Coated in Knitting

I had planned to do a post of selected knitted coats and jackets for the first day of autumn last week, but last week found me having to focus on writing reviews of all the new knitting magazine issues that had been published the week before. Knitting magazine publishing is seasonal, which means that there'll be no new issues for awhile and then there's five or six published all at once, and I like to give the magazine review posts first priority as they're the main reason people read this blog. Anyway, October 1st also seems like a good day to post about knitted coats, so here's the post. I've selected ten jacket designs for women, five for men, and five for children. Let's start with the women's patterns. The photo above is of the 705 - Coat pattern by Bergère de France. It's been published in several magazines and pamphlets. I find this pattern so inimitably chic and French.

This is the Milkweed pattern, designed by Carol Sunday, and available for $8(USD). I posted this really lovely pattern to this blog's Facebook page recently and the page's followers got nearly as excited about it as they did when I posted a picture of Daniel Craig in a cardigan, which is saying something.

This is the Moscow Coat, designed by Vladimira Ilkovicova. It's available for $9(USD). I love the smart, modern vibe of this piece. The cowl collar is actually a separate piece and can be arranged in a few different ways.

This is the Shell Game Coat, designed by Patty Nance and published in Bargello Knits. I'm revelling in imagining this coat in a variety of other colourways, though you'll need to be very good at working with colour to plan a colourway as beautifully integrated as this one.

The Urte pattern, designed by Louisa Harding. This pattern was published in Eventyr Pamphlet #140 in 2014. As I researched jacket patterns for this post, I told myself I definitely had to include one pattern with a lush faux fur collar and cuffs as I love that look, and this stylish number was the one I chose. The collar can be worn buttoned shut or opened up and folded back and looks equally good either way. I would tweak this pattern by decreasing the depth of the faux fur around the hem to something like six inches. This design is a little too hip-emphasizing as is.

The Houndstooth Car Coat, designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald, and it was published in the November 2007 issue of Cast-On. If it proves too difficult or impossible to get that issue of Cast-On, the pattern looks not too difficult to copy. Love this one for its retro feel. I'm imagining it in neutral colourways (gray and black; ivory and brown) for maximum wearability. I don't think I'd knit this one in mint green unless I owned the roadster behind the model. Then I would feel I must.

Of course not everyone who would like to knit a jacket wants to knit a long one, so let's look at some short jackets. This is the Graphic Jacket, designed by Jacqueline van Dillen, originally published in the Holiday 2013 issue of Vogue Knitting. It's a polished, "go nearly everywhere" piece. And if you find yourself standing the way this model is while wearing it, do make it a priority to see your chiropractor and/or take some Ex-Lax.

This is the Edgewick jacket, designed by Cheryl Chow. It's an immensely wearable item that should look good on almost any woman, and is available for $6.50(USD).

The Cranston Coat, designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald and published in New England Knits: Timeless Knitwear with a Modern Twist. It's so simple yet so distinctive.

The Harlow Suit Jacket, designed by Evelyn Hase. This pattern is available for $4.95(USD). Love the detail on this one.

Let's look at the jacket patterns for men next. This is the Nottingham Sweater, by Marlaina Bird. It's available for $5.99(USD). The zipper and the contrast trim give it quite a sharp and modern air, yet it's a classic look that almost any man of any age could wear.

This is the Cable and Rib Zipper Jacket, by Patons Australia, originally published in the Patons pamphlet #1232, Inca for Men. Very classic and wearable, but with a little style.

The Peavey Jacket, designed by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark. This pattern is available for $5.50(USD). Love the plaid pattern, though there are definitely better colourways for this one.

The Man's Plaid Jacket, by Mari Lynn Patrick. This pattern is available for $5(USD). This is a bolder, younger version of the plaid jacket just above, but one does have to look past the styling of this photo, and imagine the sweater in another colourway.

The Men's Short Jacket, by Martin Storey, published in Sarah Hatton & Martin Storey Designer Knits: 22 Handknit Designs for Him & Her Using Rowan Yarns. Some unusual and interesting texture here, with lattice work laid over stripes.

Now that we've seen the women's and men's jackets, let's move on to the children's jacket patterns. The Super Stripes Jacket, by Patons, published in Patons pamphlet #500882, Cool for School. This is a smart zippered sweater that will suit either a boy or a girl.

