Preview: Koigu Magazine No. 4

As a longtime lover of Koigu yarns, I was pleased to welcome Koigu Magazine into my heart and life. I got to see a stunning Koigu fashion show at VK Live, with several of the garments from the new magazine, and left with a brand spankin’ new copy of it in my hot little hands. Since Koigu Magazine is arriving in yarn shops even as we speak (rumor has it that Loop‘s got it in stock), it’s a perfect time for a preview.

One of the standout pieces in the Magazine is the cover sweater, the Dandy Shawl Collar Jacket, designed by Unjung Yun. Here’s a full-length shot:

The jacket uses KPPM in neutral colors and a cushy brioche stitch to create a fabulous and cozy belted jacket with contrast collar. I saw it modeled at the fashion show and it’s a wonderful design that could be worn with a lot of different outfits to achieve a lot of different looks.

Unjung Yun creates another standout garment with her Dark Night Rose jacket–a tour de force in luscious warm shades of KPPM, using charcoal to highlight the hexagon shapes.  Wow.

Unjung completes her hat trick with a wrap knit with diagonal motifs. This is one of those garments that you need to see in person to see how cleverly designed it is, creative and eminently wearable.

Now I know that designing for Koigu Magazine is not a competition, but if it were, Melissa Leapman would be right up on the winner’s stand with Unjung, given that she produced several beautiful pieces for this issue. The Eliza cardigan makes good use of multicolor Kersti, using a clever cable-like pattern to mix those colors around.

Rebekah is a gorgeous piece, elegant in its simplicity, knit in a semisolid Kersti using a smocked stitch pattern.

Rihanna is a triangle shawl with crochet trim:

while the Sienna Vest (also knit in Kersti) is a drapey layering piece with lots of texture:

I’m also very partial to the Boyfriend Cardigan, designed by Maie Landra in the newest Koigu, Koigu Bulky. It’s cozy and quick-knitting, and this cardigan shows off the beautiful dyeing to perfection.

Other favorites: Anniki Leppik’s Rainbow Love tunic/dress:

Maie Landra’s Contrasts Vest Jacket

Janice Sumpton’s York Vest (look at all those modular squares!);

Angela Muhlpfordt’s Sound of Waves sweater:

and Barb Brown’s Picot-Edged Vest.

If you are looking for accessories, you’ll definitely want to check out Susan Elliott Beatty’s Fair Isle Cowl::

Laura Zukaite’s legwarmers;

Rhonda Fargnoli’s boot toppers and matching cowl; or Lindsey Stephens’ Geo Hat and Mittens.

I was very pleased with the way my Bird of Paradise Mittens came out:

and you can check out Kersti Landra’s hat designs (here’s one knit in the yummy Bulky):

Expecting a baby in your life soon? My Log Cabin inspired blanket knit in Kersti may suit:

or check out Unjung Yun’s crinkly blanket.

Don’t miss the Maie Landra shawl made of miniskeins on the back cover (I almost did).

Of course it’s hard for me to be objective, but I wrote two short articles for the magazine that I think are worth checking out. One is a profile of Mary Beth Temple, a crochet and knitting designer who has had a very interesting career, including costume work for Broadway and television. The other is an interview with a knitter named Judith Mason Poole who is a collector of one specific colorway of Koigu. I thought it was fascinating to hear her tell why she is so entranced with this particular colorway and describe how she uses different dye lots of the same colorway. Rhonda Fargnoli, who teaches at RISD/ce also contributed a lovely essay about using a Korean fiber tradition in her teaching.

Summing up, all of the garments in this issue of the Magazine are for women, with two blankets/throws in the home dec department. Of the women’s garments, you’ll find five cardigans; four vests; two dresses; two pullovers; three cowls; one triangular shawl and one shawlette; one capelet; one set of legwarmers; bootoppers; two pair of mittens and one pair of handwarmers; three hats; a scarf; and a pair of crocheted pants. (Yes, crocheted pants.)

Koigu Magazine No. 4 is available at many fine LYS all over the world.