An Interview With Kaffe Fassett

In this 35 minute interview, Kaffe Fassett talks about how he became a knitwear designer in the 1960s and muses about the appeal of knitting.

The Crochet Crusades and Other Knitting Fables

Sometimes when Ali got stuck for a design concept, she gave her cat a bunch of yarn to play with and hair sprayed the result.

Frederica saw no reason why she shouldn't embrace her love of classic Chanel styles and patchwork quilts at the same time.

Troy, a museum curator, made a sort of hobby of creating historical textile pieces for the alternate universe he had created in his mind. He felt that his concept of armour for the Crochet Crusades was likely to prove his masterpiece.

Isabelle, a busy woman, saved time by simultaneously rehearsing for her dance recitals and knitting Christmas presents.

Brook had finally realized his vision of the perfect rave outfit, but felt it was all for nothing because he couldn't get his right sock to stay up.

Raoul's sperm sweater was one of the most acclaimed entries in the Male Pride Fashion Show.

When Timothea's design class instructor criticized her designs for being "too tube-like" and "structurally lacking", Timothea dutifully added curves and structure to her next design, only to receive a bewildering and terse "see me after class" comment from the instructor.

Rex was very proud of his new swim sweater, though he thought he could have done better at coordinating it with his Speedos. However, he reminded himself, with the right hair, one can get away with such minor sartorial missteps.

When Phillipa decided she'd missed her true calling of becoming a dental hygienist but wanted to finish out her last year of design school for the sake of finishing what she'd started, she decided that, rather than design a year-end project from scratch, she could just get creative with whatever swatches and half-finished projects she had lying around her dorm room.

There comes a point in many a model's life at which the model realizes that no amount of money makes it worth appearing in public in bizarre crap, and when Sullivan found himself on a runway in fishnet stockings and a sweater made out of steering wheel covers while being half-blinded by camera flashes, he realized he'd zoomed right past that point.

Creative Knitting Autumn 2015: A Review

Creative Knitting has released their Autumn 2015 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Zig Your Zag Hats & Mitts. The hat is super cute, but I can't say I care for that (slipped stitch?) effect used in the mitts. I'd just use the stripe pattern used in the hat.

Cable & Rib Romper. Nice texture!

Morning Glory Hoodie. A little too plain and undistinguished for my liking.

Baby blanket. Looks soft and cushy.

Sweetly Stripes sweater. Cute, and a great way to use up those odds and ends of yarn.

Woodland Sprite. I've seen better-shaped knit dolls, but this is cute and looks cuddly and any small child would be glad to have it.

Knitted from the inside out afghan. Eyecatching and attractive, with an interesting construction.

Mix and Match Charity Hat. Very simple, but then it's designed specifically to be used for charitable efforts, and it's just as well to keep such an item simple and useful so the knitter can concentrate on volume.

Chain Link Tee. This design is very seventies-era homemaker magazine. No, that's not a good thing.

Fallingwater sweater. Not a bad piece. I'd make the shoulders a little narrower and the piece a bit shorter.

Outerbanks tank. Not bad on the whole. I rather like the vertical lines and the stitchwork. I think I'm even on board with the pieced hem effect in front, but I see a mullet hem in the back, and I definitely can't go for that.

Cable and Lattice sweater. Nice stitchwork and the shaping is okay. Those short sleeves look awkward to me, but that's easily corrected if you feel the same.

Painted Desert Design. Neither attractive nor flattering. Those raised ridges look just plain lumpy.

San Francisco Blues. Rather pretty. I don't think I'd layer a long sleeved t-shirt underneath it. This looks like a summery piece to me.

Boneset Vest. Rather pretty stitchwork, and the style is serviceable enough.

Briarcliff. Not a bad piece. The stripes are very well-designed and this drapes quite well. I would fix the dropped shoulder, though.

Crossing Paths. Classic celtic knot with ribs design. For the woman's version, I'd fix the dropped shoulders, add waist shaping, and neaten up the fit a bit.

Falling Leaves. Quite a pretty and striking design. I'm imagining this done in cream and variegated green yarns.