How adorable is this Rosebud coat, designed by Ann Kingstone? This pattern was published in Stranded Knits.

The Pevensie coat, designed by Emma Galati. This pattern is available for $4.50(USD). This isn't styled very well — this jacket would look much better in any number of other colourways or with other buttons, but the design has good lines and is very eye-catching.

The Hansel jacket, by Alison Stewart-Guinee, was published in Fairy Tale Knits: 32 Projects to Knit Happily Ever After. If I was making this sweater for a boy, I'd tweak it a little to make it more masculine by going with wooden buttons, or perhaps leather buckles, and perhaps a different colourway.

The Child's Mosaic Jacket, by Suzanne Bryan. This pattern was originally published in the November 2011 issue of Cast-On. This is really quite a strikingly original piece of work and an interesting rendering of the mosaic effect in yarn.

Queen of the Spiders and Other Knitting Fables

Raphaela was very proud of her new line of eco-knitwear. It wasn't every day a young designer produced such stunning and innovative runway looks out of upcycled dryer lint.

For all their good intentions, the newly formed handcrafting and free love commune hit a snag during their very first meeting, when Raffi accused Norbert of stealing his 4mm bamboo needles.

The members of the Main Street Stitch & Bitch decided after finishing their first round of projects that perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea that they all used the patterns member Nancy designed and offered to let them use for free. Maybe it was time they all ponied up to buy some patterns directly from the designers on Ravelry.

Keara wasn't quite sure how a simple walk in the woods in her latest creation had gone so wrong.

Marjorie's attempt to turn her her favourite dress into what her boss considered "acceptable business casual attire" had been less than successful. Her co-workers hadn't even stopped making those cheek popping sounds at her.

Some day Jinny and Ransom hoped to have a little granny square of their very own.

Dillon was very willing to model his girlfriend Maribel's handknitted socks for her Etsy page, but was unsure that it was really necessary to pose clad only in the socks in order to keep potential shoppers "focused on the product" as Maribel claimed. At least he'd managed to talk Maribel into letting him place his left foot strategically.

Willa wasn't sure that her therapist's plan to help her get over her arachnophobia needed to involve role play as Queen of the Spiders in his friends' Dungeons and Dragons game, but hey, he was the professional.

Bernadine's new gradient square afghan project had wound up becoming her latest dress design. Hey, that "knitted clothing should not look like afghans" rule only applied to granny square afghans, right?

Chloris had finally figured out a way to put all those extra mesh shopping bags she had lying around the house to good use without making the bags unsuitable for their original purpose.

Make It! Knits 2014: A Review

Interweave Knits has just released a new publication called Make It! Knits, which is a compilation of patterns that have previously appeared in Interweave Knits and Knitscene. Let's have a (second) look at them, shall we? Some I've reviewed before, and I'll be referring to my original reviews for those patterns, because if Interweave can recycle their work, so can I.

The Alameda Cowl. This is a cute, casual accessory, though there are more interesting yarn and button choices for this look.

The Lodi Cardigan. This is a smart and wearable little piece.

The Victor Shawl. When this came out in Knitscene's winter 2013 issue, commented that it "looks to me more like a really big scarf. Nothing wrong with that, of course, as large-scale accessories can be fun and this one has some clever stitchwork". I stand by that. I like the way they've styled it here.

The East Hale Cardigan. I like this one. The zipper and the minimal shawl collar give the classic shawl-collared men's cardigan a modern twist. This would look good on a man of any age, from this very young model to my 76-year-old father.

The Brazel Beret. Nice hat with some good cable detailing.

The Grand Palais Shawl. This isn't unattractive at all, but it's so big and bullky that it looks a little too much like an aghan for me.

A Sign of Affection. When this pattern appeared in Knitscene's Accessories 2013 issue, I wrote that this hat "has one earflap. I don't think I quite understand the name, or the concept. Is there a sign of affection on the one ear, such as a hickey (query: can ears get hickeys?) and is that why it needs to be covered? Is the wearer of this hat so constantly having her ears nibbled that she only needs to protect the other from the cold? I am but a simple and single reviewer and do not understand. All I can think when I look at this design is that the asymmetry would drive me crazy, that I don't find the hat particularly flattering, and that this is not a hat that has ever visited Toronto in the winter. It probably winters in some little love nest in New Orleans."

