I’ve been thinking about doing my own series of posts about Crochet/Knitting tips and tricks, but until I can pull things together, I just wanted to briefly point you toward the online article for Vogue Knitting, which is part of the Vogue Knitting Crochet issue. It’s chock full of good advice from the leading designers right now.
So Yarnies,
I think I’ve mentioned before how much I love Samurai Knitter. It think I mentioned how much she rocks my world, and how much her reviews of Vogue Knitting Magazine make me think.
Well, she’s done it again. She’s got her latest review of the Spring Vogue Knitting out, and I think it is definitely worth reading. In addition to critiquing the patterns, she gives us some great pictures demonstrating how models “work” patterns, so that they look good on the models.
I will make a few comments of my own on the new Vogue Knitting Magazine. First, what’s with Vogue choosing sections where all the patterns are the same color? And seriously, white???? let me just say, there are very few people that look good in that much white, and even the models by the end of that section are looking rather washed out (and a bit bored, in my opinion, which is not a surprise, considering how boring the white is).
HOWEVER, I really really like the colored section that comes a the back. I think the backgrounds are great, the colors are wonderful, and most of the patterns in the back are something I would consider making (which, after Vogue’s fall and winter issues, is a welcome relief, because I was getting tired of reading all about these bulky, shapeless knits).
Now, I admit a bias. Generally, I tend of the like the designs in Knitty or Interweave more than I like the ones in Vogue. Being an average woman (if a bit on the chunky and short side) I really am not into the supposedly “high” fashion designs that they highlight. It’s one of the reasons I tend to not be a fan of Takki’s pattern books either. (I tend to prefer Classic Elite’s Pattern books instead).
But I like the back section of Vogue Knitting. And I do keep subscribing to Vogue Knitting because I think their information articles make it all worth it.
Anyway, go check out Samurai Knitter’s review. As always, her critique says it all.
So one of my favorite people who is talking about knitting right now is Samurai Knitter. Her adventures of raising a (rather precocious!) daughter and her knitting insights are great. But you want to know the real reason I read her? Her insights into fashion.
Let me explain this in a rather roundabout way. I work in a yarn store, the rather wonderful Yarn Spot, in Wheaton, MD. You would think being a yarn store that we knit and crochet all day. Not so. If we aren’t selling yarn and helping customers, we’re entering and putting away patterns and yarn that we got in. When we’re not doing that, we’re tidying up the pattern books. If we’re not doing that, we’re cleaning the store, putting away yarn that’s fallen, or doing a myriad of other tasks. When we’re not doing THAT, we maybe, maybe, get to look through the new patterns and books we get in so that when someone comes in we know exactly the right place to point them to.
Needless to say, we hardly ever get to look at patterns on our time off.
So what do I do? I read Samurai Knitter’s reviews of Vogue Knitting. Because one, they make me laugh so hard I stop knitting (yes, I knit and read at the same time… don’t you?). And two, they are REALLY, really insightful into the patterns, what works about them, what doesn’t, and what I should look out for when a customer is looking to make a pattern, or if I’m planning to make a pattern.
So, Samurai Knitter just posted her review of the winter edition of Vogue. You should read it. Because really, I’m not sure if I could say it better.
Until later,
Jen
