Review: Interweave Knits Summer 2015

Yes, I renewed my subscription. It was only $33, so I figured, why not? First, it was really nice to see some smaller, quicker projects featured in this issue. Interweave too often consists of larger projects like sweaters that would take at least a month to complete. Sometimes you want a quick knit, and this issue offers a lot of those. The first section "Section Hike" has three headband, a head scarf, and a kerchief, all of which are adorable.

My two favorites were the Berkshire headband and the Olympia headband, both knit in shades of purple/maroon.

Not only are they small projects they're super cute! I'm going to go through my stash this weekend and see if I have yarn I could substitute for the Olympia headband and knit it up over Memorial Day. The remaining three patterns in "Section Hike" felt kind of tacked on to the collection. The Applachian Thermal and the Bartram Vest are both knit in Oatmeal/brown-ish shades, which at this point makes me want to scream. COLOR. This is a summer issue, for pete's sake! The Mount Robson Pullover is knit in a beautiful forest green, and I love the ribbing in the body contrasted with the saddle stockinette shoulders. Since I don't have a man in my life to knit it for, however, I guess it'll have to wait

 The second section, titled "Wild Bouquet" did feature pieces in a variety of colors like soft green, pink, lavender, etc. The idea being a bouquet of wildflowers. I liked the slouchiness of the Phyllotaxis Hat, and the open lacework in the pattern would keep it from getting too hot. The Clove Hitch Tee is boring and boxy. I don't think it would be flattering on anyone, honestly. 

The Wildflower Bolero's pattern features the self-striping yarn and bobbles, I'd like to see it in another color but it's at least interesting visually. It doesn't meet all the way in the front, however, so I'd probably add stitches on either side to eliminate the gap. 

 Both the slip stitch and the openwork on the Dianthus Cardigan and the Blue Columbine Cardigan would get tedious after a while. They're both pretty, but I wish the magazine had better pictures of the front. The detail of a triangle of openwork on the cuffs on the Blue Columbine pattern is very cool.

 There are two shawl patterns in this collection which, even though I'm not a fan of shawls, have beautiful designs and colors. The Western Slope Tee has an open work section on the front, so you'd have to wear it with a camisole underneath. The back is worked entirely in straight stitch up to where it divides for front and back. As I'm currently slogging through a piece with a lot of straight stitch I don't think I'd find this a fun project. 

 The third collection in this issue, "Local Color," features three patterns with colorwork designs. I hate all three of them. There's the return of the browns/creams on the Magic City Henley and the Chrysler Cardigan (which the editor featured on the cover - WHY?). They both scream 'Old Lady' to me and look very dated. 

The Chesapeake Jacket has turquoise crabs and waves against a cream background. If that's your thing, great. 

 I wish that, instead of including the "Local Color" section, the editor had just chosen more patterns for the "Home & Hearth" section. The sock braided trivets are made of i-cords and were obviously included to help sell this i-cord maker thing-y Interweave is selling, but they're cute and practical. 

Since my son is always losing coasters under the couch I may make a few for the living room. The Cottage Baby Blanket is just gorgeous, even though it looks like a lot of work it would truly be a heirloom piece. Like I said, I wish the editor had chosen more patterns to fit in this section. Overall, I'd say the patterns in this issue were hit or miss. Here's a shot of the pictorial table of contents at the end of the magazine.

Of course no one is going to love every single pattern in an issue, but since this one has a lot of smaller projects perfect for road trips and summer afternoons I would recommend picking this one up. I've already started one of the headbands for my camping trip this weekend!
 - D

Review: Knitscene Summer 2013

I figured it was about time I posted a positive review! And, since I'm about to cast on my third project from this issue (the Venice Beach Tank), I think it's safe to say that I loved the patterns in this magazine.

This was actually the first Knitscene I've ever bought - I saw the cover on the newsstand and it grabbed me. The great earrings, the beautiful pinkish-red shade of the tank top, and the ruffles. This girl loves me some ruffles.

What I appreciate about the Knitscene patterns is that they're simpler than Interweave's patterns, which makes them good for busy summer days when you only have a few quick minutes to knit a few rows before jumping up to stop your toddler from climbing over the deck railing...

*cough*

But, despite their simplicity, each pattern has enough details to keep me interested. Both the Ryann Tunic and the Sundial Tee have waist shaping and increases/decreases through the bust that meant I couldn't completely check out. They were also knit in the round - as were 9 of the patterns in the issue - which is fabulous if you, like me, HATE weaving in ends and finishing pieces.

The Sundial tee;

I've been on a coral kick lately, and the bright colors featured in the Lida Top, Mackinac Tank, and Sundial Tee just jumped out at me. Because it's a summer issue, there are lots of projects like seven tank tops that are quicker knits, and two smaller projects (a hat and a scarf) that look really cute. I adore the braided detail on the back of the Love Braid cardigan. Though I'm not a huge fan of knitting cardigans - too many pieces to seam together - I may still have to try it.

The Love Braid Cardigan;

I do wish that the editors would feature a wider range of body types to model the patterns *cough, no pun intended* It's very hard to tell how some of these patterns will look on a curvier gal. Particularly the Venice Beach Tank, the Lindell Tee and the Melrose Tank, all of which are body conscious pieces.

