Kangath Knits
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Patterns
    • Garments
    • Accessories
    • eBooks
  • Book Reviews
  • Inkscape Schematic Tutorial
  • Contact

Kangath Knits

More Admirings for History on Two Needles

12/14/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
I'll be honest.  I wanted this book to be brilliant.

Annie Modesitt not only created the designs, knit the garments, and wrote the patterns, she had a few additional hurdles with this book.  The historical research and image licensing contributed to the four and a half years it took to get this book into print.

And she has fibromyalgia, which involves pain and deep fatigue.  A project of this size seems a Herculean task.  But she is reasonable about taking it piece by piece.

And History on Two Needles is indeed brilliant.

0 Comments

Book Review:  History on Two Needles

12/13/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
History on Two Needles:  Exploring art history through modern hand knits by Annie Modesitt, pub. Cooperative Press, 2012.

When I first saw this collection of designs, I sincerely admired them.  What the author refers to as "a labor of love" resulted in 17 gorgeous and varied patterns inspired by statues, paintings . . . even a helmet and a shield.

After actually reading the book I can appreciate more deeply the construction of these garments, the details that don't appear in photos but make them even more exceptional and useful.

I'll explain that last bit more.  But first, here are some of my favorite designs from the collection:

Picture
Black Prince Hood
Picture
Meketre Skirt and Top
Picture
Pembroke Jacket--a crochet pattern!
Picture
Katarina Jacket
Modesitt has a wonderful, conversational writing style.  I don't know her personally, but I can imagine her facial expressions as she puzzles out the purpose of the Minoan Snake Goddess or describes the artistry of Joseph Karl Stieler.  In addition to the introductions to the book, each chapter, and each pattern, she includes a helpful page, "Reading the Patterns," which also partially explains her take on pattern writing.

And now for the interesting garment details.
Picture
Maiden Cape
Picture
(For some reason the colors are inverted
Picture
in these two photos!)
This cape looks like it wouldn't stay put with vigorous movement---it might hike up or fall off. But it actually has ingenious little sleeves built into it so it stays put.

And the Tissot Bolero, below, can be molded to your body as it dries for the perfect fit.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
There are several such aspects to the designs in this book, and I suspect we would only discover the full range by making each one.  There are three hats, nine tops, two belts, two capes, one scarf, two skirts, and a ruff (okay, that's more than 17, but you can't argue with more), all in a range of sizes and skill levels.

The first one I'm going to knit is the Sutton Hoo Helm (chosen by my son).  I'll keep you posted about the clever details of this piece, which comes in a luxurious range of four sizes (my son's head is even bigger than mine).

In the meantime, which one are you going to make?


Disclosure: Cooperative Press sent Kangath a copy of History on Two Needles FREE for review.  Kangath was not compensated for the preceding review.  All opinions expressed in the review are the blog author's and are not necessarily the opinions of Cooperative Press or Annie Modesitt.

0 Comments
    Picture

    Hi! I'm Kangath--- 

    knit designer, musician, writer, and mother
    ​who loves to experiment in the kitchen.

    Follow @kangathknits
    Picture
    Click here to join the Kangath Knits email list
    for insider updates and special deals.

    Subscribe to 
    Kangath Knits:

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Ruth Roland is a top Baton Rouge, LA music lesson instructor on TryMusicLessons.com!

    Good Reads

    Amy Herzog Designs
    canaryknits
    dull roar
    Knit and Tonic
    Linda Marveng
    needled
    Ramblings
    The Sexy Knitter
    Sheep to Shawl
    Trappings and Trinkets
    Two Sides of the Same Stitch
    Yarn Harlot

    Archives

    November 2017
    October 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    Fiber Arts Bloggers

    Home/ Join | List
    Next | Previous | Random

    alt-webring.com

    Categories

    All
    Abrams
    Amy Herzog
    Ana Paula Rimoli
    Anna Dalvi
    Annie Modesitt
    Barn Door
    Betty Salpekar
    Book Reviews
    Britt Marie Christoffersson
    Buttons
    Canaryknits
    Cap Sease
    Chantal Garceau
    Cirilia Rose
    Clara Parkes
    Clotheshorse
    Colorwork
    Cooperative Press
    Creative Publishing
    Crochet
    Daniel Yuhas
    Dave's Stockings
    David & Charles
    Deb Buckingham
    Design
    Dream In Color
    Dyeing
    Dylana
    Elizabeth Green Musselman
    Eva Maria Leszner
    Eye Pillow
    Food
    Galler
    Garden Windows
    Genevieve Miller
    Giveaway
    Gluten Free
    Health
    Heidi Adnum
    Herbert Niebling
    Hestia
    History On Two Needles
    Honeymoon
    Hurricane
    Inkscape
    Interweave Press
    Katie Startzman
    Katya Frankel
    Knitting
    Kristina Mcgowan
    Lace
    Lacis
    Ladies Of Mischief
    Laura Lough
    Lena Corwin
    Lesley Stanfield
    Lisa Souza
    Livia Cetti
    Lori Ihnen
    Louise Walker
    Lynne Barr
    Malabrigo
    Manos Del Uruguay
    Margaret Radcliffe
    Martingale
    Martin Storey
    Meandros
    Megan Kreiner
    M'lou Baber
    Mountain Flight
    Nancie Wiseman
    Nancy Bush
    Needles
    Needles And Artifice
    Norah Gaughan
    Other
    Patty Nance
    Poetry
    Pop Knitting
    Potter Craft
    Quadrille
    Rebecca Danger
    Recovery
    Reversible Knitting
    San Graal
    Sarah Barbour
    Schematic
    Schoolhouse Press
    Shannon Okey
    Singular Snowflakes
    Socks
    Song Of Ice And Fire
    Stc Craft
    Stephannie Tallent
    Stitch Dictionaries
    St Martin's Griffin
    Storey Publishing
    Stroke
    Submission
    Summer Party
    Swedish Sweaters
    Tangled
    Tanis Gray
    Taunton Press
    Teresa Gregorio
    Teva Durham
    Theressa Silver
    The Unique Sheep
    Tips
    Toys
    Tutorials
    Universal
    Vanessa Mooncie
    Van Halen
    Vicki Stiefel
    Wendy Bernard
    Willow Yarns
    Yarn

Knitting with a Twist
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Patterns
    • Garments
    • Accessories
    • eBooks
  • Book Reviews
  • Inkscape Schematic Tutorial
  • Contact