First, the facts:

Title: What Else Would Madame Defarge Knit? 28 More Patterns and Essays Inspired by Classic Literature

Author: Heather Ordover

Published by: Cooperative Press, 2013

Pages: 253

Type: Patterns

Chapters:

1. Children Will Listen
2. Ladies Glow
3. Slip into the Dark Side

The In-Depth Look:

Just like its predecessor, this book was great fun–chock-full of knitting patterns inspired by literary greats.

Each of the 28 patterns comes with an essay of why, exactly, the designer was inspired by a certain book or character to make this design … and the designs cover a wide range, from hats to gloves to socks, sweaters, bags, scarves, lace handkerchiefs… even a dress.

It’s a delightful book to page through–the essays are enjoyable and there are interesting tidbits to read scattered throughout. There are plenty of pictures (both atmospheric as well as of the actual knits). Charts and schematics abound, there are blank, lined pages for you to jot down your own notes, and all-in-all, it’s, well, FUN.

The digital PDF version that I’m reviewing has some nice extra touches–links to websites with knitting instructions, or to the books the patterns are inspired by are live. There are also links to recipes and articles and other things that you might find interesting or inspiring. Most pages have a handy “TOC” button to bring you back to the Table of Contents, and the patterns include links to their Ravelry pages (which I found pretty cool).

My biggest complaint was that trying to read the essays that introduced each pattern was frustrating in a two-column PDF format–to have the text big enough to read, I couldn’t fit the pages vertically on my computer screen, so I had to keep scrolling up and down on each page to read from the left column to the right and after about ten patterns, I just gave up (no offense to the writers of the other eighteen patterns). For actually knitting any of the patterns, this would not be a problem at all, of course, and when I copied the PDF to my Kindle Fire, I was able to read the entire page, so … this is likely only a problem if your computer/laptop/e-reader screen is too small to make vertical pages easily legible.

Really, though, this book is fun–interesting patterns with nice, thoughtful introductions … not to mention introductions to some classic books and stories you might not otherwise know.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Cooperative Press. Thank you!

First, the facts:

Title: Just Like Me Knits

Author: Brandy Fortune

Published by: Potter Craft, 2013

Pages:

Type:

Chapters:

1. Everyday
2. Dress-Up
3. Accessories

The In-Depth Look:

There are really no words for how adorable this book is. Cute kids. Adorable knits. And then amazing dolls with knits of their own.

Because, really … the whole thing is wonderfully sweet–in the best possible way.

This book is divided into three sections–practical, every-day kind of knits; fun, playful knits for dressing-up and pretending; and accessories like hats and socks.

All the patterns come in two basic ranges–Child-Sized and Doll-Sized, and heaven help me if that’s not part of the cuteness factor here–seeing not only fresh-faced kids in their handknits, but a group of dolls dressed to match. (The doll-sized socks alone…) There are patterns here for girls and for boys, and they’re pretty much all (darn, where’s the thesaurus when I need it) … adorable.

Yeah, I can’t help it. It’s the perfect word for this book–not only in the sense of “cute,” but just because I can’t help but adore the entire thing. The concept (because what kid doesn’t like to dress their dolls like them?), the patterns, and the photos. Oh, the photos are wonderful. Brandy took all of them herself and, having read her blog for years, I am never disappointed in her photos. She takes wonderful shots and the images in this book are perfectly sweet while showing off the patterns well.

Yeah … it’s all adorable. My only real regret is that I don’t have a little person of my own to knit any of these for. Though I really wouldn’t mind having one of these fabulous dolls, though.

This lovely book can be found at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Potter Craft. Thank you!

Other posts for this author:

• Interview with Brandy Fortune

So first, thank you for stopping by and answering questions about your new book. It’s absolutely adorable. Is it everything you hoped it would be?

Thank you so much for having me, I am excited to see what kind of questions you have in store for me. The book is everything I had hoped it would be and more. The book has 38 patterns, which I like to call my Magnum Opus. I always think back to when I wrote the proposal and I can never fathom how I thought I could write and knit 38 patterns in just one year!

