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Reviews of knitting books.
Book Review: A Gathering of Lace
June 30th, 2006 | 2 Comments
Author: Meg Swansen
Publisher: XRX, Inc.
Rating: 
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I never fancied myself a shawl-wearer, but this book may have made a convert out of me. A Gathering of Lace includes a huge variety of gorgeous shawls. My favorites are the Feather & Fan Shawl (p. 56) and the Frost Flowers & Leaves Shawl (p. 59).
This book is a true gathering of lace; the projects are diverse, both in type and in construction. Projects range from stoles, shawls, and shrugs to socks, hats–the Picture Hat (p. 142) is truly amazing, gloves, and pillows. The construction of all the projects is highly varied, as are the required yarns. Needles sizes for projects range from 000 for the Magickal Earth Shawl (p. 74) to 10 for the large Faroese Shawl (p. 32), Spiral Shawl (p. 79), and Super-Spiral Shawl (p. 82).
I think it’s safe to say that you could knit all the projects in this book without ever feeling like you’re just doing a variation on a theme.
Book Review: Last-Minute Knitted Gifts
May 23rd, 2006 | No Comments
Author: Joelle Hoverson & Anna Williams (Photographer)
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
Rating: 
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I fell in love with the cute green pouch on the cover, bought the book, and the rest is history. This is a gorgeously laid out book with elegant, eye-catching projects. The yarns are fancy, but the knitting generally stays simple. This book is targeted at new knitters, but I think more experienced knitters may also find themselves inspired by a project or two.
The first thing in this book is a fantastic section on color theory, discussing the basics of color, the relationships between colors, and how to choose colors for a project. The attention that the authors pay to color is apparent throughout the book, from the knitted items’ rich colors to the beautifully composed photographs. There are many other knitting books on the market that could benefit from the authors’ eye for color.
Book Review: World of Knitted Toys
May 6th, 2006 | No Comments
Author: Kath Dalmeny
Publisher: David & Charles
Rating:
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Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
You will find patterns for all of the above (p. 99, 23, and 81, respectively) and many, many more creatures in World of Knitted Toys.
The book contains 45 different projects and a few variations on a theme. The finished creatures are generally adorable with nice proportions. Kath Dalmeny gleefully branches out from the world of knitted bears and sheep to give us kangaroos, rhinoceros, wombats, and Mounties.
Mounties?
Yes, there’s a pattern for a Canadian Mountie.
