Knitting Scholar » How-To

Review: The Knitter’s Book of Socks

--Deb — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:08:53 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: The Knitter’s Book of Socks: The Yarn Lover’s Ultimate Guide to Creating Socks that Fit Well, Feel Great, and Last a Lifetime

Author: Clara Parkes

Published by: Potter Craft, 2011

Pages: 207

Type: Patterns and how-to.

Chapters:

1. What a Sock Needs
2. Fiber Foundations
3. The Yarns
4. Stitch Tricks
5. The Patterns

The In-Depth Look:

Clara begins this book by saying,

Socks are the breakfast of our knitting diet, a physical and metaphorical underpinning to our day. They get us off to a good start, send us out into the world, and give a good indication of how the day will go. Is the cuff too tight? Frustration and discomfort from the get-go. Fabric won’t breathe? A stifled day. Has the foot sprouted a hole? Or two? A sense of sloppiness prevails–along with a fear that you’ll have to remove your shoes and expose your secret to the world. But when fiber, twist, ply, stitch, and foot unite in a wholesome, well-balanced, nutritious breakfast, the day is yours. You are proud, comfortable, confident. ‘Why yes,’ you quickly answer, hoisting up your pant leg and slipping off your shoe for a better view, ‘I did knit them myself. Aren’t they fabulous?’

Now, I don’t know that I’d put quite THAT much meaning on a pair of socks, but there’s no denying that nothing is quite so satisfying as handknit socks. There are reasons there are so many books about them, so many patterns and yarns. Because even if you don’t think of them as a metaphorical mirror to your day, they are the breakfast of knitting. Basic and satisfying, but still able to be embellished with the knitter’s equivalent of maple syrup or hot sauce.

Of course, this is Clara Parkes we’re talking about here. She’s already established herself as an expert on yarns with her reviews at Knitter’s Review and her two earlier books about yarn and wool. You would expect a book of hers about socks to not simply be a collection of patterns. You would expect more … and you’d get it.

There are some gorgeous patterns here–don’t ever doubt it–but the real beauty in this book is how she explains socks. What, you may be thinking, is there to explain about socks? You knit them and then you put them on your feet. Except it’s not that simple. All sorts of factors influence how well those socks are going to work. Do they fit snuggly enough that they’re not going to be rubbing blisters? Is the yarn elastic enough that the ribbing doesn’t fall down around your ankles? Is the fiber sufficiently long-wearing that these socks will last past their second wearing?

After all, if you’re going to put the time into knitting a pair of socks, you want them to LAST. Nothing is more depressing than finding a hole in a sock you labored over. (Especially if your darning skills are as shaky as mine. I can knit until the cows come home but I’m dreadful at mending.)

This is where this book’s true usefulness lies. The 20 sock patterns are gorgeous, but I appreciated learning about twist and fit and stretch and wear even more.

Honestly, I’d expect nothing less from Clara.

I’ll confess I didn’t always love the photos in the book. They’re pretty to look at but most of them are more of “scenes” than they are of the actual socks. There aren’t quite as many close-ups of stitch patterns as I’d like. I very much liked that there was a guide on how to care for your handknit socks at the back, though would actually have liked a guide for darning to go with it. (I did mention my lack of darning skills, right?) These are the merest of quibbles, though. Just like the “Wool” and “Yarn” books before it, “The Knitter’s Book of Socks” well deserves its place on my shelf.

If you are at all interested in making socks, you owe it to yourself to take a look at this book.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

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

My Gush: Is there anything Clara Parkes doesn’t know?

Other posts for this author:

Review: Custom Knits 2

--Deb — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:34:17 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: Custom Knits 2: More Top-Down and Improvisational Techniques

Author: Wendy Bernard

Published by: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011

Pages: 160

Type: Patterns, this time for the whole family.