Was it as much fun as it seems, coming up with matching patterns for kids and for their dolls? Or did you find it more challenging than you thought?

I started out with a little outline of what I had in my head such as “cabled vest” “bottom up seamless with something fair isle on the yoke, military style jacket” and I sketched everything out from there. I made modifications to stitches and changed yarn as needed but for the most part I didn’t find that part to be a struggle. It was more just time that was the challenge for me. With two children 4 and under at the time, that was the true challenge. My kids are both fairly active and my little one doesn’t often allow me to sit still for very long. This makes knitting a challenge. It was lots of fun sketching, I enjoyed that part quite a bit.

Tell me about these absolutely fantastic dolls. I want to just reach through the pages and hug all of them.

Oh, yes, that is the best part isn’t it! It was Bamboletta that started it all for me, and later I found Fig & Me. When I was pregnant with my little one I had fallen in love with the dolls at bamboletta.com so I had ordered a special custom one to look just like Sydney, my oldest daughter. They made her blonde haired and blue eyed with pale skin. She was perfect.
So I had become a Bamboletta stalker, watching for doll “uploads” on their website. I think I had collected 2 or 3 when I designed a little jacket for them (the Katie Garter Jacket now in the book!) and the book idea was born from there, fully inspired by the dolls from the start. All of the dolls featured in the book (including the group shot in the back) are a waldorf-ish inspired doll style. Each doll maker has a unique style and I love that, it’s similar to how you know clothing is from a certain designer or a painting is from a certain artist, I do think each individual style is that powerful and I can identify who made the dolls just by looking at it. I think of each doll as a little work of art. The amount of work that goes into some of these dolls from their outfits to the accessories is amazing.

Do you have a favorite pattern in the book?

The owl hat and sweater are very dear to me and I had a lot of fun designing the little owl on my iPad using a pixel art application (basically like an excel grid and you paint with colors in each block). The hat was actually the swatch and shows up in a personal photo in the intro section of the book. I just adore those little owls. In my head I’ve designed about 1,000 other things with that chart. I’m dying to knit my little one a version in fun bright colors.

I’ve followed your blog since, well, years ago when you were still podcasting about spinning and knitting. Did you ever think that would evolve into a book?

When I first started blogging I had some knitter friends who told me I needed to design (mostly because I complained about the lack of seamless kids knits). I can actually recall one of those conversations and I remember thinking, “Yeah sure that would be neat but I’ll never do that.” I did not see it coming, it was just one of those things that evolved naturally over time, once I started designing I began thinking a book would be fun but I did not have any unique ideas for the book. That is the trick with books, an idea that will set something apart from what has been done before, or at least it was for me. I knew I would have a special opportunity to be able to walk up to a publisher at TNNA and ask for their time, but I needed a good idea. I still miss podcasting!

I’ve also followed your posts on photography, and am still awed by your skills. The photos in the book are perfection—any tips for those of us without your experience? (Because yes, I loved the photos in the book. Some of them deserve to be framed, they’re so wonderful.)

You are too kind, thank you! My father is a photographer so I grew up surrounded by it so that is most certainly an advantage. I actually wind up giving lots of photography tips to people we publish in Petite Purls (www.petitepurls.com) because we allow designers to choose to photograph their own work if they want, but we are pretty picky about the quality of photography. We’ve had designers re-shoot 3 or 4 times to get it right. The advice I most often give is to go outside in very large shaded areas, make sure the background doesn’t have any bright sunlight. Get low and get close. Shoot on cloudy days so you get less harsh shadows or around sunset when everything glows. Inside is okay but you have to be near large windows and natural light, arrange the person you are photographing so they face the window, and then stand in front of or beside the window so your back is to the light and the subject is facing the light. Find the light. Take a photo of someone, then go stand behind them and take the photo from the opposite side (turn them around!), then look and see which photo is better. Take photos in more then 1 place. Find the light.

