Creative Knitting Winter 2015: A Review

The Winter 2015 issue of Creative Knitting is out. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Contrast Cowl & Cap. The shape of the hat isn't terribly becoming, but otherwise this is quite a smart set.

Scandi Pullover. I like the pattern on this, but it will be a rather bulky and unflattering piece as it's worsted weight and one can't add waist shaping because it would interfere with the pattern.

Take It Anywhere Topper. Nice. The poppy design is quite well worked out.

Mosaic Squares. Some afghan square ideas. Any of these particular squares worked into a full-size afghan would be a little much, but they have started me thinking about what could be done with a pieced mosaic afghan.

Wondrous Wristers & Color Splash Toppers. Er. I'd suggest sticking with the mosaic afghan idea.

Evergreen Cabin Pullover. This is middle of the road, neither bad nor great. A more sophisticated colourway would elevate it somewhat.

Moss on a Twig. Not a bad little topper.

Winter Woods Cardigan. This one's adequate. It's not unflattering or badly shaped, and it's very wearable.

Simple Yet Stunning Cardi. Quite liking this one. The shaping is quite good and it's so flattering.

Stormy Weather Scarf. Nice looking scarf. Though I would not go with those braided fringes, or would at least make them shorter. They're a little too boho for me as is.

Tonal Scarf. Very attractive and polished.

Twilight Stole. The editors have styled this one over a lace dress, which probably means they think of it as an evening wrap, but I don't think it's quite working as one. The pebbled texture and thickness of the yarn give it a casual feel. I'd wear this piece over street clothes.

Chromatic Earflap Cap. This would be cute on a child or on a teenager. It's a little too goofy for a grown man, and judging from the model's sheepish expression, I'd hazard a guess that he feels the same way.

Harlequin Hat & Mittens. If I were going to go with a harlequin pattern, I'd want one more sophisticated than this one, which just looks like a series of blobs.

Loops & Ladders Skullcap. Not a bad simple cap.

Slip It On Headband & Mitts. If it's so cold as to require a yarn this thick, maybe it would be a good idea to actually cover the entirety of the wearer's head and hands rather than only half of them.

Tradition Meets Modern Slouch Hat & Mitts. Love this very pretty and eye-catching set! It was definitely a good pick for the cover look.

XOXO Mitts. I'm really not seeing the benefit of the cross stitch embellishments on these. These mitts did need a little something, but it wasn't that.

Berkshire Cardi. I'm not a big fan of the swing silhouette, but I have to admire this rendering of it. The fitted, detailed bodice, collar, and sleeves make it work. This will look nice and even stylish over a fitted outfit.

Botanical Shield Pullover. Pretty simple sweater.

Crossover Cardigan & Scarf. The cardigan is quite nice, though I would add buttons or a zipper to the front, but I'd nix the scarf. The shaping of the scarf ends make this woman look like she's sporting a python.

Diverging Paths Pullover. Solid classic design.

Wandering Walk Pullover & Cowl. I've seen matching cowl and sweater sets once or twice before, and it is such a great idea.

Creative Knitting Autumn 2015: A Review

Creative Knitting has released their Autumn 2015 issue. Let's have a look at it.

Zig Your Zag Hats & Mitts. The hat is super cute, but I can't say I care for that (slipped stitch?) effect used in the mitts. I'd just use the stripe pattern used in the hat.

Cable & Rib Romper. Nice texture!

Morning Glory Hoodie. A little too plain and undistinguished for my liking.

Baby blanket. Looks soft and cushy.

Sweetly Stripes sweater. Cute, and a great way to use up those odds and ends of yarn.

Woodland Sprite. I've seen better-shaped knit dolls, but this is cute and looks cuddly and any small child would be glad to have it.

Knitted from the inside out afghan. Eyecatching and attractive, with an interesting construction.

Mix and Match Charity Hat. Very simple, but then it's designed specifically to be used for charitable efforts, and it's just as well to keep such an item simple and useful so the knitter can concentrate on volume.

Chain Link Tee. This design is very seventies-era homemaker magazine. No, that's not a good thing.

Fallingwater sweater. Not a bad piece. I'd make the shoulders a little narrower and the piece a bit shorter.

