With fall upon us, it is time for a full range of new knitting books. After much delay, Chic Knits: Stylish Designs from Knitport by Phuong My Ly finally makes its debut. Chic Knits offers 16 patterns that, according to Ly, are simple, wearable and chic. This is the same philosophy that has made her Southern California knit shop so popular.
True to her philosophy, the patterns in this book are definitely wearable, if not particularly groundbreaking. But sometimes wearable is far more important than interesting. The Summer Allure Shell is a simple, fitted, sleeveless top with an open weave mesh at the neck. All knitting books have at least one beautiful scarf or wrap pattern, and the Teaser Wrap, with its elongated drop-stitch pattern, is the one in this book. The Tiffany Cardigan is an attractive, simple cardigan, but with nothing special about it.
The Julia Bag is a cute, oversized felt tote with felted roses stitched on. It's fun, multi-purpose, but the fun fur edging is a little too much. The Charm Shrug is a little too long to be called a shrug but too short to be a sweater--a swug perhaps? It ties at the waist but just looks sort of bland. The Honey Shrug is far more shrug-like, and it's dolman sleeves keep it cozy, comfy, and cute. The Itsy-Bitsy Bikini is a string bikini accented with shells or charms on the strings. It's adorable on the model, and if you have the body for it, you could really rock this design, but I still have yet to understand the feasibility of a knit bikini.
The Passion Sweater is one of my favorites from this book, a simple fitted boatneck piece with a folded collar that gathers into an off-center, abstract rose. The Mystique Cape takes the cape back from the vampires, with a hood and cabled edging. The Boyfriend Scarf is a simple unisex scarf with widely-spaced, asymmetrical braided cables. Boyfriend Sweater is another entry into the oversized, shapeless sweater category. But with its lightweight yarn with a nice drape, narrow body and extra-long sleeves, this sweater is adorable, not frumpy.
Don't forget baby: the Baby Cape is a unique piece that looks better for a night home snuggling than actually going out. Hooded, with a hint of teddy bear ears, and a large strap to keep it on. The cape portion billows and hits to the feet.
Chic Knits is a solid collection of wearable knits. --Alyse Wax, Blogcritics.com
