Customer Reviews

The Best of Vogue Knitting Magazine: 25 Years of Articles, Techniques, and Expert Advice

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Do I wish I had read the reviews before ordering this book. I was not expecting basic information, as good as it may be. To knitters/crocheters who buy this book, techniques at a beginner's and even more advanced level are most probably not unknown. I expected more articles covering revolutionary knitting milestones - about the evolving of knitting. For my taste, the articles were not selected with the aspect: THE BEST....
however, I should say to younger readers that the various articles are worthwhile reading as it improves one's understanding of the history of knitting during the last 25 years.

The title: ...25 Years of Articles..." ALSO draws all those faithful Vogue Knitting Magazine readers who are at least in an age bracket between 50 + and ... well, very senior. And who very often wear glasses. Here comes my point: the book is SO hard to read! The very small print and particularly the pastel colors of the print (such as a diluted black or soft light yellow and pastel blue on a glossy white paper!) are a strain on the eyes and take away a lot of pleasure when reading the book. I wish I had been able to look INTO the book before I bought it with so much anticipation.

Do not complain though about missing patterns: The title does not mention ANYTHING about patterns. Please note: NO PATTERNS.

Experienced knitters over 50: You may prefer buying new Vogue instruction books for your personal level of interest and knitting expertise and/or subscribe to the magazine - this book is just too basic, despite some articles, which bring back memories (wonderful articles by E. Zimmermann and Meg Swanson, for example).

Unless you wish to have it in your library for completeness' sake - stick with those wonderful Vogue books on specific topics. It is a book to reminisce about the time Knitting grew up.

First let me state that whenever a book says "Best of...", it probably contains reprints of things you may have already seen or read. If you have all the old issues of Vogue, and want something new, then don't buy this. If you're not so fortunate, this is a wonderful way to read highlights written by some of the most prominent names in knitting. There are reflections and techniques. I enjoyed reading how Barbara Walker began knitting (and gave up!). There are things written by knitters no longer with us, and some by current authors. It has a pleasing format and enough pictures that you can enjoy skimming, just stopping here and there to read. I'm very glad I purchased it, and look forward to reading every article. I do recommend you sit at a table/desk to read, because at just over 3 pounds, this is a heavy tome to hold in your lap.

I have been a subscriber to Vogue Knitting since 1983, and have keep most of the back issues. I thought this would be a great book. I could get rid of all those old magazines, since finding an article in a compilation book should be easier than trying to remember which issue the original article was in. TO my disappointment the majority of the articles have been edited and abridged from the original. If you want thorough information for the knitting fanatic, then you should be looking for back issues of Vogue and skip this volume.

I was dissapointed of this book because there was not one single pattern in it. The book is pretty but it is hard for me to imagine 25 years of Vogue Knitting without been able to knit anything from the book. But I guess it is my fault for not reading the subtitle which clearly says it is a collection of ARTICLES.(not patterns). This is a book I would check out the library and read, but I wouldn't buy it.

Vogue Knitting International hit the newsstands in its current incarnation in 1982 with a focus on fashionable knitting. Over the years the magazine has featured designs from fashion's biggest names in knitwear design: Adrienne Vittadini, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Twinkle, Michael Kors, Anna Sui and James Coviello, to name a few. Through the years, what has kept Vogue(r) Knitting a magazine of substance, and a must have for knitters, has been the articles and workshops featured alongside the designs.

Now, for the first time, the best of these have been gathered into one volume, The Best of Vogue Knitting Magazine: 25 Years of Articles, Techniques and Expert Advice. The ultimate reference volume, within these pages is everything from beginning techniques to advice on the design process. Articles and essays were penned by the luminaries of the knitting world such as Elizabeth Zimmerman, Barbara G. Walker, Meg Swansen, Melanie Falick, Barbara Albright, and many more. Within these pages readers will even find advice on the business of raising sheep, for anyone who has ever dreamed of having their own yarn supply.

Articles, essays and workshops are intermixed, ensuring hours of fascinating reading dotted with new techniques and tips to try out. Each is marked in the upper left corner with the cover and issue in which it originally was published. Revisit old favorites and discover missed gems. If you are only going to purchase one knitting book this year, make it this one. Whether you want to read about the history of wartime knitting in America or explore Vogue's finishing school, this essential reference guide will more than pay for itself through the course of a knitter's life.

Armchair Interviews says: Lots and lots of interesting information.

What a fantastic book. It starts out with a series of fascinating knitting history essays. It's great to see our art/craft in different social context. The technical articles are just so useful, so broad in their spread. There are ones on fibre, basic techniques, charting, finishing, design and fit; then a section on caring for knitwear, and finally, profiles of great knitters. I can see myself reading this one over breakfast, over a cup of tea, in any spare moment, for years, and continuing to mine gems out of it. I can already see it will be one of my favourites. Don't miss it!

Do yourself a favor, get it from the library and spend the money on yarn instead. I love buying books, and have an extensive library, knitting and otherwise. I highly recommend Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book, but this VK 25 is just stale and downright boring. How many times can you publish the same old stuff? Yawn.

Lucky enough to have acquired every issue of VK, I knew to expect a rehash. But even with low expectations, I found this a terrible disapponitment. I checked it out from the library and after flipping through it exactly once (and reading a few articles) I felt no loss when I promptly returned it to the library the very next day.

As of late VK books have been mostly compilations of old dated material. Even the latest edition of "Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book" is page for page the same old original book, with the old dated photos from the first edition. All they did was slap a new cover on it! (I actually do recommend this book though. Well written, every knitter should have it.) Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book

Sorry, I digress. The point is, one has certain expectations of Vogue, based upon the image they have so carefully cultivated...and they are not living up to this image of late. Even the layout on VK 25 is tired.

VK 25 serves to prove VK has become stale, predictable, complacent and downright lazy in recent publishing efforts. Hardly what we've come to expect from the once progressive trend-setters! Time for new editors, puh-lease!

Unless you are a brand-new knitter (and by that I mean you learned in the last 30 minutes) you can easily pass on this one and miss absolutely nothing. Come on VK, step it up...your readers, new and old, deserve much better!

This is a nice book to read, but the illustrations of techniques are not very helpful and I consider myself an advanced intermediate knitter. I admit I was expecting some patterns and was not smart enough to note the book descriptions did not say that there are none. As an avid reader of Vogue knitting over the years, I'm glad I have kept as many as I have. I would have borrowed this from the library, but not purchased.

This is a great resourse. I have almost every vogue Knitting Mag put out, but when I need to find an article referencing a certain technique, the time spent going through the magazines is aggravating. This book pulls all the great articles and techniques into one book, I've already reached for it several times.

I bought the first edition of this book when it first came out. I bought this edition to make sure I didn't miss anything new. I have recommended this to all my students as the best all around reference for beginning and intermeditate knitters.