Chapters:

1. Preplanning the Perfect Sweater: Begin with the End in Mind
2. Basic Training: Simple Alterations and Add-Ons
3. He Said, She Said: Converting Patterns to Fit Men, Women, and Children
4. Tailored Raglans: Customizing for a Perfect Fit
5. Knitting Swaps: Tricks and Techniques for Substituting Yarn, Gauge, and Stitch Patterns
6. Starting from Scratch

The In-Depth Look:

I’ve been looking forward to this book for three years now … not least because Wendy Bernard’s first book was the very first book I reviewed here at Knitting Scholar. It just blew me away. I thought she’d never finish book #2!

She finally has, though, and it’s just as chock-full of great information as the first one.

She writes, “After a handful of starts, stops, and frogging episodes, I came to understand that if I started out with the end in mind, checking (and rechecking) my progress against my initial sketches and trying it on as I worked to make sure the measurements were right, the outcome would end up matching my initial expectations. Not only that, the process would be smooth, fast, and fun …So it’s no surprise that for my next book (which you are holding in your hands), I decided to emphasize the philosophy of starting with the end in mind and thinking while you’re knitting. What do I want to make? How do I want it to look? How will I make that happen?”

The first book was mostly about ways to take a pattern and tweak it to make it fit better.

This book is all about truly customizing a pattern. Like, when you see a child’s sweater and wish you could make one for yourself? Or when you see a shell pattern and wish it had sleeves? These are not just “make the arms a little longer” or “use a different yarn” kinds of changes. These are full-fledged customizations, like slicing off the roof your car to make a convertible. The end result is going to be completely different.

Custom Knits 2 is split into five parts. The first is about planning ahead–figuring out how to “preplan” your sweater so you’ll know what needs to be changed. Then she (literally) covers the basics–how to add things like hoods or change the fit of a pattern. The third is about scaling sweaters up and down and changing proportions for age or gender. Next, it’s all about raglans with their finicky proportions, and then she talks about making substitutions to things like gauge or yarn types. The final chapter is all about–once you’ve mastered making all these changes–how to simply start from scratch for your own sweater.

This is a WEALTH of information, just like the first book.

All this information comes alongside some lovely patterns for the whole family. Sweaters, mostly, though there are some accessories as well. Each pattern comes with suggestions for variations, and like the first book, all the patterns are knit from the top down, making it easy to try things on as you go.

The patterns are mostly light-to-medium weight kind of sweaters. Wendy lives in Southern California, so she’s not usually knitting for serious warmth. Since I don’t, I kind of wish some of them were heavier sweaters that I would get more use out of … oh, wait. That’s all covered in that “Conversion” chapter, isn’t it? Silly me!

My only wish? I wish it won’t be another three years before Custom Knits 3 comes out.

Please do check out this book at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by the publisher. Thank you!

My Gush: Just as useful as the first one.

Other posts for this author:

Custom Knits (my very first review here at Knitting Scholar!)

Review: Teach Yourself Visually Circular Knitting

--Deb — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:27:06 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: Teach Yourself Visually: Circular Knitting

Author: Melissa Morgan-Oakes

Published by: Wiley, 2011

Pages: 256

Type: How-to

Chapters:

1. Introduction to Circular Knitting
2. Circular Knitting Methods
3. Special Techniques for Circular Knitting
4. Starter Projects
5. Planning a Project
6. Simple Projects
7. Intermediate Projects
8. Advanced Projects
9. Steeked Projects
10. Stitch Gallery

The In-Depth Look:

In the beginning, knitting was flat.

Well, not precisely. There have almost always been garments knit in the round–socks, mittens, and hats, for example. But they were small objects, knitted on double-pointed needles which are practical for something the size of a sock but not so much for a sweater for your burly husband. DPNs are not always beloved of knitters, either, which is why alternate methods have become so popular.

The point, though, is that not all that long ago it was a habit–especially of the publishing/fashion industry–to create knitted sweaters by making flat pieces and sewing them together. You just knitted the pieces to the correct dimensions and assembled. It was like sewing a blouse without having to buy yardage or get out the pinking shears.

