Fall 2006 Knitty Review

Viveka – First off, drop shoulders? Really? Is there anyone who looks good in drop shoulder sweaters? The model (especially in the photo with the bike) doesn’t look so happy. Of course, given the pattern just came out, that photo was probably taken in July…she was probably about to pass out from heat exhaustion! And the ribbing (well, sort of ribbing) at the top of the sleeves is odd. As to the yarn, I always think there’s some shameless self promotion when people design with a yarn they make themselves. Of course, you could sub in any light-worsted weight yarn, but still – aren’t there better ways to get your yarn line’s name out there?

Lucie – Again, with pimping your own yarn. I think the variegatedness would be too much for me, but I do like the neck line.

Cactus Flower – I feel like there’s something wrong with the cowl. I can’t put my finger on it, but still, something just isn’t right.

Ivy – How exactly are wraps more versatile than regular sweaters? That aside, although the sweater isn’t my style, I think it’s a very pretty sweater.

Serrano – I love the hook and eye closure! The rest of the sweater I love too, but I used to have a sweater with hook/eye closures down the front, and it was the bestest cardigan ever! EVER!. The rest of the sweater – I love the lace pattern, love the fact that it’s knit in one piece (well, the body, sleeves, clearly, 2 more pieces), love the cuffs, love the edges. Love, love, love.

Avast – I like this one. You don’t see lots of men’s sweaters that are understated, yet patterned. They’re either heavily cabled, or all stockinette. No nice middle ground. It reminds me a lot of Samus, with a less intense cable.

Sherwood – That’s so cute. A lot of work for something that they’ll grow out of in a very short time, but still, so cute. The sizes are little … odd. Looking over it, the sizes run 2-16 (don’t they usually run by age?) And the measurements run 24 inches to 39 inches. So I could make the largest size of a kids sweater for me, with room to spare.

Intolerable Cruelty – Is there really a market for girls who WANT to put a big giant bow on their ass? I’m just wondering. Someone in another forum speculated that it would be great if you wore it somewhere you never had to sit down.

Little Slip – I think I’ve made my thoughts on felted bags pretty clear in the past. I did like the brief tangent about the toaster oven, along with cautions to do a gauge swatch.

Lizard Ridge – I’m always the first to acknowledge that knitting something yourself costs more than buying it in a store. However. 20+ skeins of Noro Kureyon, going for $9/ball comes up to $180. For a blanket. The ripples kind of remind me of a blanket my grandma knit back in the 70s. Did we really need a new pattern for that? Or was my grandma just a visionary?

Red Herring – I’ve never done a colorwork sock before, seems like the potential for toes getting caught is too great a risk. But in different colors I might really like this sock. With a different heel. That heel looks funny.

Cablenet – So cute! I might not cable the foot part at all (just the leg portion), but I’m definitely making these. At some point.

Sox on 2 Stix – Knitting in the round is not hard. I refuse to acknowledge anyone who caters to people who refuse to try new things.

Diamante – Clean, simple, understated. I like that in sock. I bet these would look really good in a variegated yarn, too.

Ayla – Normally I love all things pink, but I’m very meh here. Perhaps if I had a wee niece, I would understand the desire to carry wee felted backpacks.

Sugar on Snow – I find that most often when I need a knit hat, I also need a scarf. So a smoke ring is better suited to my needs. Plus, I’m opposed to hats that cinch at the top. Bust out the dpns and have a nice clean crown.

Tamarah – I bought the yarn for this during lunch today. About 20 minutes after I saw the pattern. I really wish there was a schematic, showing how triangle 2 sits relative to triangle 1, and so on.

Tiggy Tweed – Makes me like Little Slip. It looks like it hasn’t been blocked, and that’s bothering me.

Back to School – If these were double knit, I bet they’d be pretty cool. But the wrong side is going to look so meh. Also, sugar and cream =/= good for faces. Sugar/Cream is for dishes. I hear cotton chenille is at least a little nicer, although I’ve never felt compelled to knit a face cloth. (And yes, I know just how much sugar and cream softens. After 15+ years, it’s pretty nice. Until then…)