Speaking of spinning—because you used to post about it a lot—do you still find time to spin? Or has that craft fallen by the wayside with the kids, knitting, writing, photography and everything else you do?

My Ashford Joy is safe and sound up in the closet of my bedroom. I’m waiting for my little one to turn 4. There will be less chance of it getting broken if I am patient and wait a little longer. I love to spin, my favorite fiber is combed shetland top or BFL. Now when I go to fiber festivals (like Maryland Sheep & Wool) I focus on buying roving instead of yarn. I have a few spindles, but I prefer the wheel. I want a Schacht Ladybug one day, our a portable Majacraft.

What’s your next project? (Or are you still catching your breath from this one?)

I took a pretty decent design/knitting break once I began the editorial process with the book and a bit after. Right now I am working on a sweet slouchy hat pattern, but I actually have to knit a few more samples from the book for various events so I think that will keep me busy. I have some other ideas I’ve worked on when things are calm, and eventually those will be something I can share!

How do your kids feel about being your models? Do they ever gripe about it? Ask for special, diva-ish, super-model-type treats or bribes? Or are they are sweet in person as they look in the photos?

Both of my girls have been modeling hand-knits from birth so they are used to it and don’t even think to ask for anything in return (though I sometimes give them candy or small goodies). In our house its a lot like cleaning your room, it’s something you have to do and sometimes it results in a treat and sometimes it doesn’t. The most ironic thing was the girls got so used to the dolls being “book” dolls and some clothing being “book outfits” that they didn’t try to play with them or ever ask to wear them. That totally weirded me out, but it makes sense. They knew I treated the items with care and had to be careful, and so they did too.

If everything else were equal and you had all the time in the world, what would you choose to knit next? Something for you? Your husband? Or would you still focus on the kids?

I would most likely knit something for them, I don’t think my husband would wear much beyond a hat. I would love to knit some socks for myself but I doubt I’ll ever get around to it. I have about 100 things I would like to knit for myself but I always wind up knitting for the girls.

You say in the book that you started knitting when a crochet class you’d signed up for turned out to be a knitting class. Have you ever considered going back and trying crochet?

I love crochet, I actually wanted to have crochet in the book. I’m awful at following complex written patterns but I have crochet edging in the book a few places, and I would choose to crochet a blanket before I knit one, without doubt! The knit chevron blanket in the book was in my original vision, a ripple crochet blanket. I suppose that could be another book :) Publishers are very careful about mixing crafts in books, I was very pleased to be able to have the sewing patterns included in the book.

What other crafts would you like to do (practical or impractical)?

Hah, I love that. For impractical, screen printing and crazy messy calligraphy. Typesetting old school style. I love layout and typography. I love wrapping presents, I would love a whole space/studio set up just for wrapping things in lovely ways. I love pastel paints, and charcoal. Charcoal is a favorite, but it’s so messy with kids around–heck it’s messy even without kids around. If I had a proper shed I would. I’m about to set up a darkroom in my garage this spring with the help of my father. :) I would consider that a craft, it’s very physical. I love to try new things and explore. I love to sew and wish I had a hand-sewing mentor so I could master it.

Are there any crafts that you tried that you didn’t like? (Like, say, me and painting?)

Scrapbooking (I would rather do it in a computer), making jewelry (too tedious) using a serger (I can’t thread it).

When you talk about the dolls in your book, you mention how special handmade dolls can be—have you tried making them yourself? Would you consider putting that into a book next? Dolls, their clothes, and matching items for the kids?

I have a head of a doll I started :) I would have liked to have worked on it more, I found a kit online and it came with everything. I can’t have sharp 5 inch needles any place in my house, my 3 year old will find them, and if I hide things too well I forget where I’ve hidden them. I will leave any doll making books to people like Bamboletta and Fig & Me, they are masters at it and know far more then I ever could!