The Venice Beach Tank;

There were only three patterns in the issue that don't inspire me. Even though the Beverly Tee is cute, it doesn't look very practical. And I thought the Eclipse Top and Longboard Pullover were just 'meh.' But three out of twenty-one is a very good ratio, making this issue a definite buy.

The Beverly Tee;

The Longboard Pullover;

The issue is on sale at the moment, and I'd highly recommend picking it up. If you do buy it, be sure and let me know which patterns you knit!

http://www.interweavestore.com/knitscene-summer-2013

Pattern break-down

Tank tops - 6

Short Sleeve tops - 6

Long sleeve tops - 1

Open-front cardigans - 4 (three with long sleeves)

Hats - 1

Scarves - 1

Shawls - 1

Review: Interweave Knits: Winter 2014 issue

My first thought when the Interweave Knits Winter issue arrived in my mailbox was, “Wait, what? Did they do another fall issue?” No joke, the cover says ‘fall’ to me. It looks like they had pictures left over from the last issue, and not very interesting ones at that. With sinking heart, I flipped it open…

Winter is a gimme for knitting magazines, in my opinion. Chunky yarns, great textures, the willingness to hibernate inside with large piles of yarn in your lap…who wouldn’t want to be a knitter during the cold days of winter? Some of the past winter issues of Interweave have been my favorites.

The first collection, Out by The Wood Pile, featured mitts, four pullover sweaters, a hat, and a cardigan. Did you see that ‘four’ pullover sweaters? Yeah…the collection of patterns could have used more balance. Plus, three of the four had a round neckline. They were far too similar designs, all in utterly boring colors that, again, looked the same. A puke yellow, a gray, an oatmeal and then – in case the monotony of neutrals was putting you to sleep – an orange-coral. The theme of the three sweaters was supposed to be waffle stitch but, uh, the patterns just didn’t provide enough variety.

The hat was ‘eh’ and the cardigan would have looked great on an eighty-year-old man. Oops, wait, just checked out that pattern again and it’s actually a sweater with a really long button band.

Next collection was Below the Mesa – and thank God we have color! Of course, it’s a shawl…but it is quite pretty. And then we have four cardigans in a row. My God, new editor, are you unable to mix it up?!?! The dreamcatcher cardigan is not to my taste, though I might like it in different colors. Flip the page, and oh, look, grays/browns and oatmeal. Again. The Cerito Cardigan looks like it has promise but I’ll wait until someone else makes it in a different color and posts pics on ravelry. Cynthia’s Cardigan is fine but looks like something I could buy in a store, ie, it’s not very unusual. The final two pieces in the collection are the shawl featured on the first page (which does look like it has an interesting construction), and a hat.

Crossing Country is our next group of patterns. It’s worth noting that all the photos in the issue have had similar backgrounds (blurry grass/hills) and little to distinguish them. The first sweater – the Bread Basket Pullover – is made in a gorgeous maroon, which is one of my favorite colors, so of course I’m going to like it. The cables look really intricate and time-consuming, so not likely to be a quick project. I like the Swivel Pullover, the cables around the neckline and waist have an Irish knot feel which appeals to me. The back detail is super cool, too. State Fair Cardigan is nice, if not noteworthy. The two patterns on the next page were my favorites, I think, the NoBo Jacket and the Telluride Aran. The cables in the center section of the Telluride Aran look really neat and unusual and the teal color is gorgeous.

The next two pages feature some open front cardigan that I don’t really notice because I want that bird dress! No really, I want that dress. Then we have another hat which is boring on the bottom but has cool cables on the top. Which people will see if you’re petite like me, not so much if you’re tall. And then a cowl.

Thank GOD they added back the project index at the back. I bet they got a lot of feedback about taking it out, and none of it positive.

My verdict? You’d be better off buying the one or two patterns out of this issue that I liked as individual downloads than purchasing the whole magazine. I’m really upset that this is two issues in a row that I haven’t loved, two issues curated by the new editor. (And the latest just arrived yesterday and the situation has not improved). This used to be my favorite knitting magazine and is, in fact, the only one that I subscribe to. I started reviewing the magazine on my blog because I loved it, but this is two negative reviews in a row. And I don't like being negative all the time. I may have to stop reviewing it if this keeps up. Oh, and not renew my subscription. - D

Review: 150 Scandinavian Motifs: The Knitter's Director by Mary Mucklestone

The moment I saw this in Knitting Daily's email I added it to my wishlist. I didn't even bother to read the article. As most of you are aware, my heritage is primarily Scandinavian, with one full-blooded Norwegian grandmother and one Swedish grandmother, and I feel a strong connection with their culture and art. I was thrilled when a friend gave it to me as a belated birthday present a week ago (thanks, M'ris!) and couldn't wait to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and lovely, lovely knitting designs.

http://www.interweavestore.com/150-scandinavian-motifs

When I first read the author's bio, I squealed again. She's also from Seattle, and talks about growing up in the Scando community out there, and being exposed to the traditional artforms. All of which I can relate to - though my grandmother did knit, she was more into tole painting, but there were plenty of Norwegian sweaters scattered around the congregation at her covenant church. Thanks to this book, I now can identify them as lusekofte sweaters.

