Vogue - Designer Knitting to those of you outside the US - has decided to put out five issues a year. So this is the first ever 'early fall' issue. According to the letter from the editor, they decided to put the extra issue here to offer "designs for late summer, which also work in places that are warm year-round, and lightweight knits for the transition into cooler weather." Keep that little quote in mind when you look at some of these patterns. Stuff for warm and transition weather, right? Not the pit of winter.
So. Articles. As always, things in quotes are from the magazine, photos are from the VK web site, and the numbers of the patterns are not page numbers but the magazine's indexing system.
Meg Swansen discusses Elizabeth's Percentage System and the basic raglan for the two knitters on earth who haven't heard of it yet. But she takes it a step further and discusses ways to fine-tune it for different body types and shows different decrease methods. I've been knitting on the EPS System for twenty years and there's stuff here that's new to me. So, yeah. Cool.
Carol J Sulkoski wrote an excellent tech article about seaming, and when to knit circularly or go to the trouble of knitting something in bits and seaming it together. In general, the more fitted and complex a sweater, the more you want to consider seaming it. But there are lots of details and thoughts on the subject. Very interesting.
There's a bit about Hannah Kearney, the skier who got the first American gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics. She knits. Likes lopi 'cause it's versatile and warm.
Nicky Epstein contributes a knitted knecklace (I'm leaving that typo 'cause it makes me laugh) of flowers, crystal beads, and tulle. I assume it's one of the thirty patterns they talk about on the cover, because there are in fact only twenty-nine actual patterns in the magazine, plus this. And, um, do YOU wanna swag your neck with wool, mohair, and tulle in warm weather? A big no from me, thanks.
The yarns section features the usual: a stack of yarn cakes no one could be bothered to knit a swatches with. The theme is blended yarns of more than one fiber, and treats it like it's a new, fascinating idea. Most of these yarns are blends of fibers that would be hotter than hell for late summer and early fall - wool, silk, alpaca, cashmere, bison. Riiiiiight. I assume they make advertising revenue off this. Though if I was paying for it I'd at least want my yarn knit into a swatch.
Sometime I'm gonna get bored and critique the advertising in one of these, but it won't be today. Sorry. As always there's a lot of good stuff, some questionable, and a few clinkers.
And so, the patterns.
Section one, "Purl Gray". Because late summer and early fall is JUST the time to wear gloomy colors. "Confident, sophisticated, timeless: knitwear as a way of life." You know, I love knitwear and I think "knitwear as a way of life" sounds dumb. This section is brought to you by Lutz & Patmos, Fifth Avenue designers of knitwear, specializing in bulky knitting and luxury fibers.
1. Long cardigan by Lutz & Patmos.
Sizes from 38 to 53 in/96 to 134 cm. Knit with single-ply wool at 13 sts to 4in/10cm. I wonder, as always, how a "standard fitting long coat" has short sleeves. What's the point? Who needs a COAT in late summer/early fall? Why jump the gun on the depressing gray of winter by wearing it in early fall? That collar looks like it would repeatedly whap you in the chin as you wore it... don't know about you, but I'd find that irritating.
2. Cropped jacket by Lutz & Patmos.
Sizes from 32 to 52 inches, 81 to 132 cm. Gauge, 8 sts to 4in/10cm. With ALPACA WOOL BLEND!!!eleventy! Now, other than the gloom and doom color, I sorta like this. For, you know, the depths of winter. Super-bulky wool-alpaca for early fall? Are you SERIOUS? WHAT? I'm getting hot just looking at this thing. $135 USD to knit the medium size. And then die of heat stroke. See how the model's pulling it together over her chest with her hands? Either it's the wrong size for her (possible) or the fitting sucks (also possible).
3. Mid-length cardigan by Lutz & Patmos.
Sizes from 48 to 53 inches/122 to 136 cm. Only two sizes, kids. Gauge, 20 sts to 4in/10cm. This one's knit with pure alpaca. Yet again I wonder at short sleeves on otherwise super-warm garments. I don't care if it's fashionable or trendy, it makes no fricking sense.
If you knit any of these three cardigans in a cheerful color and long sleeves, and wore them in the dead of winter with three feet of snow on the ground, I think they'd be great. Really nice. As it is, they make me go WHAT??!?? But you probably got that.
