Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54: A Review, Part 2

Today's post is the second half to the review of Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54, the first half having been posted yesterday.

I rather like the Rya pattern, which has an interesting stripe pattern, a unique colourway, and is well-constructed. But with those stripes extending from arm to arm, this isn't going to be a very flattering item to wear. Notice how they don't show a full frontal shot of the model?

I'm not really sure the Milas pattern quite works. That deep v-neck invaded the chest stripe and so needed something to balance out the effect, but I'm not at all sure the collar's doing that. And the scarf worn Ascot-style isn't a good idea. I think what I would do with this item is leave the collar off, knit the entire top of the sleeves and the front and back in the second colour rather than just making it a stripe, and pair it with a t-shirt. Deep v-neck sweaters on men calls for layering so we don't see too much skin (or chest hair) there. Sorry, guys, but though your manly bare chests are welcome at the beach or in a backyard or the bedroom, they don't play well in low-cut neckline peepshows.

The Marash pattern isn't bad at all, but I think the colourway could be better.

This is the Kilim Wrap pattern, by Kaffe Fassett. I wish Rowan had shown us a full frontal view, as I find it hard to assess how this flatters the wearer. The pattern and colourway are as beautiful as they always are in Kaffe Fassett designs, but this does look a little bulky. I'd say if you want to make this for yourself to make sure the proportions are right for your figure.

The wrap front on the Izmir design looks bulky and rumpled even on the model, but that pale, subtle Harlequin pattern is quite remarkable. I'd be inclined to forego the wrap style and use the pattern charts to make a basic v-neck or turtleneck.

In any other designer's hands, the Kashmir Scarf Wrap would look exactly like an afghan with delusions of being a wrap. But if anyone could turn the ripple pattern into a clothing item, it's Kaffe Fassett. The sophisticated colourway, the use of mohair, which helps blend and soften the colours, the addition of a twisted cord motif to the ripples, and especially the belt really help make this look like a wrap. It's still not going to be a look for everyone, but then those who like it but can't wear it can always use the pattern to make, well, an afghan.

The Madame Butterfly is the second pattern in this issue which has employed the waistline tie effect, and I just can't agree that it's a workable gimmick. It makes the waistline look bulky and bunchy.

The Bizet has a lot going for it. The brocade pattern is lovely, the cuffs are such a nice touch and that collar sits just so perfectly. But I do have my concerns: the description mentions a back pleat panel detail that I wish had been shown to us, and I don't know how flattering this sweater would look in a full frontal view because it does appear to be pulling up and flaring out in the front. However, these are things that can be fixed if they do prove to be an actual problem.

The Vivaldi pattern has something different. I've always admired a wrapped neckline in blouses and dresses, but I don't think I've ever seen it in a sweater. I wonder if it could be an alternative to the turtleneck for those of us who look terrible in turtlenecks?

The Silla pattern is another design that imitates a classic blouse style: the blouse with a lace yoke and sleeves. I like the concept very much, but don't think this execution quite works — the lace components look just look a little too heavy and overbearing for the body of the sweater. Different yarn choices might make this work (gorgeous as these yarns are).

The Juliet design is a third blouse-translated-into-knitwear example (and technically into crochet too, as that middle panel is crocheted). I like this one quite a lot. It has the elegance and formality of a blouse but the comfort and warmth of a sweater.

The Rameau Wrap is a basic but nice shawl pattern.

The Corelli jacket is very nice (love that collar!), though the bagginess around the waist does concern me a little and there's a buttoned back detail not shown here. I wish there were a better pictures available that showed more detail.

I've been waiting to get to the Berenice Wrap, which is the cover look for this issue. It's a really lovely stole, with such an elegant and luxurious air.

The La Scale is another beautifully detailed jacket. I do have my worries about that one-button style — upper body wear that stands away from the midsection just doesn't tend to be flattering, but again it's hard to tell how it's going to look from this picture, and a pleated skirt and loose-fitting top were not the right items to pair with this jacket.

I very much like the Verdi pattern, but man does that tapestry-like panel begin in an unflattering place. I'd take enough rows out of it to keep it completely away from the bustline, but even then if you don't like emphasizing your waistline, this is a design to stay away from.

I love the La Boheme pattern, but I would want to fix those dropped shoulders. I know they're supposed to be a design elements but I just don't think dropped shoulder sweaters ever work on women unless they're otherwise sleeveless.

The Salome design would be pretty hanging on a hanger, but the reality is that there are very few women who would be able to carry off all those bulky ruffles at the waistline. I'd omit the top two and just leave in the one around the bottom.

The pattern on the Aida design is attractive, but I do think this pattern needs some reshaping because it would make most women look dumpy. Reshaping this top to be a standard fit and shortening the sleeves would give it a definite lift.

Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54: A Review, Part 1

Rowan has published Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54, so let's have a look at the patterns in it. As always, I'll be reviewing half the designs today and the other half tomorrow, as there are always oh-so-many designs in Rowan's magazines. This, of course, is an accomplishment on Rowan's part and great for you the purchaser, but a little bit of a strain for a reviewer.