When not knitting, taking pictures, doing housework or kid-wrangling, what do you like to do to relax? (I know, this probably comes out to about 5 minutes a month, but…)

My husband and I watch a lot of sci-fi, and I watch him play video games; I knit while he plays. I would like to go out with my husband, we don’t get to do that enough so that is something I would like to do more of, eventually! I occasionally sneak away into the bathtub and read, a wonderful thing.

Favorite books?

The Lost King by Margaret Weis, the Harry Potter series and Edgar Allen Poe are my all time favorites, biographies and non-fiction. I read a lot of random things, from healthy/diet, education and history to technology and cognitive sciences. Here is what is currently on my Kindle: Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, The Learners by Chip Kidd, The Boy Kings by Katherine Losse, Bowling Avenue by Ann Shayne

Do you listen to music while you knit? Watch television? Or are you too busy keeping one ear on your daughters to allow the distraction?

I like to watch movies while I knit, Netflix is my friend! I like to find a tv series and then knit through a season! I spent way to much money on amazon instant video while working on the book!

Of all the things you’ve made over the years, what are you proudest of? (You know, other than your daughters)

The book is something I am very proud of, and my career outside the knitting world. I spoke at a web conference in Australia, and at many smaller events in Atlanta prior to having the kids. I am very proud of those accomplishments.

My dog Chappy would be disappointed if I didn’t ask you about any pets?

We have Toby, our 10 year old Shetland Sheep Dog. He’s a sweetie and puts up with the kids’ antics. Right before we had the kids, we got a second dog to be Toby’s friend, but Toby as it turned out did not want a friend. :) She lives with my mother-in-law now, she is a very sweet and energetic Golden Retriever named Willow. She appeared on the blog many times, back in the day!

What’s your favorite breakfast food?

Egg Cake! The recipe is on my blog.

If you had an extra two hours in the day, what would you do with them?

Sleep!!

Name one yarn you’ve never tried but would love to knit with.

I’ve been very lucky to get my hands on many different types of yarn over the years. I knit with Sea Silk by Handmaiden once and would love to try more of their yarns, or maybe the new Lorna’s Haymarket. Brooklyn Tweed Loft is probably just as nice as Shelter, or Green Mountain Spinnery.

What is the one thing you would want to say to a new knitter?

Don’t give up! Keep trying, find other knitters, online or in real life.

If you could have a superpower (knitting or otherwise), what would it be?

Oh boy, I would be able to make any child fall soundly and pleasantly asleep simply by singing Twinkle Little Star or by rubbing their arm. It would happen in 60 seconds or less. Not only could I benefit from this, but I would gladly help out any other moms who want to make bedtime a snap. I would be like super Mary Poppins.

Since this IS a site for book reviews–two questions: What do you look for in a book review?

Some interesting details about the book I would not get from reading the back cover, so I get more information before making a buying decision.

Any questions that you WISH someone would ask you? If so, what’s the question–and what’s the answer?

This is a hard one. I don’t really have anything in particular I would like to be asked, I am just pleased to be interviewed to begin with. Thank you for thinking of all the wonderful questions, I particularly enjoyed the non-knitting related ones!
Thank you!

Thanks so much,

Books (so far):

• Title

Other posts for this author:

• Review: Just Like Me Knits (coming soon).

Mostly because I can’t help myself, I wanted to give a shout-out to Juniper Moon Farms for the Spring yarn collection.

First, the facts:

Yarn: Moonshine

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 40% Wool, 40% Alpaca, 20% Silk

Yardage: 100g/197yd

Weight: Worsted

Gauge: 5 sts = 1″ on US 7

The Patterns: Moonshine patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Sabine

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 40% Cotton/30% Royal Llama/30% Merino Wool

Yardage: 100g/218yds

Gauge: 4.75 sts = 1″ on US 7

The Patterns: Sabine patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Yearling

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 60% Merino Wool/40% Cotton

Yardage: 100g/109yds

Weight: Bulky

Gauge: 3.5 sts = 1″ on US 10.5

The Patterns Look: Yearling patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Findley Dappled

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 50% Merino Wool/50% Silk

Yardage: 100g/798yds

Weight: Lace

Gauge: 7.5 sts = 1″ on US 2

The Patterns: Findley Dappled patterns from the new book.