Not having done a lot of colorwork knitting, I found the explanations at the beginning of the book extremely helpful. They were some of the clearest I've seen for this kind of work. After the directions she provides information on how to plan a piece, how to use color and traditional motifs, and some historical background on types of garments made using the motifs. What follows is a motif directory where one can quickly reference the different motifs in the book side by side, with page numbers so that you can flip to their instructions and chart in the book.

Some of my favorite motifs were; The climbing vines of number 4, the boys and girls of number 44 (going on a pair of mittens for Connor), the traditional snowflake of 70 and 103.

It should be noted that this is not a patterns book. She does include four patterns as examples at the end of the book (none of which I liked, frankly), but that's it. This book is a more useful resource for creating your own designs and incorporating the motifs, which is why I wouldn't recommend it for a beginning knitter. You're going to need to know the basic 'how-to' of knitting a mitten or a hat in order to use these motifs, or at least know how to incorporate them into an existing pattern.

But if you are a more advanced knitter, and are interested in or like Scandinavian knitting, then this is definitely the book for you. I can already tell that it's going to get a lot of use at my house!

- D

Review: Interweave Knits Fall 2013 Issue

I've been wanting to start reviewing each issue of Interweave Knits as it arrives in my mailbox for a while now but...time. However, I've decided to give it a go.

Let me start by saying that this review is my opinion, and reflects my personal taste. I highly respect the work done by the knitwear designers to create these patterns and don't mean to offend. However, I am going to be honest about whether or not I like them. Starting with the Fall 2013 issue. This is the new editor's second issue and, um, wow I hope they get better. Link to the issue and photos is below.

http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/interweaveknits/archive/2013/07/22/Interweave-Knits-Fall-2013.aspx

My first thought upon finding the issue in the pile of mail was, "Holy 1985, Batman!" Seriously, could the sweater on the cover be more dated and ugly? All it needs is wooden toggle buttons. With a sinking heart I flipped to the back to check out the pictorial index of patterns.

Only it's not there. I flip back to the editor's letter only to discover that they've removed this feature from the magazine and moved it online. No. This does not work for me *at all* I keep all my back issues of the magazine and when I'm looking for a new pattern to knit I go through them, flipping to the pictoral index at the back, then flip to the pattern and instructions to see if I have a yarn in my stash that would work. I use the index constantly and I don't want to have to go online to look at it. I appreciate that the new editor may want to add more content but I think this was the wrong feature to cut.

So now I'm a little annoyed. I flip to the first feature - "As the Crow Flies," to look at its patterns. There are three sweater patterns, a dress pattern, and a cowl. The three sweater patterns all look waaay too similar. They have the same style and shape - long-sleeved pullovers - and even share the same neckline. They're fine, basic sweaters, but nothing special and nothing that calls out to me "KNIT ME NOW!" The cowl isn't for me, either, having that much fabric hanging in front of my chest would drive me nuts. Plus, it would collect all the food that my two year old spills while sitting in my lap *G* The dress is fine, but close-fitting and has the potential to look awful on any woman who may have *ahem* lumps under it? Ie, if you're not super tall and skinny I don't see this as being flattering.

Now thoroughly bummed, I find the next section "A Westerly Course." The surrey jacket is cool, I love the contrast border and the shape, though I might knit it a little longer. The way it's structured now the curve upwards and the open space between the two sides of the jacket draw the eye to the tummy bump. Great. Not exactly where most women want people to look!

The minstrel stole is pretty, love the color that they chose. It does strike me, though, that none of these patterns and colors seem to really 'go' together. They're nice on their own but as a collection they look like they were randomly selected. It's a personal thing but I don't like shrugs that are basically two attached sleeves - I find that they bunch oddly around the armpits - so the No 6 Shrug is out.

The "Colorwork Pastoral" feature contains the offending cover sweater. I'm pleased that they included a child's piece but it'd only work for a girl :( I think that the Concord jacket has potential if I knit the two sides to come closer in the middle, otherwise I'd spend all day awkwardly trying to tug them together. The cap is cute, the other patterns are decidedly 'meh.'

Oh, dear, a special on dropped stitches. "Drop me Here." I rarely like the way dropped stitches look - to me they're messy and often look accidental. And the patterns that use them often require the wearing of a tank/camisole/t-shirt underneath for modesty's sake and I don't always want that bulk. The Joan of Arc sweater is cool - love the shape - but why, oh, why would a woman want to draw that much attention to her hips?!?! The Filtered Pullover also isn't bad, though it would have to be knit longer to cover the tummy area. The other patterns, well... I'm starting to feel like I'm being a little b*tchy so I'll stop there.

This issue wasn't a total loss, but it definitely wasn't Interweave's best. I am apprehensive now that the new editor's aesthetic won't match mine at all. There's no question in my mind that I wouldn't have bought this issue in a store, I'd have glanced at it and returned it to the shelf.

If you're thinking of buying this one, I'd call it a pass. If you like one or two of the patterns just wait until they release them for sale individually.

- D