Woolly-Wits Reviews Knitty Fall 2013

The problem with Knitty is that we are all so excited to rush over to the site the minute we see alert for the new issue.  So, the site runs too slowly to bother, and we move along.  This month I forgot to check back later in the day, or, indeed the week.  So, here's my belated (but not by too very much) review.


Spice Trail from the East by Donna Druchunas


This is a cropped little top with lots of texture.  Good news, bad news.  Do I looove the deep v-neck?  Yes!  Do I love that it's a cardi?  Again, yes.  Do I think that a highly textured pattern adds visual weight?  Yes.  And, do I have the flat stomach to show off with this ribcage-brushing length.  Sadly, no.  I would lengthen this by a good 6", which would keep it above the hips, so no need to do much side shaping to keep from becoming too tight.


Flippant by Nora Hinch

"Flippant is a long-sleeved lacy cardigan with clean, geometric lines that falls at mid hip. The body of the cardigan is worked in one piece up to the armholes at which point it is divided, and the fronts and back are worked separately. The sleeves are worked separately and set in."

What a pretty, basic cardigan.  I love the set-in sleeves with the lace panel running up the center.  There is no overt shaping due to the elasticity of the lace pattern, but curvier girls could drop down a couple needle sizes through the waist to give it a little subtle shaping.







My Favorite Color Cardigan by Dieuwke van Mulligen

"When I discovered the contiguous sleeve method developed by Susie Myers, I couldn't believe my luck -- a top-down sweater, with set in style sleeves, without any picking up of stitches along the armhole edge or even seaming!"

This is a very basic top-down sweater with a twist - working a continuous set-in sleeve.  It's a nice trick, and this would be a nice garment to give top-down a try.  That said, I have to add that I am not a fan of top-down garments.  Sweaters worked from the bottom up in pieces have more opportunities to fine-tune their fit, and the seams add stability and structure.  I've seen too many top-down patterns written by designers who don't truly understand human anatomy and how to design for it.  (No one I've met had a pointed underarm.)  And, even I have had a top-down go very, very wrong.  When that happens it's a very wet trip to the frog pond.


On last word . .  . (or more than one) . . .

Plum Rondo a la Turk by Julia Farwell-Clay

This seems to be the design with the biggest buzz.  I think it is a very interesting design, and one which could be stunning on the right body.  This gorgeous girl does not have the right body.  The circular pattern band does a great job of drawing attention to her beautiful face, but at the expense of visually flattening her chest.  The subtle horizontal lines of the variegated yarn and the not-as-subtle patterning across the hip draw attention to the width of her body, with no vertical line to counterbalance and slim.  And, the large amount of excess width in the sleeve adds visual weight to her arm.  Not for curvy girls!