Crochet Piece from Rowan Magazine 63, Spring/Summer 2018
This year, I attended Vogue Knitting Live in New York City with my
friend Stephanie, owner of my local yarn store,
Uncommon Threads Yarns. One of the huge advantages of attending
this knitting convention was the opportunity to see Rowan's fashion
show previewing designs from Rowan Magazine 63,
Spring/Summer 2018, which will be released later this month.
I photographed my favorite pieces, including several striped
cotton tops:
You may notice that I took photos of the backs of all the
knitwear. The unique opportunity that a fashion show
provides is the ability to see a garment from ALL angles.
Most pattern photos don't really provide this, and it's
really important. For example, look at this poncho:
Isn't it gorgeous from the front? Now look at it from the back:
The statuesque woman wearing this cape looks enormous
because of all the fabric in the back of the cape. Imagine a
normal-sized, curvy woman in this! Nope, not for me.
By contrast, the Urchin Wrap from Rowan Magazine 61
looks great from the front AND the back:
So I added this shawl to my "must knit" queue.
Most of us don't have the opportunity to see new knitted
designs up close, which is why I took so many photos for you.
I am also adding more Rowan patterns to my "to do" list
than usual because I watched them in action, and I could
tell they would be right for me. Here are my top two picks:
This top is a crochet design by Marie Wallin made in Rowan softyak dk.
My second favorite for summer is this lace panel cardigan:
It is knitted in Rowan Creative Linen Yarn
I am sorry I don't have pattern names for you, but the magazine
has not been released yet in US yarn stores, so I don't have it.
I was really surprised by how much prettier these summer
lace garments looked up close. Usually when I see garments
like this in a magazine, I am intrigued but not captivated.
Then, I turn to ravelry photos, seeking women of my
shape wearing the garments to imagine how I would
look. But some of those photos are not great either and
do not really capture how the garment would look with seams
straight on the shoulders, etc.
Rowan design by Kaffee Fassett Magazine 63
However, I have one complaint of the fashion shows at
Vogue Knitting Live: Why did they use such unrealistic
models? For heavens sake, look at the model in the
photo above and then look at the women in the
audience below. Tell me this, do they look at all
the same? Please, please, please, yarn companies, I
implore you: Put normal-sized women in your fashion
shows as models! New York Fashion designers like
Christian Siriano and Lane Bryant are clearly
ahead of the knitting industry in this area,
and it is time for everyone to catch up!
Some final designs I loved from the preview, all inspired
by porcelain:
Martin Storey, "Wedgewood"
Lisa Richardson skirt suit
I had the great privilege to participate in a different fashion show,
Rowan on the Runway, which was probably designed to address
the issue with unrealistic models by inviting amateur knitters to
walk the runway. I think it is really a wonderful idea and I was
honored to participate. My friend Stephanie joined me and
we had a delightful time:
Me in Madame Butterfly by Marie Wallin
Twisted Cable Pullover by Sarah Hatton
Stephanie appeared a second time in the show, wearing a
fabulous stranded cape in Rowan felted tweed aran:
Stephanie won third place in the fashion show!!!!!! {Applause}
I have no other photos for you of our fashion show, because
I was IN it, which meant I couldn't take any photographs as
I spent almost all my time backstage, behind a black curtain.
But I will say that all the participants were all shapes and
sizes, and had found a way to adapt some really beautiful
Rowan designs to flatter them. And they truly had a real
passion for knitting and great designs. It was truly a
joyful experience to meet them and hear their stories about
their favorite projects!!! Also, I received two balls of Rowan
cashmere tweed yarn as a thank you gift, which I was really
excited about. That yarn is really scrumptious, I'll be posting
a review of it soon here on my blog.