As a matter of full-disclosure, I’ve known Susan Gibbs, the woman behind this farm, since she started her Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm back around 2007/2008 and consider her a friend. My mother and I went to the first Shearing celebration of her flock in 2008, and I’ve been getting her CSA shares on and off ever since. I also test-knitted one of the sweaters in this Moonshine line (the one on the cover, in fact), and helped proof-read some of the patterns. In other words, I’m not exactly unbiased, but I’ve loved every one of her yarns that I’ve tried and am a big fan of her, her farm, and her blog (which you should be reading if you’re not already), so … even though these aren’t the kinds of books I usually review … I couldn’t help myself.

Oh, and for the record, knitting with Moonshine was a dream–beautiful and soft with a really gorgeous sheen. It was a delight. And Findley (dappled or otherwise) has become one of my favorite lace yarns. It’s smooth, even, has a gorgeous shine and blocks like a dream. Just saying.

First, the facts:

Title: Hat Couture

Author: Theressa Silver

Published by: Cooperative Press, 2013

Pages: 54

Type: Strictly patterns

The In-Depth Look:

Because sometimes you just want a hat, and other times you want a hat that makes a statement, that’s fun, that’s playful and eye-catching.

The author writes, “Up until just the last few decades, hats were staples in a woman’s wardrobe, and for good reason. The transformative power of a hat is truly amazing. When a woman chooses just the right hat and puts it on she becomes the person she envisioned herself to be. … A woman who knows how to wear a hat can flirt and be coy or be brash and powerful, knowing that all eyes are on her. A hat is whatever statement you want it to be. It can turn the ordinary into an occasion, and an occasion into the extraordinary.”

This book of 14 patterns are of the playful, attention-grabbing type. Each pattern is named for a star whose sense of style is being captured–Jackie Kennedy, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and so on. They come with instructions not only for the knitting, but also for making the embellishments to go with the hats (a feature which a lot of knitting books skimp on).

Available from Cooperative Press (digital or print).

Want to see pictures? Click here.

First, the facts:

Title: Fresh Design Mittens and Gloves

Designs by: Anna Dalvi, Ellen Boucher, Laura Nelkin, Laura Patterson, Rebecca Blair, Ruth Garcia-Alcantud, Sara Peterson, Sarah Eyre, Sarah Wilson, Sharon Fuller.

Edited by: Shannon Okey

Published by: Cooperative Press, 2013

Pages: 55

Type: Strictly Patterns

The In-Depth Look:

Part of the “Fresh Design” series of books from Cooperative Press, this ebook brings 10 patterns of gloves and mittens from a group of ten talented designers. They cover a range of single-color, multi-color, mitten, gloves, fingerless gloves, simple to complicated.

This book can be found at Cooperative Press (digital only for now).

Want to see pictures? Click here.

First, the facts:

Title: Knitting Pattern Essentials: Adapting and Drafting Knitting Patterns for Great Knitwear

Author: Sally Melville

Published by: Potter Craft, 2013

Pages: 224

Type: Instructional, with patterns

Chapters:

1. Preparing to Draft
2. Basic Shapes
3. Shoulder Shaping, Back and Front Neck Shaping
4. Hem Alternatives
5. Side Shaping
6. Sleeve Alternatives
7. Cardigans
8. Fabrics, Finishes, and Fixes
9. Patterns

The In-Depth Look:

There are more and more books these days about how to design your own sweaters, but there are always niches left open, gaps to fill, and that’s what Sally Melville did here. She saw that there were plenty of books on design, but not on drafting and stepped forward to fill the need.

She writes in the introduction, “We don’t love what we don’t understand. As newer knitters, we often follow published patterns without question–patterns that may not be well written, patterns that may not be appropriate to our skill level, patterns for garments that bear no resemblance to the clothes we actually wear. We finish the garment … or not … and it looks okay … or not. In the latter case, we’re not quite sure what’s wrong but–without breaking stride–we’re off to the yarn shop for more yarn. (Knitters are unfailingly optimistic!)”

