Creative Knitting Winter 2014: A Review

Creative Knitting has released their Winter 2014 issue. Let's have a look at all its creative offerings, shall we?

The Cadet Cardi. This is really simple and a bit on the shapeless side, but it's not unattractive and it's certainly wearable. The yarn choice does a lot for it.

Cambridge Cap & Scarf. This is a nice set except for the squared ends of the scarf, which just look strange and club-like. I'd go with a standard end and fringe.

Happy Cheer cardigan. Another plain little piece, but it's serviceable enough.

Jumping Bean hoodie. A third very basic piece. One thing to remember here is that these are items for children, and that those little twerps grow so quickly and are so hard on their clothes that there really isn't much point in making wearable works of art for them to wear to school and out in the backyard or park. So some of the things one makes for them can, and actually should, be simple, sturdy little pieces like this.

Tiptoe Slippers. I've seen this style of slippers before, and I can't say I care for it. It looks amateurish and slapped together. And can anyone tell me whether they actually stay on?

Fan the Flames cowl. Lovely, lacy piece. The yarn used here is beautiful.

Artful Splendor scarf. This is a bit on the rough-looking side, but it works for casual wear. The play of colour and texture give it a lot of visual interest.

Blizzard Hat. Simple little hat in a cheery colour.

Bobbles Beyond Compare scarf. Not a bad piece for a casual look.

Eminence Shawl. This is quite an elegant and polished piece that one could wear anywhere from running errands to a ballet performance.

French Mauve Mitts. Quite like these. They have great texture and look carefully finished and fitted.

Quartz Pullover. I like the overall concept of this one, but it does need some tweaking. I'd raise those slightly dropped shoulders and make those tiered sleeve cuffs fitted rather than flared. A close-fitting tiered sleeve would look less gimmicky and, even better, not get into the wearer's food.

Radiant Tweed Cardi. Not a bad Chanel-esque tweed-like jacket. I suspect it's a little boxy as to fit, but then those Chanel-style jackets are.

Droplets hat. This is a Franklin Habit pattern, and as is usual with his designs it's both whimsical and finished to a truly professional degree.

Echo cardigan. Note to designers: if you make a sad, baggy garment, the solution is to start over rather than attempting to distract beholders by adding a roll of crap around the neck.

Happy Fluff hat. This isn't a bad little cap, though if it is intended to be worn by a person who is over 30 you may want to omit the pom pom.

Poudre Pullover. Oooh, love this one so much I might just get myself a man to knit it for. That is one really fresh and ingenious use of striped yarn and stripes.

Wrapsody shawl. Lovely. I'm not too thrilled with the turtleneck styling of the aqua one, but after peering at the two inset photos, it looks like there are other, better options for how to wear this piece.

Atherston cowl. This is really kind of cute. I was trying to come up with some crack about how it's the perfect piece for those who are always feeling a terrible draft on their necks, and I suddenly flashed back to a time when my younger sister and I were in our early nineties high school days and a friend of hers refused to alter her 80's mullet hair do despite the urging of all her friends "because her neck would get cold". If you know anyone who is refusing to change a bad hairstyle for the same reason, by all means make them an Atherston cowl. Friends don't let friends wear mullets.

Bartlett Cowl. Not very enthused about this one. Both design and colour scheme look a little crude.

Elland cowl. This one is quite pretty.

Hayle Cowl. They haven't given us a very good look at this one (I can see more of the inside than the outside), but it looks fussy and tacky.

Lauren Capelet. I would be in love with this one if it weren't for that ribbing around the inside edge. It looks stretched out and jarringly inelegant compared to the rest of the piece. I'd be inclined to finish that edge off with something else, such as some smaller scallops.

Badin Lake Hat. I am honestly wondering if this was made out of stitched together potholders.

Fontana wrap. As I've said in many a former review, shawls should not look like afghans.

Holiday Flair purse. Yeah, no. Yarn-crafted evening bags, like yarn-crafted jewelry, almost always look too crude and homemade to work, though it's possible to knit them out of materials other than yarn, such as fine gauge wire. But then this pattern wouldn't be elegant if made in any material. It looks like a toilet paper cosy someone upcycled into a tampon case.