There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but since knitters can so easily make tubular objects, a lot of us prefer to knit things meant to fit our roundish human bodies in one piece. It’s not a new concept, either. Sweaters have been knit in the round for hundreds of years–it just took a while for the fashion industry to notice. Half a century ago, Elizabeth Zimmermann bemoaned the fact that she would submit patterns for circular-knit sweaters to magazines and they would convert them to flat-patterns before publishing them. With the enthusiastic help of talented, traditional knitters, though, little by little, circular knitting gained a foothold in the modern knitting world.

Which brings us to this book on circular knitting, the latest in the “Teach Yourself Visually” series, which focuses on knitting-in-the-round. That is, spiraling your way up a tube of fabric–whether it is a sock, a mitten, a hat, a sleeve, or a sweater–rather than knitting separate pieces and sewing them together.

Now, I’ll tell you that knitting in the round is my preferred knitting method, so I may be biased in that regard. (Okay, I am biased toward circular knitting.) But that doesn’t mean I’m not aware of its limitations … and neither is Melissa Morgan-Oakes, because she carefully tells you the pros and cons of this method.

Actually, she tells you all sorts of things! What kinds of needles to use (and how to pick among the many options). How to join the ends (along with tips on how to avoid twisting). How to work with color. How to pick a yarn. How to knit a gauge swatch. How to cut a steek. … There is lots of great detail in here.

There are also some patterns. Earwarmers, hats, mittens, sweaters–all fairly basic, straight-forward kinds of projects at differing skill levels. There are some stitch-patterns to play with, too.

Obviously, this book is geared toward newer knitters–like all of the “Teach Yourself Visually” books, the point here is to TEACH, and a lot of this might be old territory for long-time knitters. There’s a lot of information, though, so there’s likely to be new details for your average knitter. (Not that knitters are average.) The illustrations, not surprisingly, are good and clear as well, though occasionally on the small-side.

All in all, this is a good resource and could be very handy for relative beginners, and it’s available at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated courtesy of Jessalu on behalf of the author. Thank you! (In fact, head over to her blog today to read my interview with the author.)

My Gush: Good explanations, clear pictures, great technique.

Review: Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design

--Deb — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:18:54 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design: (How to Keep Your Knits About You)

Author: Shannon Okey, knitgrrl.com

Published by: Cooperative Press, 2010

Pages: 247

Type: Knitting Business.

Chapters:

1. What does it mean to be a professional?
2. Social Media
3. TCB, No PB&J Required, or The Business Side of Things
4. Send in the lawyers
5. Writing patterns
6. Making sales
7. Proposals and Publishing
8. Advertising
9. Further education
10. Professional organizations and associations
11. Standing out
12. The interviews

The In-Depth Look:

The first thing you need to know is that this is not a knitting book. Not really.

It’s not a book about designing, either.

What it is is the only book I know of that teaches you about the BUSINESS of knitting design.

I’ve seen the occasional chapter in books geared toward designers that mention things like how to submit patterns to magazines, or the conventions required for writing the patterns up, or extrapolating different sizes.

This book, though, tells you everything. How to write the patterns (as in, the kinds of programs to create the schematics and write the pattern instructions). How to promote them. How to sell them. How to copyright them. How to publish and advertise them.

Things that any designer with any professional ambitions at all NEEDS to know.

And then it gets better. She follows up all this instruction with dozens (I counted 32) of interviews with designers talking about their own experiences and thoughts about designing and selling designs. This book is chock-full of useful information, with very few illustrations (other than its fabulous cover). It’s got a good index and is well organized.

In fact, my only real gripe with this book is that its title sounds like a book that’s going to teach you how to do professional design, and it’s not. It’s a book that teaches a designer how to be professional.

Which means that this book is not for everybody. You might be interested in designing sweaters for your family but not be interested in selling the designs. You might not be interested in promoting your patterns. You might choose to think of your knitting as a hobby that garnishes a few bucks now and again but not at all like a business. This is all fine, but if this is the case, this book is probably not for you.