What follows is basically a detailed explanation on how to knit the shapes you want. Well, no, that sounds simplistic. What follows is an analysis of the different shapes that go into a sweater (body, sleeves, necklines, and so on). She provides a chart for what combinations work together, and then plunges into details on how to do, well, everything.

Not the knitting part, mind you. The book assumes you already know the basics of actually knitting a pattern. Nor does she discuss colors and drape and fibers … that, she says has been well covered elsewhere (specifically mentioning Deborah Newton’s excellent Designing Knitwear).

No, what she does here is tell you what you need to know to get from point A to point B.

She explains, “This is not a design book. Design is different from drafting, and this book is about the latter–the mechanics and support material that bring your vision to life. Design is about finding that vision–where to look for inspiration, how to choose yarns, what colors work together, how to envision stitch patterns in combination and so on. … Throughout the book, you are the designer, and my job is to offer the know-how that makes your design become a garment.”

Still not clear? Without wanting to frighten anyone, think back to the geometry you learned in high school–the angles of triangles and steepness of curves and how there were certain mathematical requirements to make them work. (“If the slope of line A is half that of line B, how steep will line C be?”) Or, think about the pixels that make up your computer screen–when you zoom in ultra-close, things get “pixelated” and curves suddenly become choppy as you see the building blocks that go into each one … much like a series of knitting stitches being decreased at an armhole.

Now, if you’ve got the vision of a fantastic sweater in your head–you’ve got the yarn and the colors and the stitch patterns all clear in your head, but math and spatial reasoning isn’t your strong suit–this is the kind of book you need. Sally Melville walks you through each step and all you need to do is plug in numbers. (Stitch gauge is this, row gauge is this, neck will be this wide at bottom, this wide at the top, and this deep … how and when do I increase?)

She says specifically, “You will need to ‘do the math’ to draft a pattern. I know some of you don’t love the subject of math, but here’s what I would say by way of encouragement. Read the following to make sure you understand basic terminology and symbols. Then read about fudging, so weird results don’t scare you. … Above all, know that with a positive mind-set, and moving as slowly as you need to, it will all become familiar and comfortable very soon–and you’ll wonder why you ever thought it mysterious!”

See? There’s a LOT of information in here, as she walks you through drafting a pattern from an existing sweater to start, and then letting your imagination go as you crunch the numbers for as many more as you want. (She even specifically says that if this means you never buy another of her patterns every again, she’s okay with that.) As a reward for learning/honing your new drafting skills, there are even 8 new patterns included in the book. All sweaters, because the book is devoted solely to drafting sweater patterns (not gloves, not hats, not shawls).

Really, it’s a wonderful book. Chock-full of information, presented in a helpful and appealing way. The tone is readable and pleasant (even when talking about math), and the information is top-notch.

This book can be found at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Potter Craft. Thank you!

Other posts for this author:

• Mother-Daughter Knits
• Warm Knits, Cool Gifts

First, the facts:

Title: Medieval-Inspired Knits: Stunning Brocade and Swirling Vine Patterns with Embellished Borders

Author: Anna-Karin Lundberg

Published by: Trafalgar Square Books, 2012

Pages: 128

Type: Patterns

Chapters:

Introduction
Albertus Pictor
The Malar Valley School
Tierp Group
Knitting Techniques

The In-Depth Look:

In its own way, this book is a masterpiece.

The author spent years studying medieval churches in Sweden. She says, “Many of the churches are richly decorated with frescos utterly overflowing with luxuriant swirling vines, majestic stenciled patterns, graceful borders, and exciting color combinations. Besides embellishing and framing biblical scenes, painted decorations of various types were employed to emphasize the church interior’s architecture, for example on the vault ribs, around the portals, and bowed windows. In the old Swedish peasant society, for centuries, a person could draw inspiration from these interiors to apply to various types of decorative handwork: furniture making, wood carving and many textile techniques. In my case the inspiration from these fantastic decorative paintings led to … a collection of knitting patterns fur unique hand knitted garments where the painted embellishments have been transformed to contemporary knitting pleasure. A little bit of the Middle Ages to use for everyday–or more festive occasions–in our times.”

