My Dragons
Interweave Knits 07 Holiday Gifts Issue
Only a week or so behind the times, the review of the IK 07 Holiday Gifts issue.
Invitation to Knit by Bethany Lyttle: How to throw a knitting party. With, OK, some cute ideas--use needles to string kebobs on after cooking, decorate a birthday cake with marzipan (ew) shaped into little balls of yarn--but overall the idea just makes me want to roll my eyes. Also contains one blatant falsehood: "Knitters and non-knitters alike appreciate the associations of a handknitted baby blanket or sweater". Unless she means "appreciate" in the very broadest sense of "fully comprehend", then no, non-knitters often don't. How many horror stories have you heard of the recipient opening the package containing the hand-knitted thing and saying, "Oh. How...nice," in that flat voice that makes it clear they mean precisely the opposite?
Something from Nothing: Recycled-Silk Yarns by Linda Cortright: The article itself, about recycled silk yarn from sari loom-waste, is fine and informative, and I certainly have nothing against recycling qua recycling, especially given the truly huge amount of effort that goes into producing silk. But I hate recycled-silk yarn and I won't work with it; it's usually extremely uneven and the colors have no rhyme or reason to them. I'll just continue supporting poor folks in the Andes instead by buying their wool.
Stewarton, Scotland: Exploring the Bonnet Toun by Katy Bevan: Knitted hats and the cultural traditions associated with them in Scottish towns. Nifty, if something I'd have expected in Piecework.
Boot Toppers by Kristin Nicholas: Apparently these are exerpted from a book called Kristin Knits, which is nice because now I know not to buy that book. From the looks of things, the designer and I share color sense purely in that we can both sense color. Also I don't need knitted bands to attach to my boots, and I'm not sure what good they're supposed to be doing if they're not purely decorative.
Needle Felting by Leigh Radford: A brief but thorough overview and how-to. I have no interest in the technique, but that's OK.
Needle Felted Messenger Bag by Leigh Radford: A nice bag, though since it depends for its design impact on needle felting I won't be making it. Still it's got a lovely, vaugely Art-Deco plant motif and pleasing colors.
Sugarplum Shrug by Erika Knight: A pretty lacey shrug, though combining it with an Empire waist makes the model look like she's either pregnant or an invalid. Shrugs in general are not my style, but this one is at least well-designed.
Sweetheart Socks by Chrissy Gardiner: In bright red, with a pattern of downward-pointing chevrons. They seem perfectly competent, if no difference from half a dozen other sock designs I've seen lately.
Socks for Veronik by Mona Schmidt: I seriously had to look twice to verify that these weren't the same as the Sweetheart Socks except for being in a different color. There's just not much you can do to differentiate one pair of patterned socks from another.
Big and Little Ski Sweaters by Donna Druchunas and Debbir O'Neill: Nice tradtional designs, though the color choices are a mite bland--slate grey, creamy white, and a bit of red for accents. Still, if you like the traditional Nordic sweater look and aren't interested in digging out a copy of Knitting in the Old Way, this pattern's done the heavy lifting for you.
Twisted Stitch Gauntlets by Deborah Newton: I'm a sucker for fuchsia, and I like the twisted stitch patterns; my only quibble is that DK is a little heavy for gloves. I hate the feeling that I can't get my fingers together. Still, if you need both warmth and fingers these are well done.
Koolhaas Hat by Jared Flood: Nifty diamond texture pattern in a great cranberry red. Alas, this style of hat looks absurd on me.
Qiviut Webs Tam and Scarf by Gayle Roehm: I love the way the fabric drapes and the lace pattern on the scarf is pretty without being overwhelming. But I'm not sure I need qiviut, I never wear scarves, and the faded terracotta color fails to inspire me.
Elliott the Dragon by Jil Eaton: Cute little hand puppet, complete with "fire". For really young kids the button eyes would have to be replaced with embroidery, but it looks like an ideal "I need a gift in four hours" sort of thing.
Classic Teddy Bear by Mary Ann Gebhardt: Very sweet (though the seaming on the sample is clumsy--I wonder why they let that pass).
Miniature Cowichan Sweater by Veronik Avery: Really adorable. She even did the collar like a full-sized version. Looks like it'd fit the Classic Teddy, too.
Dragon-Skin Wrap by Angela Hahn: Am I the only person in the world who hates the vertical lines on Walker's original Dragonskin pattern enough to have done something about them? That said, the sweater itself is quite nice and I love the fact that she rotated the Dragonskin on the sleeves to run in "stripes" round the arms. Though I might prefer it in a color that wasn't quite so lavender.
Huckleberry Ascot by Kay Coyle: If you're into little short scarves barely long enough to tie, this one might interest you. It's alpaca, which means soft, and a lovely deep purple. Also, the edge is done with short rows to make a ruffle.
Candy Stripes Kerchief by Kat Coyle: Fuzzy, thick-and-thin light and dark green stripes, long tube ends and fringe combine to make this look like a knitting project designed by Dr. Seuss. Seriously, it's a thneed. Also it looks vastly too warm.
Annetrelac Socks by Sandy Beadle: I like the idea of entrelac for sock cuffs, but the foot should really not be done in the same varigated yarn as the entrelac part lest you end up with a muddle of color that looks like it doesn't match. Still, pick out one of the cuff colors and get a solid to match and you've got a nice pattern.
Citrine Socklets by Marilyn Webster: Ankle socks, with a rather uninspiring gull stitch panel down the side. Also I hate the color, but that's easy to fix.
December Lights Tam by Mary Jane Mucklestone: I am a sucker for color and this thing delivers in spades. But brimless hats look bad on me.
Little Green Clutch by Elizabeth Miller: Made out of a Tilli Thomas novelty yarn that has sequins spun in. This sorts oddly with the rather masculine herringbone stitch, but the overall effect is pleasant if you can get over the idea of an olive drab evening bad.
Little Gems Mitts by Donna Kay: Half-finger gloves in a pleasant stranded-color pattern of jewel-toned squares on a light grey field. The wrist ribbing seems to rather ride up onto the palm, though, so it might need some tweaking.
Wisp Afghan by Theresa Schabes: Purple mohair in a large-scale basketweave knit-and-purl pattern. Looks boring as hell to knit and would last approximately sixteen seconds before being torn to shreds in any house with pets. But houses without pets might appreciate it.
Garter Mug Cozies by Cathy Carron: Another cute last-minute idea, this one for the inveterate coffee-drinker: reuseable mug covers to make it easier to carry one's hot beverage.
Bespoke Pillow by Cathy Carron: The only special thing about the pillow--seed stitch, with a center band of stockinette--is that it has "HRH" duplicate-stitched on it. A cute idea, but may fall into the "why bother when you can get it at the store" category.
Fireside Stocking by Kate Gilbert: If you can get over the fact that it's done in purples and white, a lovely stocking with blocks of a background color containing Fair Isles-style snowflake motifs (of which there are six, not the two the description says, but oh well). It's pretty and if you don't like purple for the holidays it could easily be done with another color.