If, however, you want to not only be a designer, but to a professional designer, this book is a must. There’s nothing else out there that addresses exactly this topic. There are plenty of business books around that have some overlap (how to promote your business via Twitter, for example, or how to get published). But there are none that are geared toward people whose professional lives are tied up in knitwear.

This fantastic book is available at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

My Gush: A wealth of information

Review: Knitting Ganseys–now with video!

--Deb — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:06:09 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: Knitting Ganseys

Author: Beth Brown-Reinsel

Book:
Published by: White River Press, 1993
Pages: 151

DVD:
Published by: Knitting Traditions and Essanay Film and Television, 2010
Length: 97 minutes

Type: How-to for a classic design.

Chapters (book):

What Is a Gansey?
Getting Started and Casting On
Ribbing and Welts
The Plain Area, Seam Stitches, and Definition Ridge
Pattern Motifs
The Underarm Gussets
The Upper Body and Neckline
Shoulder Straps and Joins
The Sleeve
Finishing the Neckline
Planning and Designing Your Own
Six Garment Designs

The In-Depth Look:

I’ve been meaning to review this book for ages. Not only is Beth Brown-Reinsel one of my favorite designers, but her “Knitting Ganseys” book is a classic. I was lucky enough to meet her at “Vogue Knitting Live” last weekend and told her so–and immediately moved the book up my queue (because I’m a woman of my word).

It turns out that it’s a good thing that I hadn’t gotten around to writing up the review, though, because she now has a companion DVD, which she was nice enough to send me to review. I hadn’t even realized she had one, and I have to tell you that … well, I’m getting ahead of myself.

So, where do I start?

Well, the book came first.

As a good historic-technique book should, this begins talking about the history of the gansey, and then dives into the details about shaping, pattern stitches, preferred cast-ons, how the underarm gusset works … all the detail you need to know to appreciate and recreate a gansey of your own.

One of the best parts is that, in addition to telling you all these things, she acknowledges that tackling a full-size project might be intimidating. So, she has you make a small version sampler of a gansey. A stroke of genius, don’t you think? (Not to mention quite the coup for some doll of your acquaintance later on.) By the time you’ve knitted your way through the sampler, you should have no qualms with making a full-sized version for yourself.

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that this book is full of information. Mostly, of course, details specific to gansey sweaters, but lots of tidbits useful to all your knitting. She walks you through the construction of a gansey (sample-sized and full-sized), provides stitch motifs for you to use in your own, and then gives you all the knitty-gritty information you need to design one of your own. (And if you don’t want to do all that work, there are 6 fully-written patterns for you to knit.)

Now, the video.

It’s the perfect companion to the book. In many ways, it covers the exact same ground. The background and instructional material are more or less identical, but it’s wonderful to see actual samples of different stitches and why, say, one cast-on is better than another. Or to really see the difference in the three variations for a 2-stitch cable. Because this time, the samples and the backgrounds are in full color.

If the book has a flaw it’s in the black-and-white photos. In the 18 years since it was published, we’ve gotten used to slick, multi-color books so it looks a little dated. It’s like watching “Casablanca” compared to something like “Bourne Identity.” You can’t deny that the quality is there, but 21st century eyes are used to more vivid visual stimulation. (It always saddens me when new knitters shrug off really excellent books because they’re black-and-white and seem “old.”)

Well, the video more than balances that. Having a chance to see the book come to life meant I particularly enjoyed watching the video–not only to see demonstrations of the techniques, but because I liked being able to really SEE the samples.

I loved Beth as a teacher, too. Her voice is pleasant, her explanations are clear, her personality shines through, and she’s a lovely person to spend time with. She absolutely knows what she’s talking about and gives solid reasons for why you should do certain things, or what the historical variations were, but without sounding too pushy or strict about “you must.” I’ve never been lucky enough to take a class with her, but now I feel like I have. Even having read the book, I feel like I still learned a lot from the video.

Do you need both?