Section two, "Make Me Blush". "The sugar and spice of childhood grow up beautifully." Hey, guys? Pink? Ur doin' it rong.
4. Multi-texture top by Maryse Delatour.
Three sizes from 35 to 50 inches/90 to 127 cm. Gauge 24 sts over 4in/10cm. Knit in wool, which I think is skating the line on appropriate fiber. I think it'd be awesome in cotton, but switching over would totally mess up the way it hangs. This is nice, but I think it's tailored enough that those three sizes are a little crazy. It needs more like five or six sizes in that range to assure proper fit. Plus I would go all master knitter on it and do it from the top down (not that hard to switch around, really) so that the waist hits exactly at the wearer's waist. It's not so obvious in these photos, but in the magazine, the model looks hunched over to get it to hang right. Not the designer's fault - she had no chance to fit the pullover to a specific model. But VK could have done a better job of finding someone built differently to wear it.
5. Drop stitch pleated tank, by Cathy Carron.
Sizes from 26 to 31 inches/67 to 79 cm. Gauge 25 sts over 4in/10cm. Okay. This is a vest sort of thing, and knit of ribbing that stretches quite a lot. The sizes are measured in the unstretched form. But I still think that size range is fucking ridiculous. Otherwise, it's a nice enough top, but as a hand knitter, I'm not wild about the dropped stitches in the peplum. (I'm also not wild about peplums, but we already knew that.) Dropped stitches, even when obviously done on purpose like this, always look like mistakes to me. However, it's knit with a cotton/rayon/linen blend, which makes it actually appropriate for the season it's claiming to be for.
6. Lace cardigan by Jennie Atkinson.
Five sizes from 37 to 55 inches/94 to 140 cm. Gauge 21 sts to 4in/10 cm over lace. Knit with bamboo rayon. Every VK has a few gems, and this is one of the gems from this issue. Perfect, for season, body type, everything. There is short-row shaping in the shoulders so it won't make you look like a linebacker; the drawstring will make the person wearing it look like they have a waist, even if the fit isn't perfect. The lace makes it breathe a bit and the short sleeves also make it good for the layered dressing most of us do during seasonal changes. Very nice.
7. Pleated blouse by Kara Gott Warner.
Three sizes from 33 to 46 inches/85 to 118 cm. Gauge 22 sts over 4in/10cm in stockinette. Knit with linen/wool/ALPACA blend, which makes me kind of boggle. Maybe for those oddly cold occasional days in late fall? I'd knit this one from the top down, too; even if that band is meant to hit at the hips like it does on the model, it'd be more flattering to the majority of people if it hit the waist instead. Feminine without fussy, even if you don't knit it in pink.
Section three, "Crystals and Purls". Knitted 'jewelry' from Shadowplay Jewelry. "Beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces that mix the etheral with the earthy". Uh. Hm. Yeah. Hm. Okay. At best, in my mind, 'jewelry' made of fiber is an article of clothing because, um, it's made of fiber. Jewelry is, you know, metal and gems and like that. Yeah, I know, I'm too literal-minded and fail to appreciate the art. Sure. Whatever.
8. Shaped necklace.
To knit this the way it looks here requires five balls of Be Sweet's "Magic Ball" in different colors. It's $32 USD per ball, meaning it costs about $160 USD to knit this hairball, not counting the beads, which are Swarovsky crystals and expensive too.
9. Long necklace.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Section four: Urban Cowgirls. "Ranch dressing at its finest." The closest these copy-writers have come to a working ranch is a bottle of salad dressing. "Chic knit toppers branded with the hint of the old West." Note to copy editor and stylist: Plaid, jodhpurs, hunt master's boots, and ENGLISH FUCKING SADDLES are not authentic old West anything unless you mean old Western Ireland. And if that model is a master of the hunt, I will eat those boots.
10. Hooded jacket by Josh Bennett.
Four sizes from 34 to 46 inches/87 to 118cm. Gauge, 20 sts to 4in/10cm over check pattern. Near as I can tell, this is knit flat in stranded color, but listed as "Very Easy, Very Vogue". Which makes no fucking sense to me. And as always, I am confused by jackets with short sleeves and hoods. Is it to be warm? Then why the short sleeves? Is it to be cool? Then why the hood? I don't get it.