I initially thought the Crystal pattern was a shawl and was about to review it as a shawl when I realized that this design is a "wrap sweater" — the shawl is actually the collar of the sweater. And I'm not that enthusiastic about that idea. The sweater part looks a little on the shapeless side and the shawl collar is going to add bulk to a woman's front, and she doesn't have the option of just slipping it off, say at lunch, if she's too warm and/or doesn't want to risk spilling soup on it. But that's one gorgeous shade (I do love a soft gray blue) and Kidsilk Haze looks like a beautiful yarn.

The Shannon pattern doesn't even flatter this model and that means bad things for most of the rest of us. The cropped length is always a challenging one to begin with and that wide band of stitchwork through the midsection makes this an impossible item to pull off. If you like the rest of this sweater, lengthen it and perhaps just add a few rows of that textured stitchwork around the bottom or narrow band of it at the waistline.

Oversized collars can be dramatic, such as this one on the Stacy pattern, but oversizing at the hips is just unflattering and sloppy looking. If you want to make this item for yourself, make sure it isn't either too long for your body or too wide for your hips.

The Wendy Wrap looks like an afghan. A nice, textured afghan suitable for an understated comtemporary décor and for snuggling under while reading a book on a stormy afternoon, but an afghan nonetheless, and shawls and afghans should be two distinctly different entities.

The Melissa pattern is a basic but not bland pattern. It has an eye-catching texture and, although I'm not a fan of the cropped sleeve length, in this case it was the right choice because it gives this design the lift it needs. If a crew neck and cropped sleeve length suit you, this is a sweater that will serve you well.

I like the Laura pattern, which has a good shape to it and would be practical and comfortable to wear. Do be aware that given that this item is ribbed and knitted in an Aran weight it will have a bulky look.

The Mary didn't quite get to where it was going, so I'd suggest a couple of tweaks. I think a pattern this graphic doesn't really work in these subdued neutrals and I'd try something sharper and higher contrast. And I'm not crazy about the dropped shoulders on this pattern, but that's easily fixed.

Quite like the Christine pattern! The classic shape really sets off that amazingly well-rendered cheetah on the front. I love that it's in an interesting pose rather than just face to face with us. This is how you do an animal sweater for a grown up who wants to wear an animal sweater without feeling or looking five years old. If the cheetah were my totem animal (and I had enough neck for a turtleneck), I'd be all over this one.

The Sharon sweater isn't without a certain interest, but between the weight of the yarn, the bobbled texture, and the oversized shape, man is this sweater going to be bulky and unflattering. You could reshape it to a standard fit, but contrary to what Meatloaf told us, two out of three can still be pretty bad.

The Sherry design has its good points (the neckline, the crochet edgings, the lace panel in front), but putting those pleats in the front was intended to give the sweater some waist definition and style and succeeded just made the sweater look rucked up around the waist and no less bulky overall. The only way to eliminate bulk at the waistline is to get rid of the extra material at the waistline.

I like the Erin pattern from the front, but the description says there's a "split back opening" and I have no idea what I might be signing off on because there doesn't seem to be a back view photo available, either on this site or on Ravelry. So I'll just say cautiously that I like the front. You'll have the option of making the waistband narrower if you don't like emphasizing your waistline.

I like the Angela design. It's a sweater that will go anywhere and with anything that a standard turtleneck can, but will look like a more interesting choice.

The Holbein sweater reminds me of a sweater in one of my knitting fables posts, the one I made a varicose vein joke about. This one isn't quite so lurid, but I still don't think contrasting cables are a terribly good idea on a man's sweater. This might work if the whole sweater had been knitted in the same colour.

I quite like the Nepal Wrap. The stripe pattern and the colours look really good; they're eye-catching yet neutral at the same time. I am not sure how this wrap stays in place (do the tassels get tied together?) but however it's been put on it works.

The Anatolia design looks a little busy for my tastes. I think doing a Fair Isle with both atypical patterns and atypical colours put it slightly over the top and that perhaps dialing back the colourway while keeping the innovative patterns would make for a more attractive item.

The Ukraine pattern is a good one. It's cropped with a deep waistband, but both of those things can be easily changed to suit the wearer if needed.

I very much like the Armenia pattern, with its delicate floral pattern. But I would consider changing the colourway, specifically the oatmeal background colour, to give it a fresher and more uplifting look.

The Soumak Scarf Wrap is really very striking, if you're the type of person who can carry off a dramatic wrap like this (and can stand to do the constant adjustments). If you're not that person but love the design, buy twice as much yarn as specified in the pattern and make a beautiful afghan.

I think the Bodrum Mens pattern is successful as a design, but that colourway isn't doing it any favours. Warm and cool shades really shouldn't be mixed together. A different and better colourway would take this sweater those extra few miles to the finish line.