Hudson Valley Tunic. Asymmetrical graphic designs should be actually designed, not merely mismatched. This presents like a slapdash project made by someone who simply couldn't be bothered matching the patterns at the seams.

Pine Meadow jacket. Cute little jacket, and the intricate pattern on the body gets even more beautiful the longer I look at it.

Sleepy Hollow shawl. Nicely textured wrap.

Warwick Clochet & Mitts. Polished-looking hat and mitts.

Noro Magazine Issue 6: A Review

Noro Magazine has released its sixth issue. Let's have a look at the designs within.

Pattern #1, Lacy Crop Top. Has that "shrunk in the wash" look and is unflattering even on the model.

Pattern #2, Lace Tee. This isn't so bad, at least not compared to the last one. It would make a decent cover-up for the beach at any rate.

Pattern #3, Crochet Openwork Top. For that "I made a top out of a shopping bag" look.

Pattern #4, Drop-Stitch Yoke Top. Attractive, flattering, and wearable.

Pattern #5, Lace Cowl. Pretty. I like the delicate, seashell-like colourway.

Pattern #6, Lace Pattern Top. This has very decent shaping, although I can't say I care for the colourway.

Pattern #7, Crochet Circles Afghan. Rather pretty. It's definitely miles above the standard granny square afghan.

Pattern #8, Fluted Scarf. Not a bad statement scarf. The stitchwork on the ends makes what would otherwise be a standard scarf interesting.

Pattern #9, Textured Shawl. Lovely texture and colourwork.

Pattern #10, Crescent-Shape Shawl. Very pretty.

Pattern #11, Diagonal Eyelet Scarf. Nice lace effect.

Pattern #12, Spiral Rib Tote. This has such a weird shape, and it's going to sag like crazy the second a woman puts her keys in it.

Pattern #13, Mobius Cowl. Attractive and wearable.

Pattern #14, Lacy Tam. Cute little cap.

Pattern #15, Multi-Directional Cap. This one comes across as a bit odd. The stitches used don't work together that well and the proportions look rather awkward.

Pattern #16, Entrelac Pillow Covers. Really lovely. The gorgeous colours are what make it.

Pattern #17, Entrelac Scarf. Pretty.

Pattern #18, Entrelac Poncho. I'd really like to know how this poncho would look if the model weren't standing with arms akimbo, or on a non-model. My guess is "not as well as it does here". I'm very much liking the turtleneck and the front panel and the colour combinations, but I can't help thinking this would look way better and be much more wearable if shaped as a sweater.

Pattern #19, Cropped Tank. Hey, if you feel you have the figure and the confidence for this one, why not.

Pattern #20, Lace-Up Shell. Can't say I find this appealing. The yarn used here is so drab, and those leather cords hanging down in front would drive me crazy. The piece isn't a bad shape, and I suppose if done in a more attractive yarn and with the cord ends made shorter it would be reasonably wearable.

Pattern #21, Crossover Vest. Not bad piece. That neckline frames the wearer's face well.

Pattern #22, Racer-Back Top. Again, if you think you can carry this off, why not.

Pattern #23, Sleeveless Top. Nice except for the shoulders, which could be better shaped. Either go with a cap sleeve or cut the shoulders in a little.

Pattern #24, Round-Neck Pattern Vest. Pretty but could use waist shaping.

Pattern #25, Chevron Pattern Vest. Too afghan-like.

Pattern #26, Wavy Stripes Pullover. Also too afghan-like... it's the stripes. It would work better if the body were done in a single yarn and the dropped shoulders were fixed.

Pattern #27, Fringed Scarf. Nice-looking scarf.

Pattern #28, Chevron Mitts. Clunky and clumsy looking.

Pattern #29, Crocheted Chevron Cowl. This is okay, but it does have a bit of an "upcycled afghan" look to it.

Pattern #30, Welted Chevron Cowl. Rather pretty.

Pattern #31, Vine Lace Blanklet. Nice.

Pattern #32, Cable & Rib Blanket. Lovely! The colours and the stitchwork work together beautifully.