internal debate no.374 -- knitty winter 08

The new knitty came out yesterday (the day before? The days, they fade into one!) and I've got such mixed feeling about it. Actually, that's not quite true. I have conflicting feelings about it and I'm not sure how they are going to reconcile.

For a start, that cover pattern is genius! Bijouterie is so timely and so interesting, it offers (for many) a totally new way of looking at materials, of looking at jewellery, of knitting at all. The designs offered are different and gorgeous and Romi deserves a medal for producing something that has changed my entire holiday knitting list. As soon as I saw the first earring I knew: those mitts I had lined up for my best friend as well as my sister-in-law were boring and unimaginative. But these! These capture my imagination, and I know I'm not alone in this.

I was thrilled to see Poinsettia and Fernglade, both of which have made me suddenly very keen on throwing down that cardigan I'm working on for Matthew and whip up something short and sweet for myself. And when I have a bit more time, I'm thinking a pair of Larusardea will make for perfect January knitting.

I was so excited when I saw the offering from Norah Gaughan. Hurrah! I thought. Is that a capelet? Is it a wrap? Is it a capelet-cum-wrap? What new and exciting bit of construction has she got for us here today? How fashion forward! What fantastic shape! My heart sang with the possibilities, until I realised it's a cardigan. Those pictures on the Berroco equivalent of Bertha, the ginormous bobbly cuffs and bland body... How I deflated. That gorgeous capelet-cum-wrap is just a glorified scarf.

Everything sort of waned after that. Yarn choices and one rather alarming schematic left me feeling a little, well, meh.

However, I think the real thing that struck me is that, while Bijouterie glimmers with the awesome and Fernglade is steeped in lovely, they are some of a scant handful of holiday knitting options available in this issue. This isn't to say that the patterns in this issue aren't lovely and that the list of designers isn't powerful and exciting (Gaughan! Hanson! Japel!), but by putting Bijouterie first I was expecting so much more and the rest didn't deliver. This issue feels more like a November magazine: it's got a couple of patterns available for people who are already planning ahead, but otherwise a load of nice patterns that generally live up the knitty name and nothing more.

I'm probably being a bit unfair here, I realise that. I keep returning to the capelet-cum-wrap idea. I don't want the cardigan, but I'm very tempted to knit up what I thought it was because that was interesting.

Comments

[Lixie]

Agree completely. Promised much and didn't deliver. Wonder though if is because things such as the twist collective have upped the ante?

Merry Christmas!

[maryw1968]

Hi Professor Emms!!

Wanted you to know that I nominated you for a Spreader of Love Award over on my blog.

[katie m.]

I was disappointed by the Norah Gaughan offering as well. It looked so cool and then ... well, it turned out to be kind of dull. With bobbles. Perhaps straightforward is the polite term? But I think it could be saved by knitting what you thought it was. I don't know what it was, but this issue spoke to my sweater-knitting mojo. Maybe I'm just repressing my guilt about not knitting for the holidays?

[Robynn]

I do agree. Love Romi's jewellery, and I *thought* I was going to love that bobbly thing, but then it turned out to be so dull. Everything else... well, there are some pretty socks, but nothing I can be bothered to return to.

Oh well. Even the best magazines sometimes have an issue that fails to inspire, and it's all a question of personal taste, and that. I'm sure Spring will be gorgeous.

[adrienne]

I agree, although I always feel a bit iffy about Knitty. I'm excited every time there's a new Knitty, and every single time, I decide I must not have the right sense of style.

I also like Fern Glade, and Everybody Knows looks nice (but all that garter stitch!), but that's about it for me.

[Sally]

Ugh, I agree, it seems to verge on heresy to say bad things about Knitty, but nothing there is really inspiring me. I fancy the Blackrose socks, but not much else.

I loved your post about the student with the first. Students like that were the only thing that got me through terms of undergrad teaching, when you find the ones who really care about their work and actually want to learn. It's a great feeling.

Did you know I finally finished my PhD thesis? Relief! Now the small matter of the viva in January...