winter 2007 reviews: vogue knitting

Some cover, eh? It's Vogue Knitting magazine Winter 2007 issue, and if you couldn't guess, I have saved the best for last.

But first, the web site. Here, Vogue is not the best, but also not the worst. The site was unexplicably shut down for weeks and weeks recently. Now that it's back up, I can't see any improvement or even any change. The site is graphically clear (unlike Knitter's) and easy to use. It lacks a complete gallery of design like that of Interweave Knits, but, like IK, it offers both free and pay patterns. The free pattern section is not as extensive as the combined offerings of IK and Knitting Daily, but the pay patterns are better: juicy vintage designs from the 25 year history of VK magazine.

The site also offers a knitting stitch library and support for both technique and design. Although the latter offerings are few, they show an analytical approach that is unique to this publication. For example, both online and in its pages, VK offers a "sweater map" pointing out the construction features of a complex knitting design. Also online are some terrible podcasts (I'm not such a fan in general) and the charts and schematics missing from the magazine's pages. This last feature is a fault, requiring the knitter to have online acess in order to complete some of the designs.

As I'm on the subject of websites, this is a good place to note that Laura read the previous post on Knitter's magazine and pointed out that the publisher, XRX, was actually one of, if not the, first to use the Internet in conjunction with its magazine. They started one of the first knitting forums, Knit U in the late 90s. I had totally forgotten that and stand corrected. I still maintain that they have not kept their website very useful for readers.

Articles

Vogue Knitting begins its feature section with the usual product, book, website, and yarn reviews. VK is the only winter issue to note the passing of Mary Walker Phillips, author of Knitting Counterpanes and Creative Knitting. VK is also the only mag to pick up on rumors of the reissue of June Hemmons Hiatt's Principles of Knitting. They actually interview the author who confirms that she is revising the book. That is BIG news. Other features of interest and unique to VK are the profile of a local yarn shop (in this issue Why Knot Knit of Atlanta and North Carolina) and VK World, which looks at international developments.

This issue of VK has four major articles on technique. For comparison, IK has one, and Knitter's has none. VK features its usual offering from Meg Swanson, this time a great article on how to make her mother's (EZ) Pie Are Square shawl. Others are how to knit in a spiral by Nicky Epstein, sleeve length by Lily Chin, and an analysis of four types of lace patterns by Shirley Paden. I would say that this is dynamite content, all by masters (mistresses?) of knitting design and technique.

Patterns

The Winter 2007 issue of Vogue Knitting contains 32 patterns plus an additional 8 as a special advertising feature published on the website. Of the 32 patterns in the magazine, 22 are sweaters, 8 are shawls/wraps, one is a hat, and one is a scarf in a matching set.

It is harder for me to review the VK patterns than those of the other mags, not that I like them all, but because the design standards of VK are higher, making all of the designs (with a few exceptions) credible. In contrast, IK is weaker in design crediblity because they run too many patterns that are awkward or unwearable in some way. Knitter's loses credibility through sheer wrongness. You might say that this last is a matter of opinion, but in some instances, I think the majority of knitters would agree.

Given the higher standard, I think the shawl section of this issue is the weakest, although props for featuring shawls in the first place. Most of the designs are uninspiring. There have been so many incredible shawl patterns all over lately, and I think IK actually tends to do them the best. Of the shawls, I would say that Nicky Epstein's spiral(#1) is the worst in that it's kind of clunky in a too chunky yarn. I like pinwheel shawl best (#4). It is similarily constructed to #1 out of individual motifs. It buttons, and is pleasantly atypical.

Of the sweaters, there are so many and so many interesting patterns that I don't know where to begin. Of the cabled sweaters, let me note that #10 has ridiculously belled 3/4 sleeves and that #9 is awkwardly long. But of the 5 cabled sweaters remaining, all have something to recommend them. Sweater-dress #11 is very distinctive. I couldn't wear it, but it sure is interesting.

The partially closed round yoke cardigan by Shiri Mor (#13) is not bad, but I myself am tired of round yoke cabled designs. They are all over. Two designs by Vladimir Teriokhin (#s 15 and 16, especially the latter) are sure fire winners, as are most of what comes from this new Norah Gaughan. The hooded outerwear tunic (#14 pictured below) is receiving some attention on the Ravely Vogue Knitters group.
Shirley Paden's two jacket designs (#s 17 and 18) are just my style - short, fitted, classic, but similar tailored cardis (#s 21 and 22) could appeal more to younger knitters. What is it with puffed sleeves though? There are two puffy sleeved designs in this issue (22 and 28). Is is because I wore this trend when it was around before that I can't get my head around it now? The two cover coats are very cute, although I could loose the color blocking on # 26. Finally, on the good side, I think I would actually make and wear the colorful and odd dress designed by Brandon Mably (#30), although I might lengthen the sleeve to 3/4.

It is very hard for me to nominate a best for this issue because I think so many of the designs are good. I am tempted to name the Brandon Mably dress above, but that would be an eccentric choice. The thing is that colorwork like this and like the Eunny Jang design in the Winter IK is starting to look fresh to me after years of variegated and novelty yarns. For a more popular choice of best design, I would probably choose #14, the photo above the Mably dress.

Worst designs? That's easy. See the two photos below. I think the chrocheted color-blocked coat is worse than the Twinkle tunic. The Twinkle design might look good on someone, but it's a little silly. I have never been partial to Twinkle.

