pretty cardigan with beautiful lacework and careful finishing. I'm not crazy about the way the front edges look so tacked together at the top. I'd be tempted to add three buttons, or button it all the way down.

Pattern #3, Cropped Cardigan. Not too taken with this one. The tri-colour combination (which doesn't work all that well together) and those randomly tacked-on leaves present as gimmicky rather than as integrated design components.

Pattern #4, Herringbone Cardigan. Oooh, love this one, which is elegant and classic. Though I'd ditch the varied length and split hems at the side.

Pattern #5, Waterfall Cardigan. This design looks okay worn fastened shut with a shawl pin in the VK360° video, but as you can see from the photo above, leaving it open is not going to do any woman any favours. Sweaters simply aren't meant to billow around one. I'd pass on this one, because having to wear it pinned shut at all times is too limiting and that back seam does look rather rough.

Pattern #6, Hip-Length Cardigan. Another lovely, classic piece.

Pattern #7, Scoop-Neck Pullover. I like this sweater except for those tacked-on crochet chains. They look too, well, tacked on. I'd knit vertical intarsia chains into this sweater instead.

Pattern #8, Fitted Waistcoat. This item is a beautiful piece of work... but I am having a difficult time imagining too many of the men of my acquaintance wearing it.

Pattern #9 is a tartan bow tie. It's well-designed, but again, not a piece that will appeal to a broad cross-section of men. I'm thinking the hipster or flamboyant types will go for it and carry it off well.

Pattern #10 is another bow tie. I don't like this one as well as the tartan tie — the shape isn't as good.

Pattern #11 is a straight tie. I quite like this item and think many of the men I know would willingly wear it.

Patterns #12-16 are represented in this collection of men's socks. I do like these socks... but for me. I'm not too sure most men would voluntarily wear any of these other than the charcoal and red hound's tooth pair.

Pattern #17, Long-Sleeved Pullover. I was all set to give this one a negative review until I saw the VK360° video, and saw that this sweater hangs very well when it's not being pulled about by its wearer. It must be worn over something else, of course, but this is an effective way to show an underlying pop of colour.

Pattern #18 is a lace vest. It's a solid piece of design with good shaping and an attractive texture.

Pattern #19, Butterfly Lace. This is a good piece too. The lace pattern is something different and the shaping is good. I like that the designer went for a solid sleeve and shoulder. I've yet to see the pair of armpits that cried out for showcasing.

Pattern #20, Graphic Top. Not too taken with this one. It does have a certain appealing sportiness, but it also looks a little shapeless and lumpy.

Pattern #21, Cap Sleeve Top. Oooh, I really like this one, with its clever, fresh use of colour and stripes. It looks like it got where the previous design was trying to go because it has the same sporty appeal as well as some added sophistication and polish.

Pattern #22, Striped Pullover. This is a pretty basic and traditional striped sweater. It's fine, but I would maybe go with a less standard colourway than red, white, and blue to give it a little more interest. And this is quite a beach-y collection of sweaters for an early fall issue.

Pattern #23, Button-Back Sweater. This one is a little different, but in a way that works. Texture and shape are good and the curved pockets and back buttons are an interesting detail. This sweater is comfortable enough to be worn around home and stylish enough to be worn outside the home.

Pattern #24, Dolman Top. This looks... very eighties, both in terms of its mesh and shape. But it's not a bad piece and as long as you don't knit it in some Day-Glo colour, you won't have people asking where you parked your DeLorean.

Pattern #25, Reversible Wrap. Here we have the cover look. I'm not that impressed with it. It looks like it belongs on a couch.

Pattern #26, Cabled V-Neck Pullover. This is a classic piece. The designer has gone a little bolder with the cables than is usual, which was a good call as it gives it a more modern feel.

Pattern #27, Cabled Long Sleeve Turtleneck. Here's the long-sleeved, turtlenecked version of the sweater just above. The designer has added a turtleneck and sleeve cabling that work well with the proportions of the design.

Pattern #28, Garter Stitch Tank. Not liking this one. It has a crude and unfinished look to it.

Pattern #29, Drop Shoulder Pullover. This pullover version of the tank above is a slight improvement. The sleeves seem to balance it out a little and the yarn choice adds a little interest.

Pattern #30, Crew-Neck Pullover. Very much like this one. That centre panel is distinctive and carrying out the panel theme on the sleeves was a sound idea. For a solid tone pullover that can be worn anywhere, this piece has a lot of subtle visual interest.

Pattern #31, Sleeveless Shell. Not as pleased with this one, but I think it's the yarn choice. The stitchwork is getting lost in that slubbed texture yarn. A smooth yarn would have been a better choice.

Knitty First Fall 2014: A Review

This year, out of all the knitting magazines I review, Knitty was first out of the gate with a autumnal issue. Let's have a look at Knitty Issue 48, First Fall 2014.

This is the Indigo Cones design. It's attractive and wearable and should whip up quite quickly and easily.

The Arlen cowl has good texture and would be a good way to showcase a beautiful hand-dyed yarn.

The Bloc Party cardigan. Oh, I very much like this one. This cardigan is sharp and professionally finished and yet so simple and wearable and not all that difficult to knit. This is one of those designs in which colour blocking has been done right, which is more rarely found than you might expect.

The Dreaming of Ankhesenamun cowl. Not so pleased with this one. The colourway and the design both look a little on the crude side.

The Vermilion Cliffs cardigan is a lovely piece of work. The shape is good, the texture is excellent. One minor quibble, though, is that I would have placed the top button at the top of the front ribbon band. That little open part looks more like a mistake than a design decision.

The Katie cowl. I'm not too enthusiastic about this one. It's just too basic a piece to even seem like a design.

The Briar mittens. These aren't bad at all. It's the colourwork that gives this very basic mittens design a bit of sophistication.

The Carry on Solefully socks. I like these. They've got a very original look and an inventive construction.

The Double Take Shrug. I'm divided on this design. It looks good from the back and the side, but so unflattering from the front. I'd make the front somewhat longer and the sleeves shorter.

The Snowfence Scarf and Cowl. Love this one — the texture is awesome.

The Hidden Gussets Mitts. Not all that taken with these. They're pretty basic. I think using a really beautiful yarn, such as a hand-dyed mohair, would turn them into something special.

The Planorbis Corneus socks. Quite a cute pair of cabled ankle socks.

The Jasseron pullover. Hmm. I like the concept and shaping, but not in this colourway, which is too flat and looks too much like baseball t-shirt styling to work with this pretty design. That's so easily changed, though.

The I Can Knit a Rainbow toy. I would want to size this up and make it into a cushion, because I can't imagine what a child would do with a rainbow toy. Rainbows don't have interesting adventures. It's not like a rainbow ever held a tea party or saved the world from an arch villain.

The Pat Hat, named for Julia Sweeney's Saturday Night Live sketch character, the puzzlingly androgynous Pat, is a witty solution to the old "what do I take to a baby shower when the parents haven't revealed the gender yet" dilemma. Also, it's very cute.

The Reverso socks can be worn inside out or in. Very clever and should save the wearer laundry turning time.

The Rhaeadr Shawl is a very attractive piece. Love the texture and the edging.

The Grantangle shawl employs the crochet stitch used for the ubiquitous granny square. I can't say I care for it. This stitch is just so intrinsically dated.

Delaware is for Cables hat. Standard cabled hat. I think it needs the pom pom or a tassel to give it a little more interest.

Franklin Habit restyles an 1847 pattern for a knitted flower into the Heart's Ease Boutonnière and muses about the frustrations entailed in writing about knitting history in the article that accompanies the pattern.