11. Cable paneled vest by Erica Schlueter.
Six sizes from 33 to 51 inches/84 to 129cm. Gauge, 19 sts to 4in/10cm over stockinette. Knit with wool. If you shortened this so your ass didn't look like it was wearing a circus tent, I think it'd make a cute addition to a fall wardrobe, for more of that layering I was talking about earlier. At this length, it looks sort of like a sleeveless bathrobe, and that much stockinette would make most knitters go bonkers.
12. Tunic vest by Mari Lynn Patrick.
Five sizes from 33 to 48 in/84 to 123cm. Gauge, 17sts over 4in/10cm over double seed stitch. Knit with wool/possum/silk blend, a heat stroke waiting to happen. This is knit in "Zealand Kauri". Impossible to find in the US, apparently. Gee, I wonder if the yarn company paid to have it used? You think? Well, looking at prices for yarns of similar weight and fiber composition, it'd be about $235 USD to knit the next-to-largest size. I don't know if it's the gauge, the fiber, or the stitch (probably a combination of all three), but this vest doesn't seem to drape well. They don't show it in these photos, but there's an awkward sideways leaned-over pose in the magazine. All these shots are designed to obscure the fact that this thing has no waist. See the "Fuck you, bitch" look on the model's face? That doesn't bode well for the design on a normal person, either.
13. Long vest by Tanis Gray.
Six sizes from 37 to 54 inches/94 to 137 cm. Gauge is 18 sts to 4in/10cm over 'ridge stitch'. Knit with alpaca wool blend. For those late summer days when you want heat stroke. (A cotton/wool blend would make a good substitution for alpaca/wool, since alpaca has no real spring in it, either.) This is the standard VK hippie vest with big butt length and no waist shaping. See how the model's dragging at it with her hand? That usually means no shaping, or bad shaping. Shorten it, add a waist, and you'd have something.
14. Cables and lace vest by Cheryl Murray.
Four sizes from 34 to 55 inches/87 to 141 cm. Gauge is 25 stitches to 4in/10cm over lace chart. Knit with wool/silk blend, which puts it on shaky ground as a late summer piece, but it'd be nice for layering on colder fall days (wool/cotton blend would be a viable substitution for this type of yarn, too). See how there's a belt around it? And she still looks waistless? That usually means no shaping, and that's just what it means for this pattern.
15. Cabled topper by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton.
Two sizes, 56 and 67 inches/142 and 169 cm. Gauge, 26 sts over 4in/10cm over cabled chart pattern. Knit with baby alpaca/merino/silk blend. So you can get heat stroke while looking like Jabba the Hutt. (To clarify: The model does not look like Jabba the Hutt. The PULLOVER will make nearly anyone look like Jabba the Hutt. This is not a commentary on the person wearing said pullover.) I really feel for the model. In the magazine, she looks like she's going to cry.
Section...next, "The Weekenders". "Inspired by the best of the Brit-Knit tradition." Think 'bad attempt at imitating Rowan'.
16. Lace cardigan by Fiona Ellis.
Four sizes from 34 to 42 inches/87 to 108 cm. Gauge, 27 stitches to 4in/10cm over stockinette AND lace patterns. Knit with wool sock yarn, which makes it perfect for layering. See how the lace 'stripes' sort of zig-zag over the body? That's because Ellis uses short rows to move them around. Very cool. I'd consider putting buttons all the way down the front, or not at all, since that just-at-the-neck buttoning is unflattering for just about everyone.
17. Cable/lace cardigan by Renee Lorion.
Five sizes from 35 to 56 inches/89 to 142 cm. Gauge, 20 stitches to 4in/10cm over chart pattern. Knit with wool, so it'd work as a light jacket on cool days. Not much else to say about this one. It's the typical sorta-bathrobe pattern that Vogue has published dozens of. Not terribly flattering, not terribly unflattering. Big butt length IS warm.