I guess I knew going in that I liked VK the best of the big three knitting magazines, but this closer look clinches it. It seems so obvious that VK is of a higher quality than the others. Is this a valid conclusion? Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know. Meanwhile, here is my scorecard:

• Best website - Interweave Knits
• Best articles - Vogue Knitting
• Best photography - Knitter's
• Best Designs - Vogue Knitting
• Most Patterns - Vogue Knitting (by a lot)

winter 2007 reviews: knitter's magazine

Up on the chopping block today is the Winter 07 issue of Knitter's Magazine. The key phrase is buried treasure.

If Interweave Knits makes good use of the Internet, Knitter's is not quite there yet. Their e mail newsletter is deeply buried in their website, and their printed "Online" column, in this issue at least, has no relation to the World Wide Web. A single editorial page called "The Knitting Universe.com," advertises the magazine's web site and another, an Internet directory, is an ad for online knitting-related businesses disguised as editorial content.

The website itself is colorful if a bit jumbled looking. Here are a few good features - an index of the first 59 issues, a bunch of free patterns, and articles on knitting techniques, but you really have to dig to find them. The most prominent content is advertising for their generally excellent publications and for their expensive Stitches conferences. They must make a lot of money from these if placement is any indication. It's like they don't care much about the really useful features their website offers. Or are their readers not Internet friendly?

Articles

Last post I noted that the editorial content of Interweave Knits was thin. Well compared to Knitter's, Interweave should go on a diet. Apart from the features mentioned above, there is a smarmy article naming the knitter of the year (who actually does a lot for charity, but the writing and presentation stinks), unfocused reportage about trends as unveiled at an Italian knitwear show, and a major profile of the Berroco yarn company. None of this is helpful or even that interesting, and the Berroco article is dicey, although no Berroco ads appear in the magazine.

In keeping with the theme of buried treasure, however, there is one gem that appears in every issue of Knitter's magazine. That is a column by my idol, Perri Klass. Perri is a physician, family woman, knitter, novelist, and non-fiction writer. If she is as good at everything else as she is at writing, she scares me. She always finds meaning in knitting and its aspects. Her book, written with her mother, Every Mother is a Daughter, while not about knitting, was one of my favorite non-fiction audio-reads. I recommend it for reading while knitting. This issue's column is about Perri trying to work knitting into a novel she wrote.

Patterns

The Winter 2007 issue of Knitter's contains 25 patterns. Of these 14 are for sweaters, 6 are for scarves (including 3 dickeys and 1 wrap), there are 2 each of hats and necklaces, and 1 jumper- dress. You can somewhat follow along with the reviews on line, but since there is no gallery, you can't see all of the patterns.

Of the 14 sweaters, 4 are for men. Now Knitters of late has published the absolute worst men's sweater patterns I have ever seen. Case in point:

Who would wear this? OK, granted, this is the worst of the bunch. It is called Prairie Patterns by Angela Juergens. But Media Man with its ridiculous zippers and pockets and Boxes and Bands with its loud stripes are almost as bad. Best of the bunch is the Kaffe derivative Meridian by Barry Klein which makes clever use of slip stitch patterning. But knit it for a woman. I don't see this on a man (although the model looks hot in it). In general, the men's patterns look like they were designed by a granny who is high on meth.

Speaking of granny, a few of the women's designs look like they are trying to be young and "kicky" but rendered by a designer whose taste has frozen in an earlier decade. To wit:

Is this the 80s? It is called Teal We Meet Again by Gitta Schrade. I'm not sure what decade it's trying to refer to, but whatever it is, I don't like it. It's pointless. A similarly faux youthful pattern is the fluffy confection Pointelle Pink, by Penny Ollman:
I can't help but wonder, are Knitter's patterns too old, even for a person of advanced years such as myself. That would seem to be the case looking at the patterns above and taking into account others from this issue such as the dull and baggy pullover Radiant Diamonds and the frumpy cardigan Honey Gold.

But while Knitter's has never run youthful designs, often their sweaters have been classic and ageless. The buried treasure in this issue are those women's sweater designs that do seem timeless to me. They include Kathy Zimmerman's Winter Wheat, a deliciously crunchy tweed in my favorite basket weave design. The sweater is too baggy and long to suit me, but would look good on someone else. Career Trends is a pin striped cardigan by Jean Frost who excels in jacket design. This jacket is not my favorite of hers, but it is credible. The best of the bunch:

This is Chased Silver by Sandi Rosner which makes subtle use of asymmetry in a two part design with an interesting under layer. Made longer, the over sweater would work on its own.

Getting into accessories, we again dip into the horrendous. The three dickeys in this issue, rendered in bulky yarn are unspeakable. The scarves are "novelties", one made of pastel stripes that is semi-wearable and one made of strings that is not. The treasure is a pair of lariats, necklaces combining beading and yarn. I don't know if I would make anything this fiddly, but they are very pretty:

Worst of Knitter's: Prairie Patterns and Teal We Meet Again (which also wins worst name).
Best: Chased Silver and Beaded Lariats.

Knitter's has been edited by Rick Mondragon since the Summer 2001 issue. Before that Rick was a designer (Winter 99), photo stylist (Winter 00), and assistant editor (Spring 01). He might have needed a longer apprenticeship. I am not saying that the mag as gone steadily down hill since Rick replaced Nancy J. Thomas as editor, but I am flirting with saying that. Knitter's still occasionally runs patterns that I want to knit, but they used to run a lot of them. Do you agree? Disagree? Weigh in with your comments.