Well, probably not–but they are ideal together. You can always rewatch the video for techniques instead of referencing the paper book. The paper book does cover all the ground of the DVD. The DVD comes with printable pattern for the “Little Gansey,” too, so you don’t reallly NEED to have both. Personally, though, I’m more likely to refer to a book than to a video if I have questions, so I like having both.

They really are companions–there are details in the book that don’t make it into the DVD for time constraints, and the visual aids in the video are definitely more helpful than the still, gray-scaled photos in the book. They go together, like music and lyrics.

You can buy both the book and the video at Amazon.com. They’re both available from Beth’s site, too.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

The book was my own personal copy, but the review copy of the DVD was kindly donated by the author. Thank you!

My Gush: As if the book weren’t good enough, the companion DVD makes it so much better!

Review: Knitting Tips & Tricks

--Deb — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 03:36:13 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: Lily Chin’s Knitting Tips & Tricks: Shortcuts and Techniques every knitter should know

Author: Lily Chin

Published by: Potter Craft, 2009

Pages: 208

Type: How-to, Tips

Chapters:

1. Needles and Yarn
2. The Basics
3. Getting Started
4. As You Work
5. Finishing

Pattern Size Range: N/A

The In-Depth Look:

This is one of those books that is deceptively simple. Oh, yes, knitting tips and tricks, sure. Gee, look, she talks about casting-on, casting off, and the fan-favorite, right-leaning decreases….

(Yawn.)

Because, yes, you would be forgiven for thinking that everything in here has been done and said already, somewhere else. How many basic knitting references does one person need, anyway?

Except … this is Lily Chin, a woman whose hobby apparently is to rethink everything about basic knitting. “Knitters do it this way, but what if they did this instead? Is there a better way? Faster? Different? Do we have to do this at all?”

I’ll tell you, I have a nice collection of books of knitting techniques, suggestions, tips, advice, and guidance, but reading through this one, I still learned things I didn’t know before, or had concepts presented to me that I hadn’t expected.

Was every tip or explanation an unheard-of gem? Well, no. There’s definitely some overlap between this and other books. And Lily Chin definitely has her own opinions about the way things should be done. It’s possible you won’t always agree with them. However, since she gives you her reasons for them, you can make an educated decision. “I don’t like to do decreases that way, but I’ll file that away for future reference.”

The book is thorough. It covers a lot of material, from basic knowledge about yarn weights and terminology to the best buttonholes. Like I said, there are definitely techniques in here that I did not already know, and even if I had, visiting with Lily Chin’s way of thinking for a while can only be beneficial. There’s a reason she has a reputation of being a master, after all.

This wonderful book is available at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

My Gush: Innovative and informative.

Other posts for this author:

Power Cables

Review: Wild Color

--Deb — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:43:17 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: Wild Color: The Complete Guide to Making and Using Natural Dyes. (Revised and Updated Edition)

Author: Jenny Dean

Published by: Watson-Guptill, 1999, 2010

Pages: 144

Type: Dyeing.

Chapters:

1. Dyeing Techniques
2. The Dye Plants

The In-Depth Look:

From the Preface: “The revised edition of Wild Color brings the craft of natural dyeing into the 21st century and is the result of over three decades of experience with natural dyes. … Today, when concern for the environment and conservation of the resources of the natural world are of paramount importance, it is vital that we look towards the future and consider their environmental and human impact of our activities.”

This is an update of the 1999 edition of this very detailed, very thorough book on natural dyeing.

I don’t have a copy of the original, so I can’t tell you exactly how or why this is different, but what I can tell you is that this is a very detailed, very thorough exhaustive overview of the dyeing process. Starting with a history of dyes, and moving into the techniques, it explores everything you could ever want to know. Or so I assume.

The book goes into great detail about how to prepare your leaves, roots, barks, and petals for dyeing. What kind of water to use (and how your water’s pH balance affects the process). Whether to use mordants, and which ones. The differences in dyeing animal fibers and vegetable fibers. The effects of color modifiers … all of this is explained in depth.

