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.

Cast On Winter 2019-2020: A Review

Today we're going to have a look at designs in the Winter 2019-2020 issue of Cast On.

Buttoned Up Rib Pillow. This is a machine knitting pattern, though it could easily be made manually. While I like the tartan stripe and the beaded and ribboned lace flap in themselves, I'm finding the combination of all these elements a little too fussy, but of course one could always omit whatever detail(s) one thought was too much.

Cable Panel Skirt. Knitted skirts have a most unfortunate tendency to be dowdy, and I'm afraid this one might be one such. I'd want to see this design on an actual person before I ventured to make it.

Calypso's Crescent. This is pretty enough, though there are more interesting and sophisticated colour choices for it.

Caret Tunic. Not bad for a warm, comfortable, "live in while around home during winter" sweater, but I'm not sure I care for those very long side vents, and I suspect the presence of a mullet hem.

Color Joy Mittens. These would be good stash busters.

Davos. A classic and very attractive turtleneck. That collar sits well and the shaping is good.

Entrelac Neck Pillow. This looks the kind of awkward little misfit cushion all the other sofa throw cushions would make fun of and ostracize.

Faux Pleat Skirt. This skirt has really nice lines and hangs so well. It deserved more elegant buttons than these.

Keyholes Scarf. I rather like the design, but the colourway is more than a little retina-searing.

Lily Armenian Sweater. The combination of triangles/argyle-like patterns and lilies is such an odd mish-mash of motifs that the resulting sweater just looks a bit bizarre.

Lily of the Valley. Not bad. I think it would need to be worn over a top if made in wool, unless one knitted it in cotton for summer.

Muscle T-shirt. This designed to be a form-fitting top for men, but I can't quite imagine any of the men I know being willing to wear such a thing. Admittedly, there is a sad lack of fashion-forward and ripped men in my life.

Pleated Lace Cardigan. Very attractive piece. That back pleat detail is quite striking.

Quinn. This is a combination of brioche and entrelac technique, so if you like a technical challenge and the fun out of picking out an interesting colourway, this could be the project for you.

Reversible Knitweave Placemat Set. These look like they came from a trendy homewares store and will give your table that expensive artsy bohemian look.

S'mores Cowl. Lovely -- both the design and that soft, subtle colourway are pleasing.

Slip Stitch "Cable" Hat. Nice! I like the polished look of the slipped stitch band, which is a cut above the typical ribbing.

Square Buttoned Entrelac Pillow. I don't care for this -- it has such a crude, slapped-together look -- but I might as well admit I'm not a fan of entrelac in general, because it does have a strong tendency to look that way.

Super Bingo Top. This pullover is pretty blah and shapeless. To be fair, it would probably look a bit better on a model it actually fit, but it's hardly anything to write home about.

Tessera Cowl. Attractive and even somewhat eye-catching.

Triangular Shawl. This is quite an exquisite piece of work, and looks like something that belongs on one of the Brontë heroines. I don't think I could make it work with my wardrobe, but I'm sure there are women out there who love a little flavour of mid-Victoriana in their accessories. Pro-tip: if you should make this for yourself and meet up with a Rochester or a Heathcliff while wearing it, keep looking. You can do better.