#danae smith

[professorpski]

Interweave Knits, Summer 2021

With summer upon us, we look to short-sleeved and sleeveless patterns, but they are some sleeved sweaters in here as well. On the cover, you see Renate Kamm’s Novaturient Top which was inspired by her desire to travel to Greece. To me, it looks like a big ceramic tile and it is indeed a simple rectangle with a slight cap-sleeve effect. It is a 3 out of 4 in difficulty and is made in a lace-weigh blend Hikoo CoBaSi (cotton, bamboo, and silk, plus a pit of nylon).

The shawl in the left corner of the cover by Susanna IC is the Pelagic Shawl and mixes easy-peasy garter stitch for most of the large triangle and then slip stitches create a texture border on two of the edges. It is also a 3 out of 4 and is made in fingering-weight Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Passion which is a Merino superwash blend.

The Traipsing Tank and Shorts, aka a pajama shorts set, is by Estefania Espindola who made it in a worsted weight Valley Yarns Hawley which is a cotton/silk/nylon blend. Those are twisted stitches in the lace pattern and a technical article by Donna Estin explains what those are, how to make them, and what they look like. Another lace pattern appears in the Imperial Garden Sweater by Amy Gleixner which is a 4 out of 4 for difficulty. It is made in Manos del Uruguay Milo. Much as that is an intriguing colorway, it seems to obliterate all the elaborate stitching. A solid color might be a better choice. Let’s put it this way: IF I could make this WONDER, I would sure would want to SHOW IT OFF!

I left the image of the Panoramic Top on its side because the sweater is made by starting at one side and working to the other, so this is what it would look like while you worked it. Danae Smith designed this in Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop which also contains cotton. It is a 2 out of 4 for difficulty, so if lace motifs are new to you, this would be a good place to start. Or you could try the last one, the Bird of Passage Top by Moira Engel, which also has a 2 out of 4 lace pattern. It does use lace-weight yarn Rowan Yarns Summerlite 4 pply But the lace stitching lies underneath the arm, which seems kind of a waste again, so my preference would take this charming vine pattern and use it elsewhere.

This issue also offers patterns for a camisole, a hat, socks a blanket, and some small house wares. So 16 patterns total and plenty of choices.

You can find it at your local bookstore, newsstand, or here online: https://www.interweave.com/product-category/knitting/knitting-magazines/

[professorpski]

Interweave Knits Summer 2020

Come summer, it’s too hot for woolly yarns and heavy sweaters, so this issue of Interweave Knits opts for lace patterns on cotton and silk yarns. They also have a updated version of an article explaining lace knitting first published over a decade ago by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer. It has large illustrations and shows close-ups of several of the stitch patterns features in the sweaters, so a very useful piece if you are new to lace stitches. Some people like to try a lace stitch in a heavier yarn weight and make a scarf, and then move down to the lighter weight once they have mastered the stitch to make the garment.

The garments themselves come in either cropped, tunic long, of sheer through the shoulders and sleeves. The cover features a cropped Golden Tamarin Tee by Rachel Brockman which has a line of lace on the front but the whole back in lace. That copes with the modesty problem that comes up when using lace stitches, but takes too much emphasis away from the face for my taste. Of course, you can always simplify the back if you like. The most playful of the crop tops in this issue is the Peace Lily Blouse by Jennifer Miller Comstock with ribs above the waist, three different lace patterns, and puffed sleeves above its cuffs. It’s shown with high-waisted trousers. Showing off the midriff is actually a fashion you could see in the 1940s in playwear and evening wear, so I think of this cropped top as date wear. The yellow Marmoset Pullover by Danae Smith has the lace shoulders and sleeves which is a simple solution to the modesty issue. Monsoon Tee is one of the longer ones in this issue done in a pale blue green  with split sides by Susanna Ic who puts all the lace at the bottom. It would work well with pants or a long skirt. 

There are 13 items in all, more sweaters, plus a shawl, and any of the lace stitch patterns could be borrowed and used on other items, plus a crewneck sweater from the latest Wool Studio volume. You can find it at your local bookstore, newsstand or online here: https://www.interweave.com/interweave-knits-magazine/