Bergère de France Magazine 179: A Review

Bergère de France has released Magazine 179. Nous allons jeter un coup d'oeil, allons-nous?





Pattern #01, Skirt and Pattern #02, Sleeveless Top. Not a bad little simple outfit. I don't know that I would go with the open back detail, as it's a little roughly done and doesn't add much of anything to the design.

Pattern #03, Short Sleeve Sweater. Personally I've never found it necessary to graphically remind a child that the beach is fun. And if it were necessary, I could probably find better designed ways to do it.

Pattern #04, Round Neck Sweater. Cute simple sweater.

Pattern #05, Shorts. The grid effect is also cute done on shorts. I agree with Bergère de France's decision to separate the shorts and the top from above into two different outfits. The grid pattern will be too much if spread over two separates worn simultaneously.





Pattern #06, Short Sleeve Cardi. That's not a badly designed pineapple, but it seems rather strange to plop it on the back of a cardi that's so plain in front.

Pattern #07, Anisette Hair Band. The green hair band looks like something you'd put on your daughter whenever you were dressing her up as Norma Desmond, which I hope is never. The one in yellow isn't terrible, but there are better designed hair bands out there.

Pattern #08, Pineapple Bag. Looks more like a toilet paper cosy than a pineapple, let alone a purse.

Pattern #09, Romper With Shoulder Straps. Not bad. I'd recommend making the rind green rather than whatever colour it is here, which makes it look less like a slice of watermelon than like a slice of pizza.

Pattern #10, Bikini. How does a design manage to be this ugly when there's this little of it? Moreover this bikini will not stay in place, or even on, once it gets wet.

Pattern #11, Pineapple Top. Not a bad little top. I'd move the pineapple image up a few inches as it doesn't look properly centred as is.

Pattern #12, Rucksack. Not bad at all. The bag has a good shape. I think it calls for wider straps, though. I hate to think how those thin cord-sized straps will dig in to a child's shoulders when the bag is full.

Pattern #13, Playsuit. This is kind of cute, but that surfboard does look a little disturbingly like a pair of lips to me.

Pattern #14, Cardigan. Not a badly shaped cardigan, but I don't think I understand the concept of sewing letters randomly across it.

Pattern #15, Short Sleeve Openwork Sweater. Not bad, though it might be a bit bulky for summer wear.

Pattern #16, Playsuit. You really need to put more effort into your "designs" than this, Bergère de France.

Pattern #17, Round Necked Sweater. Here's that simple grid pattern again. If you're concerned it'll be too much bother to fuss around with a second colour, the vertical lines are crocheted onto the finished pieces.

Pattern #18, Openwork Top and Pattern #19, Shorts. What the Ingalls girls wore as winter underwear back in their toddler days.





Pattern #20, Halter-Neck Tunic. Fetching little piece. Which I would want to do in any colour other than oatmeal.

Pattern #21, Strappy Top. Not a bad little basic pattern.

Pattern #22, Sleeveless Dress. Cute simple dress. The stripes make it.

Pattern #23, Short Roll Edge Sweater. Don't like this effect, which looks for all the world like a shrunken sweater layered over a not-shrunken one.

Pattern #24, Crossover Cable Cardi. This is rather squarish for my tastes, but it does have a certain contemporary style to it.

Pattern #25, Cardigan. This one is both squarish and minus the cable detailing that gave the sweater above some interest. Honestly, this looks like a beginner project that a beginning knitter will be really proud of at first and secretly take apart later.

Pattern #26, Hooded All In One. Rather a cute little number. But what I'd really like is the pattern for the blanket this little girl is sitting on.

Pattern #27, Romper. Just the thing for your bouncing baby balloon to wear.

Pattern #28, Rolled Edge Sweater and Pattern #29, Beanie. Not a bad little sweater. The varying stripe widths give it visual interest and a certain smartness. The hat is basic as basic gets and you probably already have an identical pattern.

Pattern #30, Sleeveless All-In-One. Adequate. I do wish the designer had done something more interesting with the meeting point of the two stripe widths.

Roadkill Collage and Other Knitting Fables

Oleg had been knitting on public transit for years, and he found that blending in was the best way to avoid all those tiresome comments about how unusual it was to see a man knitting.

[Photo by Joseph Ford, with knitting by The Duke of Woollington.]