The Manganese Cowl. When this design appeared in the Knitscene Winter 2013 issue, I wrote, "The Manganese Cowl isn't bad. It has a modern feel to it. I think it would definitely need to be paired with the right kind of coat." To which I would now add, "...and the right kind of hair. Which this isn't."

The Amplified Cowl. When I first looked at this picture for this review, I thought, hmm, good texture and it lies gracefully. Then I searched the archive to see if I'd reviewed it before, and found that when this cowl appeared in the knit.wear Spring 2013 issue, I wrote that it lies gracefully and the texture is interesting. Hey, at least I'm consistent.

The Solstice Scarf. Not a bad oversized lacework scarf.

The Waved Wrap. Very much like this one. It'll be warm without looking too heavy.

The Mountain Ash Pullover. When this pattern appeared in the Knitscene Winter 2013 issue, I wrote, "I quite like the Mountain Ash Pullover, which uses solid and variegated yarns in similar tones to create a striped effect. It's a subtle and fresh way to wear horizontal stripes, which can tend to look not only unflattering but rather juvenile." This sweater still strikes me as very attractive and visually interesting.

The Oana Shawl. This is quite a pleasing shawl. Nice shaping and lacework.

The Knuckle Down Mitts. These have a certain casual appeal aesthetically speaking, I suppose. They don't look very practical to me. It's my fingers that get cold, not my palms.

The Big Thompson Scarf. This is a nice oversized piece. The name amuses me, because in Thompson, Manitoba, a city located 739km (459 miles) north of Winnipeg, where my nephew used to live and work in the mines, you'd definitely want a scarf like this. As I write this on a late September morning, Google tells me the temperature is 8°C/46.4°F in Thompson.

Wavy Lace Capelet. Not a fan of this one. The bottom and end edges look too unfinished. It kind of looks like someone was making a sweater, found out the gauge was way too big, couldn't stand to rip it out, sewed some buttons on it, and called it a capelet.

The Veronica Slouch Hat. When this appeared in the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts issue in 2013, I wrote, "Quite like the Veronica Slouch, even though I don't normally like non-functional buttons as design elements. These ones, however, have been turned into an integral part of the design and would be an excuse to splurge on some really beautiful, interesting buttons." This is definitely a hat that deserves a more interesting yarn and button choice.

The Leadville Cowl. This is another design from the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts issue in 2013, and at that time I called it a beautiful piece that sits well. It still strikes me as a lovely pattern.

Three's a Charm Tam. Nicely textured classic tam.

The Ambrosia Cowl. Not liking this one. It looks rough and slapped together.

The Flamboyant Shawl. This is ever so simple, yet so carefully finished and shaped that it looks polished and terrific.

The Mixt Cowl. This is one of those cowls that hang around the wearer's neck like a sad flat tire.

The Overdyed Ragg Scarf. Not liking this one much. The basic pattern is okay, but this looks like an unsuccessful scrap yarn project where the knitter just added colours at random to get them used up.

The Amstel Hat. Nice textured hat.

The Nederland Circle Scarf. Basic cabled cowl.

Amy's Slippers. These slippers, which have a needle felted lining, look to be the ticket to ultimate warmth and as though they'll stay on, which are both excellent qualities in slippers. Besides that, they're quite nice looking and don't at all suffer from the clunkiness that can be a problem with slippers.

The Emerson Hat. Not a bad-looking hat for the younger, hipper kind of guy, though this particular model was the wrong choice for this item.

The Bryony Cap. Classic cabled cap with a ribbed brim. I bet we've all owned hats just like this one at some point in our lives.

The Ribby Slipper Socks. These, like the Amy's Slippers design, will be warm and stay on, but they do leave something to be desired in terms of style. However, they're not unattractive, will be very comfortable, and will be a quick knit.

The Flash Mitts. These are really basic (to the point that they are entirely lacking in the titular flash), but they'll do the job of keeping your hands and wrists warm.

The Tweed Scarflet. This one's.... okay. It's practical and wearable, and it does have a certain utilitarian appeal.

The Insignia Shawl. Simple yet polished shawl.

The Serpentine Cowl. This is a nice little cowl, though one does have to look past the completely ridiculous outfit it's been paired with.