Knit Simple Spring & Summer 2016: A Review

Knit Simple has released their Spring & Summer issue for 2016. Let's take a look at the simple knits therein.

I like the concept of this striped child's hoodie, but I wish it was a little more finished. The hemline looks like a mistake.

Very cute faux denim jumper!

Quite like this backpack. I don't know if it's lined, but if it isn't, I'd recommend lining it with a sturdy fabric and possibly interfacing for strength and durability.

Rather a cute little fringed tank for the pint-size nouveau hippy in your life.

The pillow with a pocket for toys is a nice concept, but this particular execution of that concept leaves something to be desired aesthetically.

Kind of cute and fun.

Quite attractively striped. There's definitely an art to creating a good striped knitwear pattern.

Not bad. The shaping is good, and echoing the openwork stitch used in the shoulder area in the hem unifies the design.

This is very simple, but not bland (check out the hem detail), and the shaping is good. Use a beautiful yarn for this one and it'll be quite a polished, useful piece.

Rather a nice lace poncho that should be handy for the beach.

This one needed more work, because I'm looking at it and thinking, "And...?





These are all lovely. The one on the bottom right is probably my favourite, and the one on the bottom left is probably the one I like the least.

I like the cushion, but the long tassel braids on the afghan would drive me crazy. Not to mention that they would lend themselves rather too well to pet ingestion and sibling pummeling.

I can't get behind the concept of a floor doily.

This is a rather nice-looking bag, but those are distractingly ugly handles. If I couldn't find better handles than that, I'd make some by knitting or crocheting over some very strong cord.

This is dead simple, but by the same token it will look good in quite a lot of living rooms.

Nice-looking bathroom mat. The yarn and the grid design of it work well together.

Good looking pillow. That swooping stitch is something new.

Not sure how I feel about this one. The stitchwork is rather interesting, but the long vertical lines give it something of a dragged out feel. I think I might like it better if it were shorter and in a brighter colour.

Very pretty lacy top with excellent shaping.

Sharp little shawl. This would look good with a denim jacket and other casual clothes.

I think I might like this one better if it were done in a yarn with a smoother texture and if it had better finishing around the edges. As it is, it has that "clawed by a cat" look.

Classic Breton-striped sweater. Though I don't know if that garter stitch line in the middle of each stripe is adding much to the effect. Plain stockinette would look just as good if not better.

A lovely cowl.

This one's a bit "I'm going to take these odds and ends from my stash and just make this one up as I go" (not that there's anything wrong with that), but it's cute and useful enough.