Summer Knitty!

Summer Knitty is up!

After compulsively refreshing the Knitty homepage for days, I was thrilled to see the summer issue is out. Then, I was a little disappointed. Just a little. And mostly because the things I love cost more than I wanted to spend. Not a lot, mind you, just more than I wanted to spend.

And now, the patterns:

Hip in Hemp: Love. Love. Love. I am wary of the knitted skirt thing but I think this is really adorable and could be comfy and wonderful. In the recommended yarn, you're looking at $60 for the size I want. In Knitpicks, still about $35. It would be worth it, but I already have stuff in my cart over at Knitpicks and I was hoping for a pattern to bring the total up to just over $45 (to get the free shipping), and this cute skirt would kick me up to about $70 - and I'm just not willing to spend that much right now, especially considering the number of projects I still have lying around. If only I had a little girl hanging around I could knit for...

Zinzin: Cute in concept, and I do love a satin-y bow, but I can only imagine this looking floppy from the front (as in the third image). This would perhaps be cute for a child, with the bows in the back being twee and endearing rather than an attempt at sexy.

Coachella: Not bad, but in general I'm not into knitted tanks. Unless the gauge is ridiculously small (I'm talking US0s or 1s here, and certainly not the 7s and 9s called for in this pattern) I think knitted tanks end up looking too sweater-y.

Askew: As just noted, I'm not big on knitted tanks. However. I think this is really cute over the blouse in the second image. I also really like the neckline - maybe with long sleeves?

Tangerine Twist: Not to be negative, but ew. Shapeless and matronly. Alright, I'll take the stick out of my butt here for a second - the color's not bad and the cable pattern might be cute on a shaplier garment or socks or something.

Sophie: Really interesting. I really love the back view, from the front the collar detail looks a bit choking, perhaps? I think in general it's lovely, the colors and yarn look beautiful. But. Not for me. I do like the color change in the ribbing at the neck, though. Possibly an idea I'd use on a different sweater. I would probably bring the contrast color to the bottom edge, as well, just for the final row or even just the BO row. Gets the wheels turning.

Four pairs of socks: I'm not a big fan of any of these socks. I guess "Coupling" would have to be my favorite of the four, but in general I don't care too much for lace socks. Well, no, let me rephrase. I've never made lace socks and would imagine they would feel strange inside of shoes (and there's no way I'm making socks I can't wear with shoes). Other than that, the Breeze socks bother me a little: all it is is the "Tilting Ladder" pattern from Barbara Walker on a regular old sock. Anybody could have come up with this sock. It's an "insert-stitch-pattern-here" kind of thing. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but I like to see clever, interesting patterns on Knitty.

Unmentionables: Speaking of clever and interesting! I love these adorable bloomers. Love them. They look so great for lounging or sleeping. I worry that they would stretch and get all saggy and gross in the butt, but if done in washable yarn they might work. I would love to make them, but 10 balls of Knitpicks Shine Sport in "Cream" adds up to $25 - not a bad price, but my budget is smaller right now, and at this point, I'd rather spend my money on projects I can actually wear in public.

Wisp: Pretty. I like the buttons. I would never make it.

Prickly Girl: Like I said before, I don't exactly have little girls just lying around to knit for, but even if I did, I'm not sure this would be on my list. Again, the knitted tank thing really isn't my style.

Zodiac: I'm a little confused by these, but I think they're cute enough. If I had a baby perhaps I would make one. Since I have no baby, and by the time I do I will have long forgotten this pattern, it will have to go unmade.

Grow With Me: See comments for Prickly Girl.

Grr: Cute. Really cute. Not going to make it, but really cute none the less.

Chapeau Marnier: I really can't think about hats right now. I might come back to this one in the fall.


Well, there you have it. Seventeen patterns, only two I love, and none I'll be making, at least not in the near furture.