The source photographs are beautiful, and the details given–when a specific motif from a doorway or an arch is highlighted and then recreated in knitting–well, it’s gorgeous. The colors, the details, the designs … all uniformly impressive. (Not only for the original, ancient artwork, but for the transposition into yarn.)

The actual sweater designs themselves, though? (Because almost every pattern in this book is for a sweater, mostly for women, but also for men and children.) The sweaters are almost entirely basic, drop-shouldered, color-work rectangles, reminiscent of the Alice Starmore designs from the 80s.

Now, considering much of the point is to recreate the gorgeous colorwork, I understand that the designer would want to keep the “canvas” as simple as possible. Except for some basic shaping at the necklines, there is almost no shaping to any of these designs. The classic, drop-shouldered style (and it IS a classic) is easy to knit–especially when doing colorwork. The problem, though, is that this makes just about every design here … bulky. Square, thick with color, busy with pattern and … bulky. I can’t imagine wearing any of them as anything other than outerwear, and considering how even the models look rather heavy, I can’t imagine these would be, um, flattering to wear.

This is the hard thing, you see. Classic, drop-shouldered pullovers have been around forever … but they predate things like central heating. Most people I know who wear sweaters, wear them around the house, inside their heated offices, or under a heavy coat when they need to go out, and the sweaters here are all a little too warm, too busy, to do that comfortably. (And I remember trying to squeeze my lovely, handknit drop-shouldered sweaters into my coat during the 90s. It wasn’t easy.)

It makes me sad to say that my general inclination with the designs in this book, therefore, would be to turn most of them into things like pillows so that I could enjoy the beauty of the patterns and colors (because they are beautiful), but wouldn’t have to try wearing them. I’m torn, you see, between loving (truly loving) the masterwork of converting the art in those amazing Swedish churches into something modern and knitted and the realization that the finished product looks so, well, dated for modern eyes. Sweaters these days tend to be fitted, shaped, and meant for layering, and these designs, well … aren’t. They’d make admirable outerwear, but if you’re looking for a sweater to wear around the house or out shopping, these patterns probably aren’t for you–no matter how impressively gorgeous the colorwork is.

This book can be found at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

My Gush:

First, the facts:

Title: The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs: Techniques for Creating 80 Yarns

Author: Sarah Anderson

Published by: Storey Publishing, 2013

Pages: 255

Type: Spinning

Chapters:

Introduction: Endlessly Fascinating Fiber
1. Spinning Basics
2. Singles for Plying
3. Stand-Alone Singles
4. Spiral Yarns
5. Opposing Plies
6. Boucles
7. Cable Yarns
8. Crepe Yarns
9. Core Yarns
10. Novelty Yarns

The In-Depth Look:

The author begins, “Fiber and the arts that use fiber have held a lifelong fascination for me. My favorite things about yarn and the making of yarn are the endless variations and possibilities. For the past few years, I’ve been collecting ideas for different yarn constructions and spinning skeins that represent some of these variations. These skeins have become my personal yarn library. This collection goes with me to workshops and classes to be use as examples not only of what we are learning in the class but also as examples of what can be done beyond plying two strands together. … That my friends, is what this book is all about. It’s meant to give spinners inspiration and a sense of what is possible with wool and wheel.”

And from there? This book just takes off into … well, an exploration of possibilities. Even though she states that it’s not meant to be a book that teaches spinning outright, she begins with a really thorough look at the basics. Twist, direction, fiber prep, carding, combing, color blending, drafting … all those fundamental things that are oh, so useful to know. (You might prefer to start with commercially-prepared fiber, but why should you have to?)