Outerbanks tank. Not bad on the whole. I rather like the vertical lines and the stitchwork. I think I'm even on board with the pieced hem effect in front, but I see a mullet hem in the back, and I definitely can't go for that.

Cable and Lattice sweater. Nice stitchwork and the shaping is okay. Those short sleeves look awkward to me, but that's easily corrected if you feel the same.

Painted Desert Design. Neither attractive nor flattering. Those raised ridges look just plain lumpy.

San Francisco Blues. Rather pretty. I don't think I'd layer a long sleeved t-shirt underneath it. This looks like a summery piece to me.

Boneset Vest. Rather pretty stitchwork, and the style is serviceable enough.

Briarcliff. Not a bad piece. The stripes are very well-designed and this drapes quite well. I would fix the dropped shoulder, though.

Crossing Paths. Classic celtic knot with ribs design. For the woman's version, I'd fix the dropped shoulders, add waist shaping, and neaten up the fit a bit.

Falling Leaves. Quite a pretty and striking design. I'm imagining this done in cream and variegated green yarns.

Hudson Valley Tunic. Asymmetrical graphic designs should be actually designed, not merely mismatched. This presents like a slapdash project made by someone who simply couldn't be bothered matching the patterns at the seams.

Pine Meadow jacket. Cute little jacket, and the intricate pattern on the body gets even more beautiful the longer I look at it.

Sleepy Hollow shawl. Nicely textured wrap.

Warwick Clochet & Mitts. Polished-looking hat and mitts.

Creative Knitting Summer 2015: A Review

The Summer 2015 issue of Creative Knitting is out. Let's have a look at it, shall we?

Brahni Lace cardi. Nice little piece for summer. If you don't care to emphasize your waistline, decrease the height of the waistband on this one.

Caldew vest. It looks like Mary, Phyllis, and Rhoda have a new neighbour. Her name is Beverley and she just loves reminding them that she's engaged and they're not. Also she habitually wears shapeless knitted and crocheted vests that don't sit well unless she poses very carefully.

Metta pullover. Looks rather haphazard.

Vervain Tank. Not a bad look for casual summer wear.

Albany Tee. Standard lacy top that could definitely stand to fit better through the waist and hips.

Channel cowl. Nice cowl. If you wear cowls in the summer.

Dawning sweater. Nice lace pattern, but this shaping wouldn't look good on too many women. This model is barely getting away with it. I'd fix the dropped shoulders and the potentially awkward sleeve length and make the body a non-cropped length.

Headwaters Tank. I like this sheer tank until my view travels down to the very unfinished-looking hem.

Indus top. Looks like a cowl that got too big for its lot in life and decided to try to pass as a top.

Riverine tank. Baggy and crudely shaped.

Anise Wrap. Lovely and polished, with terrific texture and shaping.

Fen Neckerchief. Not a bad little wrap for summer.

Meuse shawl. I wish I could get a better look at this. What I can see looks okay, though that is a rather muddy-looking colour.

South Beach scarf. Pretty texture and colourwork.

Summer Morning Sky shawl. Another pretty little piece.

Elise Dress. It's a bit on the lumpy and bulky side, but it is cute enough. I do have my concerns about how open those sleeves are and what can be seen through them from the side view.

Her Darling Accessories. Cheesy.

Honeysuckle Tunic. Cute if slightly shapeless little tunic.

Wild Indigo Blanket. Striking and contemporary.

Canyon Cowl. Pretty.

Coastline Hat. It's a bit afghan-y in design, but I suppose it's not a bad little piece if you wear knitted caps in summer.

Dock on the Bay Tote. Very cute bag. I would want to line it to keep it from stretching out.

Moving Currents cap. Nice little cap.

Sand & Sea Mat. This doesn't look big enough to be useful for the beach.

Seashore Pillow. Not a bad pillow design. I'd like to see this in a more interesting colour.

Seven Seas Pillow. Too granny's afghan for me. A less traditionally afghan-like colourway would help.

Soft Shells Runner & Stitch Blocks. The idea here is that these squares can be assembled to make napkins, washcloths and a table runner, but I don't think the square designs work together well at all.

Sunroom Throw. These two colourways aren't doing anything for each other.

Under the Boardwalk. The pattern descriptor refers to this hat as "ultra-chic". Um, no. Putting some effort into the colourway might elevate this hat to cute, but I fear chicness is not its destiny.