18. Cropped cardigan by Jean Moss.
Four sizes from 37 to 43 inches/95 to 109 cm. Gauge, 15 stitches to 4in/10cm over stockinette. This is knit with wool/bamboo blend which is nice for between seasons. I'd avoid the horizontal stripes of garter stitch at the waist and do it the same color as the body (you know, the unflattering stripes they aren't showing in this photo). If you keep to the general color scheme - lighter background color on yoke, darker color below - it will be slimming. Not sure if that scarf around the model's neck is just lame styling, or if the neck of the sweater is too big.
19. Cardigan by Kate Gagnon Osborn.
Five sizes from 33 to 54in/83 to 139cm. Gauge, 18 stitches to 4in/10cm over SEED STITCH. Yes folks, this thing is knit almost entirely in seed stitch. Purl-haters, take note. Now. Look at the photos. See that scarf? You can't see the neck of the sweater. So what's wrong with it? See how the model's all twisted around? It makes me suspect no shaping and big butt length. Referring to the pattern and schematics, hey, look at that! No shaping and big butt length! Knit with baby alpaca/wool/silk blend. Another heat stroke special. $320 USD to knit the next-to-largest size. Color's pretty, though.
Next to last section, "Sun Salutation." That's a yoga reference, in case you're missing it. I can't do sun salutations. They trash my knees. Anyway. "...the season's new yellow - a rich sunflowery shade". Um. Not really on the sunflower - they're oranger than these yellows. A word to the wise: almost no one can wear yellow without looking like they have liver disease. But all of these would be nice in another color.
20. Lace pullover by Joan Forgione.
Four sizes from 35 to 43 inches/89 to 110cm. Gauge, 23 stitches over 4in/10cm over eyelet pattern. Knit with Tilli Tomas silk. A heat stroke bargain at $170 USD for the next-to-largest size. You could knit this with cotton, or a cotton/viscose blend. Okay. Look at the photos again. See how there's no bottom edge? See how the model's holding the edge down in the photo on the right? Yeah. I'd really put ribbing or a hem on that if I knit it. Also, do you think the model's goal in life was to appear in an international magazine with elephants on her butt? (Yet again I'm feeling really bad for the model.)
21. Cabled tunic by Debbie O'Neill.
Four sizes from 32 to 45 inches/81 to 114 cm. Gauge, 26 stitches over 4in/10cm in cable pattern. Knit with sport-weight merino wool, which would probably breathe enough to work for between seasons. I like the vertical line from the cables. The length... well, I'd either shorten this to a sort of tee shirt, or I'd lengthen it and wear it as a dress.
22. Sleeveless tunic by Star Athena.
Five sizes from 35 to 52 inches/89 to 132 cm. Gauge, 22 stitches over 4in/10cm. Knit with wool/microfiber/cashmere blend, which might be on the warm side, but it is sport weight. The horizontal line at the shoulders and the vertical line of the body is really flattering, and the side slits would make it very comfortable to wear. Not wild about the length, but that's a personal call and easily altered.
23. Pullover by Lois Young.
Three sizes from 39 to 57 inches/99 to 146 cm. ??!! Gauge, 24 stitches over 4in/10 cm. Another nice sweater with a vertical line to the texture. Sizing kind of sucks, though.
Everything in this section is really wearable, except for the color, which is, again, easily fixed.
Last section!! "A fine romance. On late-summer nights, lovely lace toppers are de rigueur. Here, six looks in shades of lilac and plum, all with a certain je ne sais quoi." Oooo. They typed en Francais. They must be STYLISH. Many of these are simple rectangles, about which, there is not much to say. Just sayin'.
24. Lace stole by Erica Schlueter.
One size, 16x66 inches/40x167 cm. Gauge, 21 stitches to 4in/10cm over reversible lace pattern. Supposedly it has a 'subtle razor edge' (?) but I'm not seeing it. Yup. It's a lace rectangle.
25. Lace cardigan by Amanda Crawford.
Five sizes from 31 to 46 inches/80 to 117 cm. Gauge, 20 stitches to 4in/10 cm. Knit with our old friend Kid Silk Haze, which is pretty darn warm. No waist shaping, though this should drape quite a lot. The model's pulling on it in the magazine photo, so I wonder if it hangs properly.
26. Parachute top by Sharon Sorken.
Two sizes, 28 and 32 inches across/71 and 81 cm. Gauge, 20 stitches to 4in/10cm. No shape or shaping whatsoever. Wear it at your discretion. Or not. $195 USD to knit the size large in pure reeled silk.