But then the fun begins, and she starts exploring different types of yarn construction, ways of plying, fun things to do to make straight-forward, bread-and-butter yarns to flight-of-fancy ones that are just outright fun to do.

All of this … these techniques for 80 different kinds of yarns … is packaged in a beautiful hardcover with excellent photos, a clear layout, and tips. So many tips and sidebars, like the ongoing “great sock yarn experiment” tests for different techniques, or examples of the way certain yarns look when they’re woven. This is one of those books that is so chock-full of information, you can’t read it all at once. In fact, it would be best used propped next to your spinning wheel, experimenting with your own fiber as you go.

That, actually, is something they obviously thought of, because one of the great extras with this book is a series of 64 reference cards tucked into a pocket at the back, meant to be easily portable instructions that you can tuck into a bag or keep by your wheel for reference.

I need to go back and really read all the sections I skimmed over in preparation for writing this review–because it’s one of those kinds of books. It looks like a straight-forward reference that you can dip into and skim (and it is), but you’ll get even more out of it with a long, slow, careful read. Unlike some spinning books, there are no patterns here for what to do with your yarn once you’ve spun it (sidebar suggestions notwithstanding), just lots of detail about how to explore this ancient world of creating thread.

You can find this wonderful book at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Storey Publishing. Thank you!

First, the facts:

Title: Knitted Farm Animals: 15 Irresistible Easy-to-Knit Friends

Author: Sarah Keen

Published by: Potter Craft, 2012

Pages: 127

Type: Knitted Toys

Chapters:

1. The Farm Animals
2. The Techniques

The In-Depth Look:

So … this is going to be quick and to the point.

This book is adorable.

Bright. Cheery. Cute. Lovable. Fun. Sweet.

Yes. All the adjectives I can think of are all of that “cute” variety because, well, it IS.

This is a happy little book filled with cute little faces of three-dimensional farm animals that you can knit and play with. They’re toys, and they seem happy to be so. They clearly all get along together when they pose together and, generally, it’s, well, cute!

I honestly wish there were more to say, but … what else is there other than “Awww!” The cover says “15 irresistible easy-to-knit friends” and, well, they ARE. Okay, the sheepdog looks a bit more like a panda and the cat looks a bit like a raccoon, but does that matter? They’re all kind of lovable.

They’re also knit out of light worsted-weight yarn on US size 3 needles, so they’re not impossibly small and tiny, either. And the primary-color-based photos really ARE cute.

This cheery bit of adorableness can be found at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Potter Craft. Thank you!

First, the facts:

Title: Finish-Free Knits: No-Sew Garments in Classic Styles

Author: Kristen TenDyke

Published by: Interweave Press, 2012

Pages: 159*

Type: Patterns

Chapters:

No chapters, just a list of patterns

The In-Depth Look:

So, be honest–how do you feel about having to sew seams in your knits? Setting in the sleeves? Mattress-stitching up the sides?

Love it or hate it, there’s a lot to be said for NOT having to do it, and Kristen TenDyke has provided lots of reasons not to.

This book is a collection of (mostly) sweaters for women, designed to be wearable, attractive, and … oh yes … to be knitted more or less in one piece. It’s a lovely collection, too–feminine and somewhat fitted. There’s nothing overly bulky, nothing overly fussy, but there are really nice touches to keep things interesting, like bodices knit sideways, or short-rows for shaping seamless pockets (in the “Divine” vest which I really and truly WANT in my closet right this minute).

I like this collection–a lot. It’s got interesting features, simple (but not boring) construction, and everything just looks nice. Yes, I know, “nice” is one of those damning-with-faint-praise kind of adjectives, but it’s sincerely meant here, because the sweaters in this collection truly are nice–good, flattering, easy, friendly kinds of pieces that would fit into just about any wardrobe.

The size ranges vary from design to design, but average about 30″ to 50″ in range. The photographs are clear, attractive, and helpful–nothing “hiding” in awkward poses. There are schematics and tips and … really, I just LIKE this book. I definitely recommend checking it out.

You can get yours at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!