Book Notes #5: Maine Woods Woolies, Knitting Pretty, and Knitter's Stash
Feb 05, 2006 21:38
30 Quick-to-Knit Sweaters for Children: Maine Woods Woolies, Helene Marchand Rush (1986, currently OOP). The fairly traditional children's sweaters range from 12 months to size 12. There are pullovers (including a sampler), cardigans, vests, and a pretty girl's mohair-wool coat that uses honeycomb stitch for faux smocking in the bodice and moss stitch edging. Each pattern has a stylized sketch of the item that shows its features, written instructions, and charts for colorwork; it's all black and white except a center section with color pictures. The charts include a puffin, whale, moose, deer, lighthouse, sailboat, pine tree, bear, sheep, penguin, panda, and a rabbit. It's a pleasant book and a good library checkout.
Knitting Pretty: simple instructions for 30 fabulous projects, Kris Percival (2002). This book commits the cardinal sin of not showing a photograph (or even diagram) of each project. Examples: the "ice-skating scarf," "sculpted hat," "groovy curtain," "hipster kerchief," and likely more; if the photographs are there, I certainly didn't see them. It also would have done well to point out the slipperiness of knitted slippers and methods of compensating (e.g., fabric paint puffs on the soles). I did like the knitted snake and was somewhat amused by the "rock cozy" of mohair knitted over a rock to make a paperweight, as well as pattern notes such as "techniques used" and brief "improvisation ideas." However, I don't feel that I can trust the book, and I do feel that a beginner (its chosen audience) would be frustrated, so I can't recommend it.
Knitter's Stash: favorite patterns from American's yarn shops, Barbara Albright, ed. (2001). It has a variety of patterns, it has pictures, it has tips, but it can be awfully hard to read. The layout is often not a natural progression, and there can be poor color choices such as low-contrast white lettering on a medium sage green page. The diagrams do usually have measurements along with them, and the cables are charted. The size ranges for sweaters vary; one goes from 32"-36" while another is 40"-51" and yet another is 39"-54", and a fourth has 36" and 42" and nothing in between. There are sweaters, shawls and wraps, the odd hat and mittens, bags, rugs, pillows, a bunch of linen washcloths, and so on.
I'm particularly fond of the simplicity in "Meadow Flowers" triangular shawl, the "Marie Louise's Lace Sweater" with its crochet neckline and lace lower-torso for nice drape, the "Farmhouse Rug" with its textured stitches, the striped "Penelope's Pillows" that use purls to good effect, the (I admit it!) "Angora Furred Teddy Hood" that shows off just a little angora, the "Toddler Jacket" (actually, I like the spicy colors and not, particularly, the pattern itself), the "Fog Chaser" jacket in gorgeous textured but probably bulky red, the "Celtic Cardigan" with its trim lines, the "Felted Fish" and their bright colorwork (I think they could potentially make good child bags, given a knitted cuff for the nose), "Cable-Wise Cashmere" sweater with some simple cables made striking by the layout, the "Cottage Tea Cozy" that you can embellish in your own way for your own look, and pretty much nothing from the last part of the book. Well, except the "Tweedy Cashmere Pullover" (oatmeal stockinette body, wide darker-brown ribbing at bottom and cuffs, suede 'x's trimming the junction... only I'd just continue with the buttons and make it a cardigan), and perhaps the "My Constant Companion" bag (although I like the designer's other bags better). And the mitered "Opulent Evening Shawl," which I can't imagine doing in the expensive "Touch Me": 87" x 20", and they call for 32 balls. Opulent, indeed.
There's an index and a helpful gauge chart at the end. In the end the book has an interesting collection of patterns but since it isn't useful for me overall, it's best checked out from the library.