Knitscene Winter 2016: A Review

Knitscene has released its Winter 2016 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Snowflake Cowl. Nice piece, and a lovely rendering of the classic snowflake pattern.

Snowball Cap. Cute hat with some fun contemporary chartwork.

Ski Lodge Cardigan. A well-shaped and fresh take on the classic ski jacket.

Slopes Pullover. This works. I like that the eyelet work around the yoke is not too lacy, and the contrast bands at the neck, cuffs, and hem are smart.

Banquet Sweater. A pretty ballet-necked sweater.

Revelry Sweater. This is a nice design as is, but I think I might have taken this design concept steps further and added lace trim to the cuffs as well as the hem, and perhaps also more edging or even a collar to the neckline.

Soirée Cowl. Some lovely stitchwork in this cowl, though I wouldn't consider it quite polished enough to go with a bronze lamé dress, or to be worn to a soirée.

Fête Cardigan. A beautiful classic cable sweater.

Mirth Tunic. Very nice piece with some good shaping and eyelet work and an artfully rumpled cowl neck. Though I don't understand why the model otherwise appears to be attending a particularly vulgar party at the Trump Tower.

Blowout Cardigan. I like this sweater, but I am beginning to wonder if this photoset, which combines sensible, wearable, well-designed knitwear with ersatz glamour party trappings, is some sort of meta commentary on the mind-bending divide between the U.S.A.'s current two leading presidential candidates.

Spree Cowl. An attractive cowl.

Celebration Shawl. This is a nice piece on the whole, but I'd add some sort of edging to it, as it looks unfinished as is.

Gala Tunic. Nice top. Both the shaping and the diamond detailing work well.

Vanilla Jacket. I often comment that a design "didn't quite get where it was going", by which I mean that the concept had promise but didn't get the execution it deserved. The design concept for this item never seemed to have any desire to get anywhere in the first place, but rather dropped out of high school, then spent the next several years smoking pot and playing video games in the basement until its parents got fed up and kicked it out.

Hot Cocoa Sweater. A lovely use of a gradient colour palette combined with mohair silk yarn. This sweater has dropped shoulders, which ordinarily I'd fix, but I think in this particular sweater they might work as is.

Biscotti Sweater. Not a bad piece. I think I'd go with a more interesting colourway.

Macaroon Hat. Cute hat, though I question how well it will stay on without a stretchy band at its edge.

Latte Pullover. Nice piece for those especially cold winter days.

Frosting Pullover. This piece has some nice texture and appealing softness, but it's too sloppy in its shape to be attractive. It looks as though it took its name from the idea that it's the kind of sweater one wears when curled in a fetal position on the couch, eating frosting straight from the can.

Chocolate Chip Cowl. What a fun and inventive piece. I love the combination of the furry yarn and the houndstooth pattern, and this cowl also looks like it'd be a real comfort on a very cold day, much like a chocolate chip or three.

Interweave Knits, Holiday 2016: A Review

Interweave Knits has released their Holiday 2016 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Knotted Mittens. I do love Celtic knots, and it's not often one sees them on mittens. As an aside, I am suddenly consumed with the desire to buy a tartan down vest.

Montgolfier Hat. Classic cabled hat.

Entwined Capelet. The intertwined cabled pattern is well worked out, and this cape is so well-shaped that it hangs beautifully.

Mason's Hat. Another handsome cap.

Mason's Scarf. A classic scarf to go with the cap just above.

Traveler's Socks. Oooh, wouldn't I love to have these in my sock drawer on some cold winter's day.

Nested Knot's Hat. Quite like this one, with that unique-looking band around the bottom.

Traverse Mitts. A good-looking pair of mitts.

Snowman Family. I've seen cuter snowman families. The button on the front looks random and pointless, the arms don't look right (snowman have short, straight stick arms, not long curved ones), and the snowmen need hats and possibly noses.

Reindeer Woods Blanket. The colour scheme could have been better planned, but otherwise this is quite a desirable piece. I like the whimsical border pattern, and it was a smart idea to line this piece as the chartwork won't look good from the wrong side, and it will also make it warmer and help it keep its shape.

Moccasocks. Very inventive and striking.

