New England Knits Review

Better late than never, right? :)

New England Knits Review! This book is by Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa LaBarre. This was the book I got for my birthday that I liked more than I thought I would. I bought it based pretty much solely off of the Brattleboro Hat that was featured in the Interweave magazine because I liked it so much.

Patterns
Hampton Cardigan - - Love the look of the garter and lace. Usually not a fan of hook and eye closures, but these larger ones look really good.

Chelsea Skirt - - this skirt has a nice structure to it, which is often lacking in knitted skirts. I think the lace peeking out of the bottom is cute.

Ashfield Cardigan - - Simple and cute. I like the lace on the sides of the front. The closure at the top looks a little flimsy to me, but that would easily be made thicker or deviated from.

Auburn Top - - Love the neck opening on this one! Not so much a fan of the sleeves. The rest is a nice simply top with a nice fit. This is in consideration to make.

Groveland Satchel -- Looks nice and sturdy. I like that the strap is thicker than on a lot of patterns.

Northampton Neckerchief - - Cute and simple. I really like the colors they used.

Greylock Tunic - - As a fan of tunics I really like this. I even love the ruching, but think it’d be nicer with some decreases and increases worked to make it go in more so more shape was provided to the body.

Fairfield Sweater - - Not as much a fan of this. I think it would look nice much smaller as a child’s top. As I think of it as “cute”, but not something I would wear.

Whale Watch - - This is cute and would be a nice color-work project.

Brattleboro Hat - - Well we all know how I love this pattern. I’ve made 3 variations of it so far! I love the contrast of the band against the moss stitch. Plus we all know how I love variations of moss stitch!

Greenfield Cardigan - - Love the garter stitch, love the texture. I am also a fan of the raglan construction. The simple leaves add a nice touch. Nice, simply, looks comfy.

Portland Mittens - - Not so much a fan of these, but am not a mitten fan in general. The honeycomb texture with the wispiness of the yarn is not appealing to me aesthetically.

Melrose Peacoat - - I like the look, love the moss stitch. I would add a little waist shaping as I would wear it as a cardigan, not a coat. Love the little detail on the back.

Augusta Cardigan - - Love the cables. I like how it is not over done, the back is left nice and simple. The same with the sleeve, just a simple cable. I also like how the V-neck is not too deep.

Mystic Pullover - - Love the neck! I also like the hidden pockets, actually super love the pockets. Don’t so much care for the front detail, but that is easily changed, but I do like it on the back. I just think on the front, it is too much detail.

Montpelier Jacket - - Not really a fan of the military inspired button placket. I think it makes her look a little too much like a lock box. The rest of the sweater is a nice simple sweater.

Providence Hoodie - - Absolutely love the texture in this! I think it wavers very close to the line of being too much, but I do like it. Love the dressed up yet thermal feel of it. I like that hood stitch ties the hem back into the garment. Definitely being considered!

Salem Hooded Jacket - - Love the texture and pockets. I am not so much a fan of the snaps, I would probably use buttons instead. The ribbon is also something I don’t much care for, but it would easily be omitted. The hood seems a little small, but the can be altered.

Derry Raglan and Cowl - - I Like the little detail and the cowl. I think I would probably like it if the cowl was actually attached, more like a turtleneck sweater.

Old Port Pullover - - Super love this! I think the cable shaping is lovely and I like that it continues up into the lace. This is definitely a consideration on the to-do list.

Lewiston Striped Vest - - It is shown more like a tank top, which I personally don’t so much care for. I think it would probably look good as a vest though. I like the stripes and the thick hem band with the buttons. I think the detail of the little button on the shoulders is cute and a good visual tie back to the hem.

Middlefield Pullover - -Not a fan of this one. The asymmetrical ribbing is going to show any curve . . . good or bad, because the ribbing is going to pull and distort with anything that does not go straight down. From the pictures in the book and people’s project pages on Ravelry, I don’t think this is going to be a flattering top on any female, maybe a man who is in really good shape, that’s it.

Cranston Coat - - This looks a little over done to me. I am not so much a fan of the panels and the middle one is not placed on the correct height for the model. It might look nice if it was placed at her waist; instead it pulls oddly and makes her shapeless from the front. It looks better from the side.

Montague Bulky Lace Vest - - I like the back of this and the general shape. I think the contrast of so much ribbing in the front with so little lace makes the model look bigger than she is. I would make the lace panel in the front wider somehow to balance the front out more.

Windsor Warmer - - Interesting, but not so much a scarf or cowl knitter. Looks nice though and the lace design is pretty.

Overall: Pleasantly surprised by his book. Honestly thought it would be a book just to look at and potentially give away. Love it though and hope to make a few of the items out of it!