I wish I could see what's really going on with the Dhurrie design. It looks like it's essentially a cape with a matching scarf worn over top. I'm not crazy about that concept. Capes can be unflattering as it is; adding another bulky element to it is not going to improve matters. If you want to make this set for yourself, I'd suggest you wear them separately.

Look for part deux of the Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54 review tomorrow morning!

Jackets and Tams: a Selection of Knitting Patterns from 1910-1919

This is the second post in my series on twentieth century patterns (you can read the other existing posts here), and it will cover the years from 1910 to 1919. This post was, as I expected, far easier to write than the post on knitting patterns from the years 1900 to 1909. There were far more patterns available for the time period and they are far more wearable by today's standards. In the second decade of the twentieth century women began wearing sweaters instead of sacques and shawls, their hemlines rose from the ground, and their hats evolved from the bonnets and towering confections of the past decades into the simple shapes and tams that have never really been out of style since. I was still not able to find any menswear that I cared to include in this post. I did see lots of sweater men's patterns, but they were either really basic items that are readily available, or so very conservative and plain in style that I couldn't imagine any contemporary men wanting to wear them. I hope better things for my post on knitting patterns from the 1920s.

This quilt, or afghan as we'd call it now, is made of six-sided blocks with a raised leaf pattern. Each hexagon is knitted in the round from the outside in. No gauge is given, as is typical of antique patterns, but that hardly matters in an afghan as the pattern could be knitted in any yarn with appropriate-sized needles. This pattern was published in The Queenslander newspaper in Australia in 1910, and is available for free.

This women's jacket is actually crocheted, but I liked it so much I just had to include it. It appeared in Fleisher's Knitting and Crocheting Manual, Tenth Edition, published in 1912, and a reproduction of the book is available from Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions for $21.95. It's a 205-page book so you do get a lot of other patterns for that price, though you may find it a little difficult to stomach the, er, ethnic doll pattern pictures also included in the book. We've come a long way in the last 101 years, thankfully, and no longer include "black mammy" dolls in pattern books.

This is a child's sweater with a nice little shamrock motif. It was originally published in the Priscilla Wool Knitting Book in 1912. A reproduction of the book is available from Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions for $16.95.

This knitted drawstring bag would make a nice evening bag for today. It was originally published in The Mail in 1914, and is available for free.

I quite like this little girl's jacket. This pattern originally appeared in Leach's Child's Knitted Woollies Number, published in 1915, and available as a reproduction from Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions for $9.95. The pattern for the hat isn't included in the book, but it wouldn't be hard to whip up a matching tam.

This child's middy jumper pattern, size 24 months, was originally published in The Lion Yarn Book in 1916. Franklin Habit rewrote the pattern and wrote an accompanying article about the history of Lion Brand Yarns for Knitty, where you can find the pattern and article for free.

This knitted Norfolk Coat was originally published in the Priscilla Sweater Book: Including Hats, Caps, and Other Accessories with Directions for Working in 1917, and is available for free. I must say I like how they've posed the model against a mirror to give us the back as well as the front view of this sweater. Why don't more of today's knitting magazines use this trick?

This vest was published in Needlecraft Publishing Company's Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet in 1918, and the pattern is available for free.

This pattern is called a "serviceable sweater", and it is indeed. It's sensible, warm and guaranteed to never go out of style. Like the vest above, this design was published in Needlecraft Publishing Company's Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet in 1918 The pattern is available for free.

This tam was publishin in the Bear Brand Blue Book, Volume 18, in 1918. A reproduction of the book is available from Iva Rose Reproductions for $18.95, and I will say I quite like a number of the hat patterns in it as well.

Coming up: Look for the post on 1920s knitting patterns within the next two weeks, and look for part one of my review of Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 54 tomorrow morning!

How to Change the Gauge of a Pattern

Adriene of Adriene's Couch has created this video which carefully explains how to reconfigure the stitch gauge on a knitting project when you're using a substitute yarn from the one recommended.

For my part, I almost always use substitute yarns, and rather than make a swatch (because I've, um, never made a swatch in my life), I just use the gauge and needle size provided on the skein band. Those "official" gauges have never let me down, though of course since it's taken over stockinette stitch it won't apply if the pattern is all cables or otherwise very textured. In those cases, though, I just make sure I buy the right weight of yarn. And I begin the project by knitting a sleeve. Since it's so small, it's not that big a deal to rip it out a cuff if it should turn out my gauge is off.

I also always make photocopies of my patterns to make them less cumbersome and to save my books and magazines the wear and tear. Those 8.5 x 11" sheets of paper, folded in four, are easily tucked into a shoulder bag or workbasket, and it won't matter if they get lost or torn or get something spilled on them. Another advantage of photocopies is that I can scribble notes and diagrams freely on them. I have all that nice blank space on the back of the sheet if I run out of room in the margins.

At any rate, I hope you find Adriene's video useful. Her cute dog makes a special guest appearance.