27. Wave stitch wrap by Maie Landra.
Rectangle of seafoam stitch with crocheted squiggles on the sides. 21x54 inches/53x137 cm. $130 USD.
28. Lace wrap by Yoko Hatta.
Two sizes measured in width from sleeve to sleeve. 43 and 48 inches/190 and 122cm. Yup. It's a big pink shrug. Knit with wool, which is pretty appropriate.
29. Cropped lace jacket by Shiri Mor.
Two sizes, 30 and 40 inches/78 and 101 cm. Sized by altering the gauge, which makes me wonder if I can get MORE sizes by tweaking yarn selection and gauge some more. Because this is another gem, and it only comes in two sizes. VOGUE, YOU ASSHOLES!
So, that's it for this issue. I assume the thirtieth pattern is the necklace by Nicky Epstein. No matter what Vogue says, I think they're paying attention to what KNITTERS want, not what haute couture wants us to want. And the sizing issue is getting better. I'd actually knit a few of these things, and wear them. If I had time.
51 comments:
That "Jabba the Hutt" thing is a definite OMG! And the elephant on the butt pants? Don't they have a stylist to plan these things?
There are a few that I'd consider too. What do you know? I wonder if the editors, who are obviously not menopausal, get chilled in over-air conditioned offices? I know my extra-slim DIL gets cold easily... Might explain the yarn choices. As always, an excellent and insightful review, and not too snarky, only a judicious amount.
Well, hey, super-skinny people do get very cold easily. I've been thin, so I know!
I like a few of these, too. And I've found interesting articles in VK in the past. But your analyses are right on the money. I was told long ago to beware of anything being modeled in a twisted position, that some major flaw was being hidden.
omg, those necklaces totally do look like hairballs. I vacuumed that up earlier today...
Liking 11, 16 and 20, a lot of the rest are pretty "Meh", can see how some would work for other people just not for me. Thanks for the Review. It's nice that they may actually be starting to pay attention, especially with widening size range. If only they were thinking of your American weather rather than northern European or as one of the others has mentioned, a chilly air conditioned office!
Those necklaces were HIDEOUS. UGH! As usual, I enjoyed your commentary and are very thankful for it! I learn something every time I read one of your reviews.
Thank you :)
Thanks! As always, a delight.
One can but hope that the editors at Vogue Knitting read your review. Very funny and very accurate. Thanks!
I'm confused about the picture from #10. Is that her nipple showing?? If not, what is that little lump sticking out in the middle where the jacket is hanging open? Who wears a jacket without a shirt underneath?
HA! It's a shirt button on #10. There's a different photo in the magazine and there's definitely a tan shirt under it. Heeheehee.
You seem to like the few that I like. Some of them I might even knit. Hey, I even like them enough to buy the mag for the patterns!
Thank you for your review, I think I might actually buy this one, as the articles sound very interesting.
As always, brilliant analysis of the patterns/photographs
And this is why I don't subscribe to Vogue Knitting anymore! Thank you for the review (and thank you for the nice remarks about Natural Stitches the other day!)
This is one of the first issues that has something that I like enough to actually buy the mag and make the sweater. I love the first(yellow) lace sweater but I'm not thinking silk.
Love your take on everything.
Urban Cowgirls- bleah!!!!!
Ummmmmmmm- fiber in jewelry- ya know pearls and gem beads are strung on silk. Ya knew that. I know ya knew that.
I learn something every time I read your reviews. Thanks for doing them. I can't believe that Jabba thing! but I think the necklaces are worse. UGH.
Linda
Thanks for reviewing. There are a couple of patterns that I really like but as you mentioned, I would have to re-size most of it to fit me!
Wow, that first necklace matches my cat's ass perfectly! Same colors and dreds and cowlicks and everything.
I love your reviews! Vogue should employ you to edit this crap before they publish it! Keep 'em coming!
I just picked this up today because of the yellow sweaters and number 29 (funny thing, I thought I could knit all the yellow things in blue, which I'm told is "my" color and number 29 could probably be tweaked to fit me).
I guess we think alike you're just way funnier. Thanks for the laughs.