Latvian Mittens. So pretty, and I love the muted colourways.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Stockings. I'm not sure how much I like the "ho ho ho" sections of this stocking, as they look rather muddled to me, graphically speaking. Otherwise the design is quite attractive and the stocking looks as though it would hold a decent amount of goodies and trinkets, which is very much to the point when it comes to providing a stocking for Santa to fill.

Deep Winter Stole. Oh my goodness. I would find this piece too large to wear and would use it as an afghan instead, but is it ever a fantastically gorgeous piece of lacework.

Mantilla Stole. Another very impressive piece of lacework.

Shetland Shawl. Exquisite.

Windsor Vest. A fairly classic vest done in an offbeat colour scheme. Changing up a fair isle's colour palette like this is a good way to make a fair isle design look fun and current for a child.

Little Snowflake Sweater. This is so perfect I may just have to make it for my grandnephew. It's very clever of the designer to have put the snowflake bands on the sleeves rather than across the chest as per usual.

Tiny Tidings Overalls. This is a little too "odd droopy drawers" for my liking. It looks like something this area mom would have come up with.

Schoolwalk Cap. I'm not a big fan of the Peruvian Cap for non-Peruvians, but it is cute on a child. This is reversible, which should help a bit with keeping the cap presentable between washes as well as making it warmer.

Stirling Sweater. Nice piece. I like the detail around the neck and the cuffs.

Little Badger Girl Pinafore. I can't say I find this jumper pleasing. It has a certain crudeness and lumpiness to it.

The Hat Stocking. Strikingly attractive.

Wee Mittens. Cute, although anything on this small a scale generally is cute.

Norwegian Mittens. Some impressively intricate chartwork on these.

Balmoral Dress. I very much like the chartwork on the hem and the pockets, but the neck and armhole edgings have a rough look to them. I think I'd do this one in a finer yarn (it's a worsted) and add sleeves for a more polished look.

Creative Knitting Winter 2016: A Review

Creative Knitting has released its Winter 2016 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Cannon Hill Cardi. Wearable and fairly attractive.

Kaihora Cowl. A beautifully polished piece. Love the sophisticated stitchwork.

Anatolia Mittens. I like the Turkish-inspired design on the back, but the simple stripes don't quite measure up to it.

Have It Your Way Fingerless Mitts. Fun and wearable.

Ravenna Tam. A handsome classic.

Slouchy Cable Cloche. This looks disproportionately large and chunky.

Bobbles & Cables Pullover. This sweater will be mighty heavy to wear, but sometimes one does want a sweater that's as warm as an oven, and there's no denying the texture is impressive.

Simply Stripes & Cables Poncho. I'm not sure those stripes and cables are playing well together. The shape is good.

Swingy Cable Sampler Pullover. This is another heavy but beautifully textured piece. I wish I could see the whole thing as the description says it's A-line, and though the description also claims that A-line is flattering on all body types, I can tell you from painful personal experience that this is not true.

Uncommon Cables. Not thrilled with the concept of openwork stitches between the cables of this warm sweater, which seems tantamount to designing a parka with deliberate gaps in the seams.

Curvy Cabled Throw. An attractive piece with a southwestern-style colour palette, though I do wish the burnt orange border had been continued up the sides of the piece.

Funky Chunky Throw. This one would feel quite luxuriously snuggly and be a nice statement piece in a rustic-style or clean-lined contemporary decor.

Gold & Silver Medallions Afghan. This is well designed, but I'd be going with practically any other colourway than this one, and very possibly just doing it in a single colour.

The Magic of Reversible Cables. Very nice. It's reversible, which is a good choice for a cabled scarf, and I love the mulberry colour.

Around Town Cardigan. A practical, wearable, and attractive jacket.

Cabled Panel Sweater. A well-shaped, polished piece that can be dressed up or down.

Just Like Daddy Cabled Cardi. This looks maybe a bit cumbersomely bulky for an active small child (and aren't almost all small healthy children active), but it is cute and classic.

Marant Coat. There's a relaxed fit, and then there's fits like a house, and I'm afraid this falls into the latter category. Even for a coat, this is just too heavy and unflattering.