Today's post is a review of Knitter's Magazine 125, and it is with great regret that I say it is also the last Knitter's Magazine issue I will review. The Knitting Universe has announced that they are discontinuing the magazine in order to focus on their website, STITCHES expos and camps, and the occasional book. I may, of course, be reviewing some of these books, but I am sorry that Knitter's Magazine will not longer be in production. People sometimes ask me what my favourite knitting magazine is, and the answer is that I don't have a favourite, but that some of the magazine titles I review have their stand-out qualities. Knitter's Magazine consistently offered some of the most visually and technically interesting patterns I reviewed, and I always looked forward to reviewing it. Their patterns may not always have gotten glowing reviews from me, and sometimes went too far in the direction of "interesting" until they looked like the kind of get-ups your flakey art school teacher always wore, but they were never run-of-the-mill boring or basic, and at their best they could be runway-level innovative and eye-catching. I think I might do a tribute post featuring a selection of Knitter's Magazine's best designs within the next month or so. But for now, let's have a look at this last issue.
Evergreen Do hat and cowl. Fairly standard, but the buttons and the oversized texture give it some interest.
Éclair capelet. I think I might like this one better if it were in a different colourway. The combination of the checkered entrelac effect and a near retina-searing colourway is a bit much.
Berry Patch. I'm liking this more as a piece of knitting (so many visually interesting details!) than as a garment, because this piece would be difficult for any non-professional model to carry off.
Band Jacket. Not liking this one much. All those lines give this cardigan a choppy, fussy effect.
Heather Mist. The texture and shaping of this is decent, but I think I'd do this one in a bolder, more interesting yarn choice to help counterbalance the slightly prim feel of it.
Rising Tides. The blurb for this one says, "Our cover scarf looks like a complicated stripe, intarsia, or woven design but is the result of short-rows repeating across the length of the piece, creating undulating waves of color. Garter stitch and a long-color-repeat yarn marry beautifully." I have to agree. This is a fine piece.
Pewter Vines. A very pretty camisole.
Dentil Work. If you want to do this one in three colours, I'd recommend that you go with a colour palette that wasn't inspired by Neapolitan ice cream, as otherwise you might as well just do it in one attractive yarn.
Boyfriend Brioche. I like the general effect of this one, but not the sloppy shape and sizing. Neaten that up and this would be an interesting and eye-catching piece.
Sea Grass & Saffron. This is quite a cool piece. The shape, the texture and the colourway are all impressively attractive and interesting.
Side-Winding Cables. This one's a bit bulky-looking for my tastes, but it's wearable and nice-looking enough.
Blue Ridge. Interesting texture, good shaping, and it hangs well.
Tilt, Turn & Tie. This is one of those items that deserved better styling. It's an interesting, well-shaped piece, but here it blends into a blah, monochrome outfit.
Nacre. This one employs a beautiful yarn and some great stitchwork, but the frumpy shaping ruins the total effect.
Chevron Sheath. This is a well-shaped dress, and the texture's good, but that yarn looks simply grimy through the midsection.
Ropes & Rails. A classic crew-neck pullover with a cable pattern that's just that little bit different from any cabled sweater you've seen before.
Earn Your Stripes. The colourway has a muddy look, the styling is unfortunate (the model looks trussed up), and technically speaking the shawl isn't anything special.
Thank for this news. I liked Knitters at one time and then they had an editorial change and just seemed to get uglier and uglier. Interested, as always, in your perspective.
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