Book Review: A Gathering of Lace
June 30th, 2006 | 2 Comments
Author: Meg Swansen
Publisher: XRX, Inc.
Rating: 
Buy A Gathering of Lace on Amazon.com
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 | Comments Off
Author: Joelle Hoverson & Anna Williams (Photographer)
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
Rating: 
Buy Last-Minute Knitted Gifts on Amazon.com
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: Felted Knits
March 17th, 2006 | Comments Off
Author: Beverly Galeskas
Publisher: Interweave Press
Rating:
Buy Felted Knits on Amazon.com
I own this book and Knit One, Felt Too and prefer the projects in this one. Felted Knits contains a nice selection of felted bags, mittens, slippers, household items, and a vest, all of which are cute. The projects have simple, clean designs suitable for beginning knitters and are, for the most part, photographed nicely.
It’s clear that some care was taken with the photographs; they are arranged artistically and you get good looks at what the finished items are supposed to look like. In many cases, you can see the finished item photographed from multiple angles, although you may need to hunt around the book for them.
cogknition