Another interesting review and a couple things I might actually knit if I ever get over my sock obsession :-)
I'd actually managed to stop buying the last few issues of this magazine but this one sucked me in. There was several patterns that I liked. The long green cardigan, the purple lace rectangle. I enjoyed reading your description of the magazine and it made me laugh. We can be sucked in by photography and models...no doubt.
I think I love you.
Once again, a great review! I loved "The closest these copy-writers have come to a working ranch is a bottle of salad dressing." - I haven't laughed so hard in a while. And I agree with you on the cardigans that only button at the neck. I never understood the wave of cardigans that became so popular and make everybody look pregnant and shapeless.
I always grin when I read your commentary on Vogue, please don't stop. Besides the giggle value, your observations help lots of us to look critically at projects that are on the expensive side for most of us (meaning me, the fixed-income queen).
I actually like 3 or 4 of these and they're sized to maybe even fit me, but can't they photograph from the front too? Will I still like them if I buy the mag? Thanks
You're right-- I was fairly impressed by some of these, but, can I just say, #15 is an abomination to all of mankind? Jabba the Hutt, yes. Human anyone? Christ no! (It takes a whole lot of bad to make a size 2 model look like a size me anything!)
But yeah-- some sweet things in there... I may actually buy it!
I'm so blad I stumbled on your blog! And this post will make it easier for me to decide if I want to buy Designer Knitting, as it costs an arm and a leg here (if I can get it at all).
At least the yarns they use are available. I bought a new issue of a Dutch knitting pattern magazine yesterday purely for one pattern I'd seen in it; when I checked up on Rav about the recommended yarn, I learned that it had been discontinued A YEAR AGO!
I went to Barnes and Noble the other to to try to buy this issue, but they didn't have it in stock yet. I was annoyed, but now that I've read your review and considered the patterns more carefully, I think it may have been a blessing in disguise.
I do still like the lace shrug and the larger of the two sizes provided would fit me...but it makes me mad on principle that they would trumpet that pattern all over the interwebs and only provide two sizes for it in the magazine.
I was just looking at the directions for number 29 (the lace shrug) and you also have to go to their web site to get the schematics and the last chart. What a pain.....
I personally like 3/4 or even short sleeves on some sweaters, the key being some. There are many that should just man up and have a full sleeve, or none at all. I think the hood for "early fall" is more asthetic, but if it was dense enough maybe it would block wind? Not very "vogue" though I agree.
Always love your reviews! And am happy you decided to go all out on your comments and not sensor yourself.
Can't. Stop. Laughing. Oh my. :D I love your reviews, Julie; thanks for making the effort so the rest of us don't waste our money!
In all honesty, some of those are kinda nice... the four pink lace cardis in particular caught my eye. Anything else would need some serious rehashing to be wearable.
Also, is it just me, or does the first model reeeeeally look like Kristen Stewart (aka Bella from Twatlight - er, Twilight)? Kinda off-putting, IMHO.
Enjoyed your review, as always, Julie. Did you know that Lutz and Patmos announced last week that they're closing up shop? Bad timing for VK. There are a few pretty patterns in there, though still some serious, shapeless clunkers. My biggest beef continues to be the styling, as in it seems to be exactly the same every issue. The purple stuff at the end could have come from the same shoot as the Jazz Age stuff from the last issue with the poofy hair and heavy eye makeup. If they really are "Vogue", take a look at what Vogue photo shoots look like. I know big name photogs are expensive, but there are lots of creative photographers (and stylists and creative directors and even models) who can create something visionary without spending an arm and a leg. I want to support the knitting mags, but I just want more forward-thinking style, something for the 21st century, you know?
Thank you for all that. You spent way more time with this issue than it was worth ....I thought it was all over the place! So many different themes! Like they couldn't decide what to settle on.
Ah, yes, I so enjoy starting my day with a chuckle and smile. Thanks much.
I do have a couple of sweaters that are short sleeved. They are great for layering, especially when you sit in the A/C all day. Although, only one of them is wool, the rest are all lighter weight things. The one that is heavy is perpetually draped over the back of my office chair.
I have to agree that any pattern for a sweater/jacket knitted thing that makes those skinny models look like they have my ass, isn't something that I'm going to make.
Thanks for the insight. I think I will get this one for the articles.
