Knitscene Handmade 2016: A Review

The ever-prolific Interweave Press has just introduced yet another title to the roster of knitting magazines they publish, though this one is a special issue rather than a new quarterly publication. The first issue of Knitscene Handmade is out, and, according to the Knitting Daily website, it "pays homage to the creative life". It also contains 28 new knitting patterns, so let's have a look at those.

Grasslands Tee. Good shaping and some nice detailing.

Nederland Vest. Pretty basic.

Vail Cardigan. That ruffle is rather too over the top for me. It would make me feel as though I were wearing a pillow sham. One from a 1940s bordello, no less.

Breckenridge Sweater. Classic design, and I'm loving the stitchwork on the front of this one.

Spirit Lake Shawl. This is a rather pretty, fun piece.

Winter Park Shawl. Attractive and versatile little shawl.

Pearl Street Mitts. These are attractive and interesting, and yet plain enough that a man would be willing to wear them. I'm loving the subtle play of colour in these, but then linen stitch does tend to create such lovely effects with colour.

City Park Hat. Nice looking cap, though it does deserve a better colourway.

Timber Trail Hat. Nice hat. Love the diamond effect.

Manitou Springs Set. This is a rather interesting effect, reminding me of that "scratch board art" I remember doing as a child, in which an image was created by scratching through a black coating to reveal the layer of colour below it.

Durango Socks. Classic socks.

Rist Canyon Beanie. A simple, functional, ribbed cap. But then sometimes simple and functional is all one wants.

South Platte Cowl. Very pretty. The yarn choice works beautifully with the rippled texture.

Edora Cowl. The lacework and tabs on this one work quite well together, though I wouldn't have expected that they would, and they lend this simple cowl interest and even style.

Bingham Hill Cowl. Great stitchwork and a very attractive play of colour.

Happy Jack Cowl. Some attractive and interesting stitchwork in this one.

Eastern Plains Cowl. Oooh, love the texture in this one, and it looks like the warmest, most comfortable thing to wear.

Loveland Cowl. This one has great design and an offbeat yet masterful colourway.

Reservoir Ridge Cowls. Some nice texture in this one, and that is a great use of a gradient colour effect.

Spruce Creek Scarf. Love the stitchwork in this one, which has a "classic with a modern twist" feel to it.

Dillon Scarf. This issue's patterns are definitely strong on stitchwork.

Cheyenne Mountain Monkey Sleep Sack & Hat. I don't think I'd care to make, or dress up a baby in, what looks more than a little too much like a potato sack, but the hat is undeniably cute.

Red Feather Sweater. This is maybe a little too basic and squarish to be appealing.

Silverthorne Baby Blanket. Quite a nice piece of minimalist contemporary design. The texture of the gray section and the careful finishing keep it from looking too simple.

Front Range Raglan. You can't go wrong with a classic cabled cardigan at any age.