Showing posts with label Knit Simple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knit Simple. Show all posts

Monday 18 July 2016

Knit Simple Fall 2016: A Review


Knit Simple has released its Fall 2016 issue. Let's have a look at it, shall we?




I like knitted slippers, but it can be difficult to find slipper patterns with a bit of style to them. So many knitted slippers look so clumsy and shapeless. Of this set of four, the striped slippers are rather sporty and fun, and the bunny slippers are fairly cute, but the orange slippers and the raspberry slippers with the fold-over tops have that clumsy look, and the orange ones especially look like something you'd find on a Hobbit.





Of these four pairs, I like the oatmeal ones with the burgundy trim. They're simple but a little finishing detail went a long way. The variegated ones have a great yarn but no effort was made to give them any style or interest, the pointy-toed purple ones look a little too elf-like, and the blue loopy ones would be great for those weeks when you didn't get around to Swiffering your floors but aren't so great from a style perspective.





Wool-trimmed flip flops seem contradictory in terms to me: if the temperature is high enough that you can wear flip flops, do you want wool on your feet? I'd suggest doing these in a cotton at least. The snowflake pair of slippers aren't bad.





Eyelets combined with an interesting yarn is all this scarf needs.





This is one of those simple pieces that are perfect for showcasing a beautiful yarn. A good shape and the bisecting line of dropped stitches keep it looking polished.





This wrap is easily my favourite design of the whole issue. It's relatively simple, but is ever so smart and stylish, and it sits so beautifully.





Basic, but certainly adequate.





The combination of garter ridges and lacework is interesting. There are better yarns for this pattern than this one.





The scarves aren't bad. The gray, white, blue, and red hat looks like it was knitted up of some random scraps. The football looks silly on an otherwise decent hat. The bow hat would look better in colours that worked well together.





This isn't bad, though the colour changes aren't going to have the same look on the other side. I like the idea of putting the child's initials on the blanket.





I like the owl pullover quite a lot, but the raccoon is weirding me out.






These pieces look like a good companion piece for the Swiffer slippers, because if your daughter is wearing this, you can turn her upside down and use her to get those hard-to-reach spots. Slightly more seriously, I do like the capelet, but that lion hat is going to make everyone wonder what on earth happened to the little girl's hair.





This one's a bit better than the last one, but I'm still not sold on the hat. The capelet and the mitts are cute.





The monochromatic colour scheme of this afghan really makes it.





A very good scrap yarn project -- which is to say it looks like a design rather than something made out of odd and ends of yarn.





Quite a handsome piece.





I'd never thought of knitting flower pot covers, but I have to admit these look good. They'd be a nice way to hide a flower pot that's ugly or that doesn't go with your decor. They will get dirty but that's what washing machines are for.





Very basic, but it would look very well if done in a beautiful yarn.





Classic turtleneck with a good shape. You can't go wrong with this one, unless, like me, you don't have the neck length for a turtleneck.





Not bad. The stitchwork is really interesting. I'd raise the dropped shoulders.





This one needs a more interesting yarn to make it work.





A good-looking and eye-catching scarf.

Monday 28 March 2016

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.