Preview: Koigu Magazine No. 3

What fun!  It's time to preview another Koigu Magazine.  This one should be on your LYS shelves very soon, and as usual, is a mixture of different styles, different types of garments and different techniques, with one common factor: the wow of Koigu color.

Garment shown is Enchanted, by Taiu Landra

If you're a fan of Koigu, like I am, you know that Koigu colorways are like potato chips or M-and-Ms: so delicious it's impossible to limit yourself to one. And I think that is why so many designers like using multiple colorways when they knit with Koigu yarns.  The cover garment is one of several modular garments made with Koigu. I love the way one can acheive a stained-glass-like effect with modular knitting, as with German designer Angela Muhlpfordt's charming blanket with a geodesic effect.

MoMo's Throw, Angela Muhlpfordt

Another showstopper is Maie Landra's jacket, again using hexagons in multiple colors to create a lovely multihued fabric with drape:

Color Vision, Maie Landra

Fair isle and other stranded techniques are another great way to play with multiple balls of Koigu. Check out Barb Brown's wonderful Butterfly Socks, which are shown using several miniskeins of Koigu in random order for the contrast colours (in your honour, Barb, I've added the "u" to "color"). The directions for these socks give the knitter the option of randomly selecting colours for the butterfly motifs that go down the socks, and it's fascinating to me that even though the two socks use the colours in a different order, they don't look mismatched at all.  (Of course, these would also look divine with a single contrast colour of Koigu used for the motifs....)

I love the stitch pattern on the sole of the foot that repeats the striping in a different pattern.

One aspect of Koigu Magazine that I enjoy is seeing how different designers decide to play with their Koigu colors. After noodling around with quilting the past year, I was inspired to take multiple colorways of Kersti and create a brick-shaped patchwork for the front of this vest:

Candy Girl by me

Then it was fascinating to see how the same order of colors I used for the blocks stacked up on the back, when knit in simple stripes.

If you're in the mood for something done in a single colorway, check out Barb Brown's lovely Lucky Lady shawl, done in a blue like the sky on a summer day.

Lucky Lady, Barb Brown

Or how about this stunning cabled sweater from Korean (I think) designer Unjung Yun?

Golden Wings by Unjun Yun

 Laura Grutzeck designed this beautifully-tailored top, great for multi-season wear,

Laara, by Laura Grutzeck

or if you prefer a slightly more relaxed silhouette, there's Anniki Lepik's charming short-sleeved sweater.

Lilu, by Anniki Lepik

Perhaps I"m projecting, because when I designed Candy Girl, I was definitely thinking about Kersti, Taiu Landra's daughter, but there are several patterns that would be adorable on teen and tween girls, as well as women.  Brooke Nico designed this adorable dress (which could also be worn as a tunic), Gamine, with two different lacy stitch patterns (one on the bodice, the other on the skirt).

Gamine, Brooke Nico

 Laura Zukaite created a charming ensemble using a delicious red set of colorways:

Kadri, by Laura Zukaite

Crochet fans will be pleased to see this versatile cardigan:

Garden Cardi, Lindsey Stephens

and Mary Beth Temple's Mitered Crochet Throw shows another stylish way to use multiple colourways:

Mitred Crochet Throw, Mary Beth Temple

(That Mary Beth Temple --NOT to be confused with Mary Beth Klatt, who is a completely different person who had nothing to do with these designs -- also sneaked in a cute knitted cap:)

Beanie, Mary Beth Temple

Totals for those who like the numbers:

• 6 pullovers (3 long-sleeved, 3 short-sleeved)
• 7 cardigans (all but 1 or 2 are knitted, the others crocheted)
• 2 skirts
• 1 dress/tunic
• 3 sleeveless sweaters/vests
• 1 lace shawl
• 1 hat
• 1 pair stranded socks
• 1 knitted throw and 1 crocheted throw
• 1 doggie sweater
• 1 little girl's ensemble (hat, dress, sweater and skirt) 

There you have it: a sneak preview of Koigu Magazine No. 3. It will be arriving in stores soon, or ask your local purveyor of Koigu to order it for you!