Checking out the New Knitscene

Remember yesterday I told you about the Craft Magazines site at Zinio and the fact that Interweave publications were on sale? In the interest of testing out the service I snagged a copy of the fresh-to-the-newsstand fall issue of Knitscene for $2.99 and gave it a flip through.

One thing I will say for digital issues of magazines is that I felt like I spent less time looking at the digital edition than I would have if I’d had a paper copy in front of me. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I think I consider the patterns for a bit longer (and probably actually flip through the instructions, where here I could just skip them) when I’m looking at them on paper and it’s not so easy just to click through.

But I still found this issue enjoyable and I think you will, too, whether you read it online or on paper. The featured designer this time around is Rosemary (Romi) Hill, who is profiled by knitter pal Rachael Herron. Romi offers a cardigan, shawl, beret and cowl, all with motifs inspired by doilies.

In addition you’ll find a feature on installing zippers and three patterns that use them, a section of knits you’ll love forever (lots of sweaters and accessories for the changing seasons) and “ethereal knits” including a bulky sweater with an eyelet-patterned owl, a long and lean petticoat with ruffles at the bottom and a shawl with a wolf’s head worked on the back, among other treats. The issue ends with a closer look at the trend of animal motifs in knitting.

My absolute favorite pattern from the magazine just happens to be the one on the cover: the Agnes Pullover by Ruth Garcia-Alcanthol. It’s a scoopneck sweater worked in honeycomb stitch on the body with stockinette arms, and it looks like just the thing to take you into fall in style.

Have you seen the new Knitscene? I’d love to hear what patterns stand out to you.

Looking for more knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

[Photo by Knitscene.]

Next Pattern:

One great thing to knit when the weather is warm (or honestly any other time) is dishcloths and washcloths. They are fun and easy projects and a great way to play with new skills. Pretty washcloths make cleaning a tiny bit more fun, and they’re great to have on hand as a quick addition to a store-bought gift.

The Daisy Delight Dishcloth from Yarnspirations is a fun one for using leftover bits of green in your cotton yarn stash. What looks like the bottom in the picture is actually the left side as you knit it, and each little color section is worked with its own ball of yarn, intarsia style.

That’s a little fiddly for a washcloth, but the effect is cute, and it’s a simple way to learn the basics of intarsia knitting (as well as reading a chart) if you don’t already have those skills.

One the knitting is done, you add the flowers with a bit of lazy daisy embroidery, which is really easy to do even if you’re not that into embroidery. You could also potentially add flowers in duplicate stitch if you’d rather.

This may be the most work you’ve put into a dishcloth, but isn’t it adorable? It would be fun to use as a hand towel through the spring and summer, and if you already have some leftover green yarn from other projects it should be pretty easy to do.

You could also take this same concept and make it different colors. All dark green stems with stars on top might be reminiscent of Christmas trees, or brown with daisy stitch on top in different colors could be trees in the fall.

However you stitch it, this looks like a fun little project for knitters who are comfortable with intarsia and reading charts or who are ready to try those skills.

You can grab the free pattern from Yarnspirations.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

Book Review – Dishcloths for Special Days [Knitting]

Book Review – Holiday Knit Dishcloths

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