Review of Pom Pom Quarterly Autumn 2015 Issue 14

Receiving the latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly through the letter box is always a pleasure; not only because of the thrill to see the beautiful patterns and photography inside, but also due to its lovely wrapping in tissue paper with a personalised thank you tag.

Firestone image courtesy of Rainbow Heirloom

This morning's arrival was very opportune. Before I looked at the post I'd ordered three skeins of Rainbow Heirloom Lush DK yarn in Firestone, a bright and cheerful pinky-orange. It's this month's limited edition dye from Rainbow Heirloom's colour club.

On opening issue 14 of Pom Pom Quarterly I saw the perfect pattern for the Firestone yarn and coincidentally it's designed by Alexa Ludmann, one half of Tin Can Knits, the other half being Emily who also runs Rainbow Heirloom yarns. It's called Hitchcock and is a unisex design. I may also knit it in a grey for my husband, once I get the half-finished jumper I've been knitting for him for over a year out of the way.

Hitchcock imagecourtesy of Ravelry

What attracts me to Hitchcock is its seemingly simple design with the few buttons coming down from the neck. It's a jumper that will show off the subtlety in a hand dyed yarn very well. Looking closer at the pattern it's not so plain as it first appears: there's some detailing around the neck and shoulders that relay add to its appeal.

The theme for issue 14 is wool. The patterns all make the reader want to snuggle up in front of a fire with needles and yarn to create something cosy to cocoon yourself in. There are ten patterns in total (one of which is crochet) and it struck me that this issue there are a few easier patterns than usual for those with more basic knitting skills to try out. Hitchcock is one of them, but there's also the Pianissimo scarf, which features a basic cable pattern, and Karusellen, a fun hat with folk horses on for those wanting to practice their intarsia technique.

Aside from Hitchcock, my favourite pattern is Woodland Tales, a pair of bright and very fun-looking mittens with a cable pattern on the front. These look like a great stash-buster project.

All in all this is another great issue from Pom Pom Quarterly and I'm extremely tempted to bake the Pumpkin Spice Cake, the recipe for which is an added bonus!

Pom Pom Quarterly costs £9.50 for a print and digital copy. A four-issue subscription sells for £30 on the publication's own website.