Pattern Review: Knitty First Fall 2011

So the new Knitty is out! And, predictably, my favorites are the socks and lace, 'cause that's how I roll.

The above pattern is a new one by Elizabeth Freeman, called Rhodion.  One of the girls I work with brought in her nearly-completed Aeolian to cast off, and I fell in love with the pattern all over again.  Lace patterns sometimes look thrown together, without much attention paid to the dimensions and balance of the different motifs.  Elizabeth Freeman's lace designs always have a certain something - a lovely juxtaposition of shapes, or some interest at the hem - and this one is no exception.

The second is this pair of socks called Lingerie, by Maria Näslund.  I've been really loving socks that come to a point on the top of the foot - it really does feel like a retro lingerie detail.  Maybe I'm also thinking of sewn fagoting, as seen on Colette Patterns' tutorial?  In either case, I am highly likely to knit these, although probably not in white.

Annnd another pair of socks, these ones called Inlay and designed by Hunter Hammersen of Silk Road Socks fame.  (Which, by the way, is an absolutely stunning collection of socks, if you haven't seen them yet.  It's totally on my to-buy list.)  These socks are just detailed enough to be interesting, but built on the most basic of architectures.  I think that, done in a neutral or dark blue, that these would be excellent man socks.

So these are my favorites!  And what about the rest of the issue?  Well... I wasn't in love with this one, I have to say.  It seemed like there was less variety than usual, and although the socks and lace certainly delivered as per usual, the garments held little to no interest for me.  These last few are designs that I like in principle, but which I absolutely know would not work for me.

I like a lot of things about this one, called Date Night by Nikol Lohr, but my overall reaction is rather mixed.  I like the neckline, and I like the color, and I like the lace.  But the cut of the sleeves and the cropped length would totally not work for me.  As I may have mentioned before, I'm top heavy, so I don't need any more help looking broad in the shoulders and chest.  The broad line that the cap sleeve creates for the overall silhouette would not be so good on my figure.

This is (yet another) gorgeous Stephen West design.  Seriously, this guy is not only insanely talented, but also prolific!  This one is called Creekbed and features his signature colorblocking and interesting construction.  Sadly, I am not a colorblocking sort of lady.  I knit Akimbo and enjoyed it, but tried it on and it just... wasn't me.  Which is sad, because as a young designer, I really root for him.

The last is a Laura Chau pattern called Darrin.  This looks super comfortable, and I really enjoy the sleeve details, but it's another issue of personal style.  I can't pull off self-belted sweaters, and tunics are iffy.  But I will just say, it's knit in Fiber Company yarn, so putting it on is probably like being covered in kittens.  Sigh.

What did you guys think of the new issue?  Which designs wouldn't you knit, and which ones are you currently scheming to cast on ASAP?

All photos copyright knitty.com and the respective designers.