Sometimes even Crispin and Iris were amazed by their own coolness.

Philip had made a vow not to speak until he'd achieved his twin goals of moving out of his parents' basement and putting flowers on the graves of all four of the original members of The Ramones, but he thought there was no reason why he shouldn't let his clothes speak for him.

At the Purl & Prance Dance School, all the students had to knit or craft their own costumes.

During the Springfield community theatre's art house presentation of a crafter's version of the French Revolution, "Marie Knitoinette" brought down the house when she bellowed, "LET THEM CROCHET!"

Design student Colleen considered her pre-sagged and pre-pilled designs to be the most brilliant thing in design since acidwash jeans.

Design student Silken was insulted when one of her classmates asked her if she was taking Colleen's pre-pilled look steps farther. Her design was a celebration of her ovaries, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, Silken and Colleen's classmate Stefan had created a look he said was inspired by the sight of his six cats' eyes gleaming in the dark. Behind his back the rest of his classmates referred to it as the Roadkill Collage.

Fellow design student Nestrelda had spent far too many school nights staying up late to drop acid and re-watch Dances With Wolves, Never Cry Wolf, White Fang, and Teen Wolf.

Frustrated by his lack of success in meeting women, Gunther cast all attempts at subtlety to the winds.

"Knitting": A Song

This is a song called "Knitting", recorded by Robyn Landis and produced by John Jennings for the album Waterproof. The video was made by Christine Lavin "and knitters from all over the map".

Knit Simple Spring/Summer 2015: A Review

Knit Simple has released its Spring/Summer issue for 2015. Let's have a look at it.

Not a bad simple top. It could perhaps use waist shaping, but it is hard to tell from this particular pose.

Not bad, though it does look a bit bulky for a summer top.

This one could definitely use some waist shaping. And probably a better colourway.

Those sleeves look weird and patched-together. And again... waist shaping.

A knitted... swiffer. Well, that's something new. Has anyone actually tried cleaning with yarn loops? I haven't, and so can't pass judgment on this, because if it cleans the floors well and rinses out easily, it is worth making.

I'm assuming these are crocheted bath scrubbies, and if you like handmade bath scrubbies, I suppose they aren't bad. They're fun and colourful.

Knitted washcloths/dishcloths. These are fine if you like knitted washcloths or dishcloths. I detest knitted dishcloths myself, because I find they're thick and unwieldy to use, get disgustingly full of bits of soggy food, and don't rinse out well, but I know lots of people love them, and knitted washcloths are probably unproblematic for most people.

Loofah mitt. I'd be interested in knowing what knitted loofah mitts are like to use.

Not a bad-looking bathmat.





Crocheted yarn baskets. Good way to use up some scrap yarns.

I don't know how effective knitted coasters will be. They'll get damp, and the whole point of coasters is to protect a surface from exposure to moisture.

Attractive placemats.

Unattractive phone case.

Moderately attractive i-Pad case.

Inoffensive sleep mask.

This cat pencil case is kind of cute for a kid.

Makeup bags would be a nice use for scrap yarn. I'd want to use plastic bags for some of the stuff that goes in it, as the makeup bag would otherwise get really dirty immediately.

This cowl could probably look rather fetching on some cute young thing, but I think I'd still have to refrain from asking her if her cat made it for her.

Cute kerchief. I'd want to use a more interesting yarn choice for it.

Quite like this one. The combination of cabled and dropped stitches is an interesting and unique effect. The shaping is good too.

Lovely lace stole.

Not a bad mesh tam.

Rather pretty shawl.

Cute hoodie. It could be better designed, though. The heart is very squarish at the sides and could be better shaped, and the front is pulling upwards in the middle.

Cute sock-style hoodie.

Not a bad little sleeveless hoodie.

This pattern could do with a little tweaking. It needs armhole shaping, as the way the shoulders extend over the arms looks awkward, and the set of the hood could be better.

Not a bad baby blanket. I'd want to go with a more effective colourway.

That is one amateurishly shaped little outfit. The pants look simply weird, as though they were made for a turtle-shaped baby.

Nice little pair of booties.

Nice ripple baby blanket. The colours are pretty.

These look like swants.

Not a bad onesie, but I would make the pant legs full length.

These aren't bad for what they are: a simple poncho for very casual wear.