You Can Knit That by Amy Herzog, photography by Karen Pearson, pub. Abrams, 2016 Amy Herzog has done it again---written a book that speaks to beginning and experienced sweater knitters, topped off by a couple dozen wonderful patterns. Her signature design is a plain sweater with set-in sleeves, knit in pieces. There may be a touch of colorwork here or there, or a sweet bit of lace, or a line of texture or cabling. But her genius is in the fit, and it's such genius that it wants to be displayed rather than hidden by excessive adornment. In this book she stretches out, displaying that same genius in raglans, circular yokes, drop shoulders, and integrated sleeves. She reveals that the secrets to great fit aren't just in the measurements but also in the yarn. For instance, anyone who subscribes to the stereotype of drop-shouldered sweaters as boxy and bulky would be surprised by the Cushy Pullover (right). Made with a baby alpaca/merino blend, its fabric has "enough movement and 'crushability' to comfortably lie under the arms." Its modern silhouette feature slimmer sleeves. And though the body is oversized and unshaped, the sides are ribbed to provide a little bit of cling. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The reason for all these construction types is to explain in loving detail the procedure for knitting any kind of sweater. The book's mission, as evidenced by its title, is to demonstrate the accessibility of knitting beautiful, comfortable garments. The Introduction, written in Amy's amiable prose, explains (among other things) that these sweaters in this book are "lower stakes, fit-wise, than the classic tailored pullover." Chapters 1 - 3 are even lower stakes than the patterns, encouraging practice with swatches, with pencil and paper, and with tape measure and sweaters you actually own. These chapters are named "Before the Knitting," "During the Knitting," and "After the Knitting." They cover the following:
Herzog's wealth of experience and unique perspective almost guarantee that even if you have heard a particular pointer, you have not heard it put exactly that way. I especially appreciated the sections on fabric, ease, and trim. Next come the patterns. Divided by construction, they include one "mini" project for each category. Mostly sized for toddlers through 10-year-olds, these projects are intended to familiarize the knitter with new ideas without a huge investment in yarn or time. But they're also darned cute! Most pattern books have blurbs introducing the pattern. These are usually "romance copy," paragraphs sketching the inspiration for an item, or suggesting where and how it might be worn. This is how Amy romances us on the Entangled Raglan (orange sweater in the upper right corner of the cover): One of the most exciting things about the raglan construction, from a designer's perspective, is that the raglan lines offer a beautiful chance to show off stitch patterning. In this cardigan, I combined a smooth, lovely wool with beautiful cables that I used to adorn the seams of the garment. Those seams are important for stability (cables are heavy!), as are the buttons at the top of the cardigan. As you knit, make sure your neck edge is strong, since much of the weight of the sweater is supported by it. You'll be rewarded by a stunning garment that's also comfortable to wear. That's a lot of information for what's often the "fluff" section of the pattern! Occasional "Bonus Lessons" appear in sidebars throughout the book, ensuring that Amy is able to pack in as much content as possible. Whew! But so we don't have to wade through all the info every time we start a new project, Amy's included a two-page "super-quick guide to super-wearable sweaters" near the back of the book. She thinks of everything! Karen Pearson's photography is joyful and the styling by Astrid Scannell-Long is creative but not distracting. I'm looking forward to knitting the Heublein Pullover---I'll keep you posted on how it turns out. I'm a little concerned because it's worn by my favorite model and I think that may be swaying my decision. But it fills a gap in my wardrobe and I'd like to test the difference Amy says seams will make in a raglan. I recommend this book for any and all knitters. Reading it is like sitting down for a meal with a good friend who knows a lot about the things you love. And the patterns are the icing on the cake! Disclosure: The publisher sent Kangath a review copy of this book. Kangath was not otherwise compensated for the preceding review. All opinions expressed in Kangath's reviews are her own.
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The Big Book of Stitches by the Editors of Martingale, photography by Brent Kane, pub. Martingale Press, 2016. This book contains instructions for over 360 stitch patterns, including those shown on the cover and in the slideshow below. Although they are roughly organized by type (cables, openwork, knit and purl, ribs, and miscellaneous) there is so much crossover that it gets tricky to know where to put any one pattern. For instance, Banded Rib is in the "Knit & Purl Textures" chapter instead of "Ribs and Ribbing." Luckily there is an index, so if you remember the name of the stitch you will be able to find it. Although that might be difficult with names like Cell Stitch and Cellular Stitch, or Star Stitch and Star-Stitch Pattern, or Check Pattern, Close Checks, Stockinette Checks, Checkerboard, and Check Stitch (to list just a few of the Checks family)! There are many beautiful patterns, mixed in with standard basics. Most of the swatches are pristine: accurately knitted and lovingly blocked. The photography distinctly shows every stitch and manipulation. The instructions are very readable and clearly presented with standard abbreviations and a key at the end. Perplexingly, the instructions for "Make star" and "Make knot" are identical. Also in at least two instances it is not specified to work the double yarnover as two stitches, but that's how the editors intend it to be worked. Stitch count increases and decreases are not given either. It would be helpful, say, in Grand Eyelets, to have an indication of the number of stitches per repeat decreased on the first row and increased on the second row. The organizational method, admittedly tricky for a stitch dictionary, is obtuse. Stockinette and Garter Stitch aren't found till the middle of the knit and purl chapter. Cable and Box Panel (page 14) and Garter and Stockinette Cable (page 19), are variations of the Eight-Stitch Cable (page 7), but the patterns in between seem irrelevant. Swatch color, instead of helping, seems random. I would try organizing the stitches alphabetically. Then instead of an alphabetical index, listing the stitches by category (ribs, openwork, etc.). This way a single stitch pattern could be listed in more than one category. Swatch color could aid in classification. If, say, ribs are blue and openwork is yellow, a pattern like Open Chain Rib could be green. A beginnng knitter would benefit from this kind of organization. But there are a variety of gorgeous new-to-me stitches found within the pages of this dictionary. I think I'll be working through the stitches in the slide show below before too long. This collection gathers together the unusual and the basic with clear, current photos. Good for anyone needing inspiration. Disclosure: The publisher sent Kangath a review copy of this book. Kangath was not otherwise compensated for the preceding review. All opinions expressed in Kangath's reviews are her own.
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