Knit Simple Winter 2015: A Review

Knit Simple has released its Winter 2015 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?





A selection of fairly traditional afghan patterns. Any one of these would be quite attractive and serviceable if done in a beautiful yarn. My favourite is probably the ripple stitch afghan.

This coat would ordinarily not be in my wheelhouse at all, but I like it. There's something so rhythmic and pleasing about the colour blocking that even the dropped shoulders work. The design has both a sharp graphic appeal and elegantly relaxed lines (love the collar). The one tweak I might make is to do something different with the buttons, such as adding more.

While this poncho has clearly been shaped with some care and has some good points, it's still too big and shapeless to flatter its wearer.

So blah. This is like oatmeal with nothing but oatmeal in it.

The contrast colour pocket lining and button band are supposed to be design touches but they make the sweater look poorly made and unfinished. This design needed to be taken several steps further.

These mittens would be cute on a five-year-old.

These mittens need some detailing. Any detailing. Well, maybe not a single big heart on the back of each mitten.

The striped version isn't bad. A grown woman could wear these without feeling like she might have to hand over her adult card.

Okay.

Presentable.

Not a bad pattern, though that thumb does appear to be weirdly larger than necessary.

These look more than a little roughly designed to me.

Classic cabled mittens with a good shape.

These look weirdly disjointed and disproportionate, as though the cuffs and the hands don't belong together.

I like the hat and the cowl, but not together. The change of direction in stripes is making me all twitchy.

This looks too slapped together. And too Charlie Brown.

Good stitchwork and yarn combination.

These pom pom boot toppers would be kind of cute on a kid, but they will also get incredibly filthy very quickly.

Okay. Just okay.

This looks like a child whose parents got behindhand on the laundry and sent her off the school in the Christmas tree skirt.

Rather an effective combination of stripes and mosaic stitches.

Quite liking these pillows. They have a very modern, graphic appeal.

Too afghan-like. If your couch can look better in something than you can, it's probably best to let the couch have it.

This is... okay. I'd like to see it in a more sophisticated colourway.

Love this afghan.

Big needle knit cowls can look good with the right outfit, but they really aren't my style or my kind of knitting. This one looks as though Vickie Howell stuck her head through a cat-created tangle of yarn.

Knit Simple Holiday 2015: A Review

Knit Simple has released its Holiday 2015 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?





Ten bootie designs. Cute but basic.

Bunny, Mouse, and Bear. Not bad, but I've seen much cuter knitted toys.

Bobble Cowl. Please do not try to cut back on your holiday decorating expenses by putting a mini Christmas tree skirt and Christmas lights on your child. What money you save on a Christmas tree now will be more than negated by the therapy bills later.

Woven Lines Cowl. This cowl isn't bad, but I would forego the contrast yarn that's woven through it as I don't think it's adding anything.

Bows Cowl. This looks a little too thrown together for my tastes, but it isn't terrible. The bows are kind of working. I do wish the body of the cowl looked a little more finished.

Marled Cowl. Nice on the whole, though I am not liking those colour transitions, which makes the cowl look it's wrong side out.

Striped Cowl. Not bad. I like the stripes and the colour combination. The decorative pom poms are working better than I would have expected.

Cat Blanket. Move over, Grumpy Cat; Malevolent Cat has come to town. Not a bad child's afghan though. It is cute and fun.

Knitted Mice. These knitted mice are more than a little trigger-y for me right at the moment because I a) live in an old house with a chronic mouse problem, which means I sometimes have to deal not only with live but dead mouse and watch my cat Trilby crunch down his latest hunting trophy in under 30 seconds. So yeah, my reaction to the idea of a knitted mice pattern is basically WHY THE HELL WOULD I ADD MORE RODENTS OF ANY KIND TO MY LIFE. I know a reviewer is supposed to be more objective than that, but you see how it is.

Cat Scarf. The idea of a cat scarf for a kid is kind of cute but I don't think it got the execution it deserved here. Those cat paws look a little too disturbingly like teeth.

Cat-Motif Mitts. These will do. They're cute and easily whipped up.

Cat Bag. The pouch isn't badly made at all, but the eyes and the nose could be much more attractively done.

Cat Bed. Not a bad plain crocheted cat bed.

Cat Hat. The autumnal colour is making this present more like a Leaf Hat.

Cabled Turtleneck. Classic cabled sweater and therefore it's fine, though I suspect it could do with some waist shaping.

Cabled Cowl. Basic, but it's definitely presentable and quite wearable.

Basket. Basic as it gets, but if you can use a knitted basket, go for it.

Ribbed Pullover. This could be a sample shot from the 1980s, but (at least in this case) there's nothing wrong with that. A classic shaker knit sweater is always a nice thing to have in one's wardrobe. I will say I'm not crazy about the colour and that I'd neaten up the fit a little.

V-Neck Cardigan. I'm liking this one more than anything I've seen in this issue yet. Nice texture and detailing. It does deserve a better yarn choice though. What's with the pinkish yellow yarn choices?

Cropped Jacket. If you have been looking all your knitting life for a design that will make the wearer look as though she's mushroom-shaped, the search is over.

Cabled Afghan. It's hard to go wrong with a classic cabled afghan.

Textured Cowl. I like a cowl, but cowls can sometimes stray into that unfortunate "inner tube around the neck" territory, and this one has not only gone there but has also set up shop there.

Crocheted Squares Afghan. This one has a nice graphic appeal.

Knit Blocks Afghan. Quite nice. The chevron pattern is simple yet striking and effective.

Snowflake Mittens. Cute. Though I'd be more inclined to put these on a child than on a grown woman.