Then she gets to specific plants. She provides a photo of what they look like, where to find them, and color swatches for the colors you can expect from them, depending on the process you choose. The photos are lovely to look at, and the swatches clear–they’re of the “paint chip” variety, not photos of actual, dyed yarn.

This section is sorted alphabetically by the Latin name for each dye, and it took me a while to figure that out. Each page lists the Latin name in small type at the top, and then the common name (Hollyhock, Madder, etc.) after, in a larger typeface, so that it’s the familiar name that catches your eye. It took me a couple passes to realize that the book wasn’t sorted by color themes or by the easily-read names at the top of the page, but the smaller, easy-to-ignore Latin names. I wonder why they went this way, or at least why they then kept the Latin so small, but … that’s what Indexes are for, and this has a good one.

Ultimately, this is a beautiful book. If you’re at all interested in dyeing–especially with natural sources rather than bottles of store-bought stuff that is harsher for the environment–you owe it to yourself to take a look.

This book is available at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Watson-Guptill. Thank you!

My Gush: Tons of detail

Review: Aran Knitting

--Deb — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 02:32:08 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: Aran Knitting: New and Revised Edition

Author: Alice Starmore

Published by: Dover Publishing, 2010

Pages: 217

Type: History, How-To, Patterns.

Chapters:

1. Historical Background
2. Aran Patterns
3. Classic Aran Designs
4. Celtic Designs
5. Designing an Aran Sweater

Pattern Size Range: Varies

The In-Depth Look:

What is there to say, really, that hasn’t been said?

Alice Starmore’s books are among the most hyped and most sought after knitting books in the history of knitting books. Well, I don’t have statistics on that, specifically, but when old hardcovers of pattern books are selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay … there has to be a reason.

I have copies of some of her books–her Celtic Collection Knitting book, the Celtic needlepoint one, Fisherman Sweaters–but not the ones lusted after by the masses. My crystal ball was obviously foggy in the 90s and I just didn’t foresee how darn popular Pacific Highway was going to be.

Or, you know, this Aran book.

It’s a mystery to me, really, why I did NOT buy it way back when. I have a tendency to latch onto books I like and not let them out of my hands. My guess is that, just out of college, the price for this rich, informative, full-color book was just a little out of my reach. Or maybe my local yarn shop at the time didn’t carry the book. I really don’t know.

What I do know is that I would have loved this book as much then as I do now.

First, it’s gorgeous. Not having an original edition to look at, I can’t tell you how many of the pictures are original and how many are new, but the photos are all beautiful.

Then, it’s informative. There is a great history of Aran knitting here, interestingly told. Not to mention detailed instructions on how to actually knit them, how to do the cables and bobbles and all the other bits that you need to know.

And, the patterns? Oh yeah. There are patterns. Gorgeous, cabled, intricate patterns that make me want to knit almost every one of them. Some are downright famous by now.

Seriously–do you really need me to be telling you any of this? Of COURSE you want this book. It’s one of Alice Starmore’s outright masterpieces, reissued at a price that people can actually afford.

And, to sweeten the pot? There’s even a brand-new sweater pattern. It’s a lovely, fitted ladies’ cardigan, and is just gorgeous.

As I say, I don’t have an original copy to compare this to, but according to the copyright page, this edition has a new forward from the author, the new pattern (Eala Bhan), and a couple pages at the back which mention where the photos were taken.

So–what are you waiting for? Why have you not gone to buy yourself a copy yet?

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

My Gush: Worth the hype.

Other posts for this author:

Alice Starmore’s Book of Fair Isle Knitting

Review: Entree to Entrelac

--Deb — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:41:47 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: >Entree to Entrelac: The definitive guide from a biased knitter

Author: Gwen Bortner

Published by: XRX Publications, 2010

Pages: 159

Type: Patterns, How-to.

