CogKnition

Book Review: The Alchemy of Color Knitting

January 24th, 2010 | View Comments

Cover of The Alchemy of Color Knitting

Author: Gina Wilde
Publisher: Potter Craft
Rating: 4 Skeins

Buy The Alchemy of Color Knitting on Amazon.com

I love color, particularly vibrant jewel tones—a quick glance through my Ravelry projects page will confirm this. I’m always on the lookout for designers who have a good eye for color, so when Potter Craft offered to send me a review copy of this book, I took it.

The first chapter (8 pages) introduces basic color theory—the color wheel, different color schemes, etc. This section seems a bit superfluous to me, as it is much too short for people who want to learn more about color and how to use it—”Trust Your Preferences” is not a satisfying recommendation—and it is totally redundant for people who have, say, read the Wikipedia page on color theory.

But if you want patterns that use bright colors and use them well, this is the book for you. I counted 25 patterns total: 11 sweaters (including a tank and a baby cardigan), 8 scarves/wraps/shawls, and assorted accessories.

The size range for the garments is a little on the small side; there are generally only 4-5 sizes for each sweater. The smallest size is usually a bust measurement between 30 and 36 inches; the largest size is usually between 42 and 46 inches.

Like Shibori Knits, another Gina Wilde book, all the yarns are Alchemy Yarns.

Pick of the Projects:

My favorite project in the entire book is the Clematis Scarf, which is the stunner on the cover. But you can see what that looks like, so here are my picks of the others.

Peacock Cardigan from The Alchemy of Color Knitting Peacock Cardigan (Experienced). This lacy, long cardigan is knit in a worsted-weight yarn and features belled sleeves and a small shawl collar. This small photo really does not do the sweater justice. The bell sleeves add some elegance and edges of this cardigan are beautifully finished, a detail I always appreciate. The only down side is that the pattern is written for four sizes: 30″, 36″, 42″, and 48″.

Impressionist's Wrap from The Alchemy of Color Knitting The Impressionist’s Wrap (Beginner). I love ombre, as you know, so this project jumped out at me immediately. This wrap is worked in Alchemy Yarns Haiku, which is a luscious silk/mohair blend. Two strands are held together throughout, changing the color of one strand at a time to get the ombre effect. The stitch pattern creates a slightly ruching at the color changes.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Gloves from The Alchemy of Color Knitting Somewhere Over the Rainbow Gloves (Intermediate). This is a basic glove pattern highlighted with beautiful floral embroidery. The embroidery chart is included, but you will have to find an embroidery reference if you don’t already know how to form the stitches. The pattern is written for one size, a women’s medium (8″ palm circumference).

Buy The Alchemy of Color Knitting on Amazon.com

Tags: , , ,

CogKnition posted this on January 24th, 2010 @ 6:13pm in Book Reviews | Permalink to "The Alchemy of Color Knitting"

No Comments

Comments are closed.