Okay, since I didn't see that anyone else had said it, doesn't the green and the big black glasses in #19 look like somebody has been reading Girl Genius?
there's some really quite nice stuff here.
Then there are the two bits of barf on the screen, posing as necklaces. Ugh.
Spot on as usual. Thanks for that!
I giggled all through your fabulous blog, (much more fab than Vogue) and as an Australian I dash well can!! My daughter sent me the link, she has just fallen in love with knitting in a big way and has bought some VK's, can't get the yarn and hard to substitute so just awell I don't like many of the patterns. Had a go on my blog as well but yours is way better, cheers from chilly Aus.
I took one look at the 'necklace' and thought 'hair ball'. I'm sure my cat coughed one up that looked just like that.
i'm checking, but i don't see it - did you do the same for the IK summer issue? because THAT was SO INCREDIBLY lackluster...
Is anyone knitting #29? I'm on Chart #1 and stuck already. It says after row 32 (32 stitches) to repeat from row 25 (29 stitches). There's a box repeat that would take up the extra three stitches, but only on rows 27 & 28. And of course no comments on their website...
Rachel
Hey Rachel....I too am somewhat confused on the repeat portion of the charts...all I can say is that because it is such an intricate pattern I am hopeful nobody will be aware of the many mistakes that I'm sure I will be making. I finished both upper and lower triangles but ended up with a different amount of stitches on both...one, the amount that I'm supposed to have and one, with 2 sts less...go figure! I'm off on chart 2 and am on row 26 where it appears to me that they left out the last yo in the red repeat box, but so far, have been unable to find anything proving that on the internet. A challenge to be had. I even contacted the designer through her website but she was not much help...just told me not to give up and keep on trying. I have no idea how this is going to turn out but alas....leave it to me to challenge myself beyond my capabilities. If I can be of any help to you let me know....but I'm afraid it may be more of the blind leading the blind! rkohepburn@ g m a i l . you know what!
Keep up the good critiques! You make us laugh! I have two yarn shops - www.yarngarage.com & www.stevenbe.com in Minnesota and we enjoy your blog so much! We actually DO carry Zealand Kauri shown in #12! Send possum lovers our way!
Thank you for such a refreshing critique! Love it.
Thanks for another hilarious review. I was so relieved when my subscription ran out a couple years ago (right after the change in editor), but I'm still always curious about what heinous, fiddly patterns are included each season.
Thanks for another hilarious review. I was so relieved when my subscription ran out a couple years ago (right after the change in editor), but I'm still always curious about what heinous, fiddly patterns are included each season.
Вы мне очень понравились и комментарии.
Весело тут у вас.Можно приходить без приглашения?
Ranch dressing! Jabba the Hut! Hairballs! Etc. etc. Stop laughing? Are you kidding?? I was GUFFAWING! My 20-year-old came out of her room long enough to get some ice cream, and that was the dirtiest look I've gotten in a long time: would you quit making so much NOISE?
On to other matters. She is very skinny--takes after her father's side of the family--and she truly does get cold very easily. Always has.
I used to live in the mountains of western Maryland, and all the buildings were gray, charcoal, grey,or gray and charcoal and grey. Or peeling brick. So it was already depressing. Can you imagine what it was like on gray days?? I think I'll move back there and make all three gray sweaters. Then if I felt like it, I could just disappear into the fog--which was also on tap much of the time.
Heat stroke sweaters! Guffaw all over again.
I didn't even know you existed. Where have you been all this time?...
Oh man, this review was great. So glad I stumbled upon it. (And also so glad I'm not the only person that looks at the price of some yarns/patterns and goes, "what the actual fuck!?") Thanks!
I'm late to the party, but loved your frank assessments of the Vogue knitting magazine for "late summer". The only excuse for their choices of heavy yarn and bulky sweaters is that many people begin to knit for fall and winter before cold weather rolls in. As for editorial comments... it's fashion lingo, baby, and always silly.
About the sweaters as worn in photos… if I see a model holding a sweater shut in front, or tugging down on the bottom, or posed with her hair, a big belt, arm or a scarf hiding the waist or neckline, it should be obvious something is wrong with the sweater as knit, designed or how it fits. Lets be frank, if a sweater doesn't fit or look good on a model, it ain't going to flatter you or me.
Mimi
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