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.

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.

Knitscene Winter 2015: A Review

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

The Queen Street Sweater. This is the cover design, and I can't say I agree that it deserves to be so featured. Despite the fact that this design employed a good quality silk, wool, and mohair blend yarn, it looks slightly shrunken and ratty and like something you'd keep for wearing around home. Incidentally, this sweater and the following five designs were given Toronto-related names as the two sisters who designed them are based in Toronto. Queen Street West is Toronto's street fashion, vintage clothing, and textile district; I go down there quite regularly to buy yarn, fabric, or other sewing supplies. Admittedly, one does see understated clothes like this on Queen Street West. It's not Yorkville, which is the high-end fashion district.

Bay and Gable Tunic. This one's better and has a rather nice, polished look. The bracelet-length sleeves and tunic length won't be to everyone's taste but are easily altered. The Bay and Gable name refers to an architectural style that is ubiquitous among Toronto's century homes.

Deep Woods Toque. Cute! I like the leaf motif and the thin line of colour with the matching pom pom. This design must have been inspired by the fact that one cannot live through a winter in Ontario without a toque.

Casa Loma Jacket. Not bad. This would make a nice topper for a cool day. I think I'd shape it a little more generously so it would meet in the front, as it looks a little too small on the wearer this way. I suppose the gray stone-like texture relates the sweater to Casa Loma, Toronto's one and only castle, a Gothic revival style mansion erected a century ago by a Canadian millionaire.

Yorkville Wrap. Attractive and polished wrap. This model would look quite apropos strolling around Yorkville, which as I mentioned above is Toronto's high-end fashion district, the Toronto equivalent of New York's Fifth Avenue.

Little Norway Pullover. A simple yet finished-looking and wearable design. The sweater is both a Norwegian-esque style and has a design that resembles military uniform chevrons, both of which tie it thematically to a bit of Toronto history I had never happened to hear about, the existence of Little Norway, a WWII-era Toronto training base for Norwegian air force personnel.

Red Loop Pullover. Classic cabled men's pullover.

Kaolin Tunic. Love the detailing on this (the collar looks fantastic), but am less than enthusiastic about the shaping. Very loose tunics like this tend to be unflattering on a lot of women. I'd turn this into a standard fit sweater, or at least make it not more than slightly oversized.

Field Notes Cardigan. I like this piece but am not sure about that slightly off-centre front fastening. It doesn't look quite asymmetrical enough to look deliberate and looks more like a mistake than a design feature.

The Hepsemantic Sweater. Nice piece. I like linear quality of the stitchwork, which gives a basic design a distinctive look.

Trapunto Vest. Nice-looking and incredibly useful piece. It's even reversible.

Chamei Pullover. Not a bad design. I'd want to knit this one in an especially attractive variegated yarn to give it a bit of a lift.

Snowfall Sweater. Adorable, except for the neckline, which looks too unfinished for my taste.

Fire Isle Sweater. Love this twist on the fair isle sweater. This design would have been my pick for the cover. I would fix those dropped shoulders, though.

Buffalo Checks Scarf. This has both a collegiate appeal and is adult enough for anyone well past their college days to wear. Also this looks like a great stash-busting project.

Vänskap Mittens. These look a little too juvenile for my tastes.

Northern Hat. Not a bad style, but I'm not liking how roughly the chevron motif was done.

Morphing Cowl. Wearable cowl.

Quetzal Cowl. This cowl is knitted in a scarf-like shape and then the ends are whip-stitched together to form a cowl. I'm not sure that the resulting formation works all that well. The pictures at the link provided show the cowl worn several different ways, and they all look more like something that belongs in a magazine spread rather than a style one would wear in real life. The lacework is lovely, as is the yarn used.

Finial Hat. Ooh, I like this one and would totally wear it.

Hotpoint Socks. Nifty!