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.]

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

Have you read?