Chapters:

1. Entrelac Basics
2. Simple Shapes and Seams
3. Intriguing Construction
4. Color, Texture and Other Creative Units
5. Designing with Entrelac

Pattern Size Range: Varies

The In-Depth Look:

I’ve always thought of entrelac as one of those knitting techniques that people either love or they hate. It’s not one of the favored children like cables or color work that everybody at least claims to admire, even if they don’t enjoy the actual process. No, entrelac has always been like the ugly duckling of knitting, the technique that is misunderstood or disliked on principle, because nobody’s really gotten to know it.

Well, here’s the introduction you’ve been waiting for. Entree to Entrelac is a thorough
examination of entrelac techniques.

What? You thought there was only one, basic method of doing entrelac? It’s just a matter of picking up and knitting interlocking squares that look like basket-weave, isn’t it? With maybe the occasional triangle? No, it turns out it’s a lot more than that, and the author explores it all, with good diagrams to help along the way.

There are a lot of patterns here, too, to give you some inspiration in the use of entrelac. One color, two-color, multi-color. Faux-argyle. Plain stockinette, or designs with lace or cables. Full-piece entrelac designs, as well as pieces that only use it for interesting details.

My only real problem with entrelac … other than the endless ends to weave in, which the book gives tips for … is that after a while, so many of the designs look the same. It all comes down to little squares piecing together a pattern, like a knitted quilt that always looks like a checkerboard. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it, just that, collections of entrelac often bore me because everything looks so much alike except for the basic color scheme.

In that regard, there is a lot of similarity in designs here, but the consistency of its structure is one of entrelac’s advantages. When employed properly, it lends itself to diagonal lines, zig-zags, and yes, checkerboard patterns beautifully–and with a lot more ease than trying to do similar color changes with intarsia. The point is to take the basic idea of the technique–its basketweave pattern that is built right in to the structure–and explore its possibilities, which this book does very well. Some of the designs come out looking too busy to my eye (and there was one sweater which I won’t name that I thought was pretty atrocious), but there are more of them that look wonderful. And the pullover in “Touch Me” yarn? It looks like woven velvet.

All in all? A revelation, even if the author does admit to being “biased.” You can get your copy at Amazon.com.
Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by XRX. Thank you!

My Gush: Thorough and interesting look at a too-often neglected technique.

Review: Jil Eaton’s Knitting School

--Deb — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:06:25 +0000

First, the facts:

Title: Jil Eaton’s Knitting School: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Confident Knitter

Author: Jil Eaton

Published by: Crown Publishing, 2010

Pages: 144

Type: How-to, with designs

Chapters:

1. Knitting Basics
2. Beginner’s Delights
3. Intermediate Charmers
4. Graduate School

The In-Depth Look:

Another how-to knitting book? Is that necessary?

The author writes in the introduction, “In times past there was always an older generation of very experienced knitters on hand to help the novices. As that is not always the case in our very busy and technologically-saturated world, this Knitting School collection is designed to teach you to knit or to encourage you to return to knitting and to help you refine your skills.”

Well, I certainly can’t argue with that.

The book starts at the very beginning, with descriptions of different needles and yarn, a list of things you should carry in your knitting bag, through knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, and all the usual suspects right through cables and color stranding.

Along the way, there are some handy tips, and good, basic information. It’s not the most thorough book I’ve seen. Instructions tend to be a decent illustration and a sentence or so of explanation. They’re good explanations, but I can’t really say how effective they are to explain a brand-new technique to someone who’s never tried it before. (It’s often the hardest part of reviewing basic knitting books, since I already know the basics, it’s hard to mentally go back to when I didn’t.)

In addition to the basic knitting instruction, there are patterns along the way, carefully matched to the skill level along the way. The very first project is a garter stitch puppet, then there are sweaters, hats, wraps, until we end with a lacy tank top.

All in all, Jil Eaton has put her experience from Knit Simple‘s “Ask Jil” column to good use. She already knows the questions people are likely to ask and tries to answer them for you.

This book is available at Amazon.com.

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

My Gush: A fine and useful book, though there are more thorough ones out there.