Pom Pom Quarterly | Knitigating Circumstances

I have issues with big sleeves. Two to be precise: they get in the way (for example, when trying to eat) and they don’t fit under a coat. When I balance these two practical concerns against fashion, practicality usually wins. I am also not a fan of bobbles. Again for two reasons: they are a pain to make, and they look funny. So, mark me surprised when the new issue of Pom Pom Quarterly came out today and I found myself intrigued by two sweaters which have both big sleeves and bobbles.

The first is Osmunda by Boadicea Binnerts:

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I think this is super cool. It’s sleeves will get in the way of everything, it is full of bobbles, and furthermore I would roast in a sweater this heavy; nevertheless, I think it is great.

And then there’s Willowwood by Caitlin Hunter:

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This sweater is so not my type, and yet…..it’s rather appealing. This issue of Pom Pom is edited by the incomparable Norah Gaughan and contains some great designers. My first thought on seeing the sweaters was that they looked like armour. And then I read Pom Pom’s description of this edition: “The knits in this issue are imagined for the modern heroine. Create your own knitted armour with swirling cables and sculptural stitch details; it’s time to celebrate texture and sumptuous colours!”

By the way, even though I am not a big fan of bobbles, I do think that they look great with the right project. Here is a photo of Emma in a pullover which I knit for her in my pre-blogging days, Camden, by Ashley Adams Moncrief (from Knitty, Fall 2008):

And a final note on the blog: perhaps you noticed a new banner? Emma isn’t involved much in the blog these days (except as general muse and sounding board), but she has always done my banners (the photo splashed across the top). I have been bugging Emma for months to make a new one. She wrote me last night to say that she had created a new banner, and had set it up so that all of the banners (from seven years of this blog) will rotate randomly each time you visit the blog. Cool, no? I keep pushing the re-load button but have yet to see the new banner! I wonder what it is? Hope you like looking at these snapshots of my blog history as much as I do.

Here is a short and sweet Pattern Radar post. Today, the Pom Pom Quarterly released their new issue (#26) with 11 patterns inspired by the moon and its phases. And they are fantastic! Look at this:

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This is Ixchel by Catherine Clark. Isn’t it gorgeous? This is such a beauty. I think it is a showstopper, and on top of that, it looks like it would be totally fun to knit. Not convinced? How about this beauty?

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I am a crazy fan of black and white knits and this one hits all of the right notes for me. It is practically luminescent. The design is Luna by Anna Strandberg. I think it is so classy, with lovely architectural lines and a modern shape. It makes my fingers itch to knit it!

I’ll show you one more, because I can’t resist:

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This is Artemis by Esther Romo. It is positively swoon-worthy. It has been a long time since I’ve seen a collection with three designs that capture my attention so thoroughly. (And while these are my favorites in the collection, it has 8 other great patterns!)

I can’t end without pointing out two things. First, all three of these designers are new to me! And that makes me all kinds of happy. Second, we see continued here the trend to use more diverse models in knitting pattern design. I mentioned this in a recent post, and am very happy to see more and more designers and publications using models of all shapes, colours, and ages. These beautiful models make me all kinds of happy, too.