The new Rowan magazine plopped onto my doormat this morning. So I settled down with a cup of tea for a read.

I have something of a love-hate relationship with Rowan. Back when I got into knitting again in late 2000/early 2001, I discovered Rowan yarns and joined Rowan International. At this point, I was a fairly green knitter and all the designs seemed impossibly complicated. I kept my membership up because I was always determined to knit a design from one of the magazines. And then when it got to the stage that I was a better knitter, I was too rotund to fit into any of the designs!

Of course all that is now something of a moot point. The sizing is more generous and I am less like a Weeble. And there are some lovely designs in this issue. My favourite is Honeysuckle (bottom right) which is knitted with Kidsilk Haze and is in essence a circular shawl with sleeves. Except because this is a British magazine, the circular section is knitted flat and seamed. But truly, it wouldn’t be hard at all to knit it in the round instead, and the same applies to the sleeves for that matter. Which means no seaming (and who would want to seam using Kidsilk Haze?!) and a much more enjoyable knit.

The other deisgns I like are all mainly very feminine, but I also like Flamborough (top left) which is the complete opposite, but I love the side-to-side construction and the fact that it looks so snuggly.

I think I might even be inspired to look through my stash and queue a few of these pattens.