Tricotez-vous un bel automne!
The new Fall collection for Phildar landed in my inbox this morning. See the new “l’Automne Femme” magazine here…
Sadly, I was a little underwhelmed… Out of the entire collection, the only thing that I’d like to knit is the massive long cabled coat on page 17. Yum.
I bought the spring Phildar and didn’t make anything either — bubble gum colours just don’t look good on me! But it wasn’t just that — looking at the past few issues of Phildar, it seems that many of the patterns are so similar to each other: wider collar, slightly wider collar, asymmetrical zipper on the right side, asymmetrical zipper on the left side. You could probably buy one Phildar mag and then extrapolate out all the other patterns from there!
The main focus of these magazines is to push yarn sales (oh, and by the way, there are “9 new yarns to discover”) which is fine, since Phildar makes some nice yarns, but somehow I expect more… More thoughtful patterns — not just knit four flat panels and seam them up. More timeless — I don’t want to spend a month knitting something that I’ll wear for another month and then toss. Ah, I don’t know, maybe I’m asking too much. But then again, Rebecca seems to be able to put out more creative patterns for their GGH/Muench yarns and Rowan (if only they could stop including intarsia pieces) puts out some beautiful and elegant items.
Ok, enough negativity and blasphemy for this morning. I’m a stasher and hoarder by nature (you should see me buy cereal) and after all that blather, I might still go out and get this mag. After all, can’t change human nature.
Tags: Phildar
I totally agree with you. I just preview the mag and it seems like its nothing really eye-catching or new. You’ve basically hit the nail on the head with this: wider collar, slightly wider collar, asymmetrical zipper on the right side, symmetrical zipper on the left side.
The Pitchoun collections looks similar to previous ones also. I may have to pass on these… wait, that could possibly help to keep my “To Knit List” from growing any longer.
You were solely responsible for me taking forever going through the Phildar site and extrapollating my one year of middle-school French (ditched it for Latin, much more fun at the time, believe it or not, LOL) to figure out where the free patterns were - and there were so many I wanted to knit! Of course, I can’t READ them, but my husband says we can use it as an exercise for my eldest stepson, who is a third-year French Student in 9th grade already. File this under, “You know you’re obsessed with knitting when…”
True, true. A number of the patterns are cute and fashion-forward, but a knitter must think about whether she’ll wear it after looking at it for a month of knitting. For example, the super-wide neck cardigan on page 9 - very cute, but such a unique piece, will the effort be worth it?
Ah well, at least in Canada you can get the English translated versions at your local shop. Here in California, we need to mail order. Sometimes it is nice to see the actual pattern before you buy the book. You know, in case you have some yarn in stash that would serve just as well, bringing the price down from pattern book + yarn just to pattern book.
Which shop do you frequent for Phildar? I’m looking for a Canadian shop with Phildar which might mail to USA. Thanks!
I think the little lacy dresses on pages 18-19 are cute and different. Of course they wouldn’t look quite like that on the average body.
Perhaps because it’s my first look at Phildar (maybe I have seen others and they just weren’t memorable), but I thought that there were some very cute tops in there! Not extraordinarily original, as everything does seem to be asymmetrical lately, but I wouldn’t mind attempting a top or two… Which is ambitious since I have never made a sweater and am still working on my first nonscarf project…a sock!
I love pattern books, love them, I have over 250 of them (well quite a few are vintage and I’m also counting magazines) but I find myself lately looking at books and saying to myself, I have nearly that exact same pattern in another book. That’s nothing different, I’ve seen something similar to it. This is actually a good thing for me as I already have too many books, but it’s not a good thing in general because it means people are running out of ideas, or more likely the people that are coming up with the new ideas, just aren’t publishing them yet.
I’ve never really looked a whole lot at Phildar, but I do LOVE Rebecca! My friend has tons of old Rebecca’s that she is going to give to me, so hopefully I will be making some fun stuff out of there in the future
I am SURE you will find great stuff to make!
I’m glad there’s nothing I like! I’m behind enough without new beauties to taunt me.
Yeah, their stuff is plain, but I find this a major plus when making their men’s stuff. My beau loves almost all of “Homme Attitude”, book number 418, the 2004-2005 book.
At least you can have a preview of the new magazine on the Phildar website so you can decide whether to buy or not. My problem is with knitting books, I have been disappointed so many times, I lost count.
I completely agree–you’ve hit it right on with your description. I’ve always expected Phildar to be more avant-guarde, but things are pretty blah right now. Perhaps it’s a slump??
I agree too - I’ve noticed that they really seem to be reusing their silhouettes (esp. for wrappy sweaters) and just using slightly different necklines, or yarns, or buttons. This is one book that won’t be joining the others in my collection.
Agree, agree, agree….! And nothing in bigger sizes either.. !!
You’ve hit the nail on the head. I received the same email yesterday and nothing pushes the envelope so to speak. Unfortunately I also have the must have/must hoarde disorder and will more than likely buy the darn thing! Is there a support group for folks like us?
I was also really disappointed in the Phildar Fall issue. Boring, boring, boring.
LOVE the Soft Shetland!! The blend of the color is beautiful. Browns aren’t my favorite, but the way that yarn knits up is lovely. I’m thinking I may have to try it out in the Fall myself! Can’t wait to see the colorway you pick!
The idea of knitting something you’d still want to wear next year is not something Phildar takes into account. I don’t have access to Phildar yarns, so all I can do is look at the patterns and think of yarn substitutions, which I’m sure is not what they intended.
So funny! Nothing jumps out at me either but I’m sure I’ll buy it just to have it : )!
I usually use Knit ‘n Tyme, which is a Canadian shop that will ship the Phildar English versions to the US.
http://www.knitntyme.com/
I have gotten the Phildar Hommes pattern book from them the past few years.
I just saw the latest mags and while I agree in part with your thinking that some of the patterns are similar, I still love Phildar patterns because i) they’re trendy and I like being trendy, ii) they knit quickly, and iii) they’re the only ones that fit me perfectly without my having to adapt them. They’re cut well and drape nicely, unlike some of the other French patterns I see in my local boutiques. Phildar does love to push its yarns and while some people don’t like how they discontinue yarns and issue new ones each season, I personally like this practice of theirs, which is why I can justify their issuance of what seem to be similar patterns.
As someone who has a Phildar shop right down the street, I have to say, the yarn is not so nice. A lot seems like it would be ok when you see it on the ball, but it’s no fun to knit. It’s squeaky and/or scratchy and doesn’t wear well. My exceptions to that rule are Licorne, Coton Microfibre and the cashmere blend. The rest - blech.
Nice blog you’ve got here!
I don’t know much, but i agree with Becky: i do think Phildar produce better fitting patterns than other US or UK firms. Fistly it’s cultural: the french tend to be smaller framed women and to sell unfitted stuff to them would be commercial suicide. They also tend to be more conservative in their following of trends.Remember: this is a country where the fashion week collections are shown and analysed on the main tv news.I have just come back from 3 weeks visiting my parents and i bought the new phildar mag. I knitted up the short cardie no 12 with shawl collar and ribbon trims using Aviso cotton instead of the recommended yarn.It took me 2 weeks. Very straightforward knitting but as usual with phildar it’s a fresh look and the finishing is all important. And with some la droguerie buttons and ribbon i have something really different i want to wear.