#fuyumi ambe

[professorpski]

Vogue Knitting, Fall 2022

This issue is full of color and offers some 17 patterns with 3 jackets, 5 cardigans, 5 pullover, 1 vest, 2 cowls, and 1 scarf. The cover offers a rich, red Lace Diamond Jacket (I am not sure on why a jacket rather than an open-front cardigan) by Deborah Newton which has a lace pattern and combines North Light Fiber’s 2 lace-weight yarns: Spring Street which is wool and Forever Lace which is alpaca/bamboo. Although a lace pattern, it is only 2 out of 4 for difficulty.

The menswear offering is the Doric Pullover by Lily Chin in Woolstok Light, a fingering yarn of wool by Blue Sky Fibers. It is a gorgeous columned patterned, but I suspect that making the columns at the lower edge the narrowest width would be more flattering to the male physique. That change would allow the breadth of the shoulders to be emphasized.

If you are feeling like playing with color, the Octet Vest by Brandon Mably is an intarsia pattern of diamonds done in Rowan’s Felted Tweed which is a blend of wool, viscose and alpaca. It is a 3 out of 4 for difficulty. You can imagine all kinds of different color possibilities in this 9-color garment. Of course, you could choose darker tones or limit the number of colors if you find it overwhelming. As it is, it is a party in a sweater.

Shirley Paden designed the red Feminine Cardi (apparently we are feeling British this month) made of Plymouth DK Merino Superwash which is a wealth of detailed stitches with a shawl collar and a 4 out of 4 for difficulty. Paden also fosters knitting designers with her 2022 Design-A-Long contest and you see here the work of one of the winners, Christine Jones, with the Embrace Cardigan in yellow in Valley Yarn Superwash Sport, a wool yarn. Another winner is the Trellis Cardi by Fuyumi Ambe in a classic cream color is in Trendsetter Yarns Merino 8. Both of these are 3 out of 4 for difficulty.

In addition, there is an article by Meg Swansen on designing a shawl, articles on new products, and on new books, and interviews and articles on designers and dyers. Unfortunately, the photos in the technical article on twisted stitches mentioned on the cover are too small and unclear to be of much help.