Junaleska Vest. This vest looks (and hangs) like it was made out of a bathmat and a towel. Seriously, designers, the modern bathroom is a fine thing, but it is not the place for crafting. Just do your business and get back to your work room or area.

Creative Knitting Autumn 2014: A Review

Creative Knitting is celebrating its tenth anniversary with the release of their Autumn 2014 issue. Congratulations to CK, and let's have a look at the patterns in this issue.

The Alabaster Cardigan. Quite like this one, but then I have a weakness for this sort of warm, comfortable, textured cardigan. There's a certain casual elegance to them.

The Argentine Cowled Tee. I'd like this one if it weren't for that drapery hanging randomly off the front. It looks like some sort of dressing room mishap.

The Hinterland pullover. I don't usually care for the mullet hem, but I actually kind of like this one. Because it and the black panels are the only distinctive touches on this otherwise basic sweater and they work together, it has a certain smartness.

The Ocher Shell. I do like this one, which has both a good shape and eye-catching stitchwork, though the colourway isn't appealing. An attractive solid tone yarn would be a better choice here, because the design is so interesting on its own.

Simply Cozy Sweater. This is dead simple, but the woman who owns this sweater will probably get more use out of it than she would out of three or four fashion editorial-type designs combined. For very basic designs like this, go with a really beautiful yarn in a luscious colour. It'll elevate the resulting sweater into something special.

Trio of Cables pullover. I like this one on the whole, but my one quibble is that the edgings used here at neck, hem and sleeve aren't quite working. They make the sweater look unfinished. I'd maybe work up some sort of lace pattern similar to that used within the cable motifs to use instead.

The Uncommon Cabled Cardigan. I'm wishing we had a full frontal view of this cardigan, because I don't feel I can really be sure it looks good until I've seen one. It might look gracefully draped, or it might look sad and bedraggled. The yarn used here is a lovely colour and looks soft and delightful.

The Balla Vest. Not liking this much. It's square and bulky in a way that is going to do most women no favours.

The Bobble Fun Scarf. Good texture in this piece.

Double Triple Cowl. This one's fine when worn doubled around the neck instead of worn single as it is here, where it looks like a sad flat tire.

Levin Cowl. This also looks nice when worn doubled around the neck.

The Serendipitous Stripes pullover is the cover design from the very first issue of Creative Knitting. It is an appealing piece and an easy, flattering way to wear horizontal stripes.

The Sestina Tunic. This design looks less than half-baked and that dreary yarn choice is not helping. This would not be flattering on most women.

The Sugar Maple Hat is quite cute.

The Vortex Necklace. Not too impressed with this one. The shape is good but rendering it in yarn makes it look too clunky and more like a bit of sweater appliqué on the run than a piece of jewelry.

The Fabiola Cowl. I very much like this cowl, which is pretty and simple and wearable. I wouldn't make it in green or red, though, as that might occasion some Christmas tree skirt jokes.

The Loughmore Cardigan. This one's lovely. The shape is good, the collar sits well, and I like the use of the graphic style cables instead of a more traditional curved cable design, which gives it a welcome modern twist.

The Lyrical Lace cardigan. Quite like this one too. That lace block pattern is actually something quite fresh. I don't recall ever seeing anything just like it.

The Windsor Cardigan is the cover look from this issue, and I think deservedly so. It's very pretty and graceful and yet so wearable.

The Outland Throw. I don't care for this one. I can't see a coherent design in this picture of it, and I don't like the colours.

Wheatland Basket. Cute baskets.

Wyoming Set. These are a little too 4-H beginner knitting project for me.

The Arvada Cardigan. This is very pretty. I love the colours and the shape is rather stylish.

Eme's Dress. This screams "I just wanted to use up some scrap yarn any old how". Scrap yarn projects are not supposed to look like scrap yarn projects. This would be cute in a more unified colour scheme.

Irresistably Darling Cardigan. This is VERY cute, fresh, bright, and pretty. This designer knows how to work with colour, because all those different colours work together so well and the design is so integrated.





A collection of five baby hats. I don't like the purple ruffled one at top right, because the ruffle is just too exaggerated and overscale, but the rest are cute. These are projects you can use some scrap yarn for.