This is not your grandmother’s knitting book…unless Grandma happens to be a cool, creative textile artist. What it does have is detailed information on a spectacular range of contemporary designs—both wearable items, such as a breathtaking star-shaped neckpiece strung with glass beads, as well as exhibition pieces like the author’s Spirit Dresses, knitted from insulated bell wire. Other materials used include paper yarn, plastics, rope, elastics—and even regular knitting yarn! Ruth Lee, whose work has been shown in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, offers a wealth of background on techniques from big knitting and knitting in rounds, to wrapping, coiling, and twining. Plus: dozens of color photographs provide powerful inspiration for adventurous knitters.
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For those yearning to break out of the straightforward designs dictated by many knitting books, British artist Lee focuses on the forms this traditional fabric can take, whether coiled-wire or paper-based shoe styles. The two initial chapters cover tools and techniques but with a unique perspective: unusual materials, like basketry cane and different equipment (old-fashioned spool frames, for instance) comprise just a few of her recommendations. Techniques, too, stray from the conventional; for instance, her term “big knitting” refers to the ridges, furrows, and other textures possible in purl and knit stitches. Add to that repertoire the making of cones and cylinders, 3-D forms on a pentagonal base, decorative surface treatments such as needle felting and big buttonholes, among a host of other ideas. Intimidating? Just remember Lee’s advice: “Practice knitting as if you were sketching on paper.” --Barbara Jacobs
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' A long awaited look of how experimental knitting suits a modern context in the creation of outdoor installation work, gallery pieces, wearable art and body adornment'. Textile Fibre Forum
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42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiration for creative knitters,
By Donna (Colorado, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Contemporary Knitting: For Textile Artists (Hardcover)
Wow, this book is amazing resource for creative knitters. From the description of the book, I thought it was a collection of unusual projects and patterns, and so I didn't buy it. Still, I couldn't resist popping open the copy I found at my local yarn store today and I was completely surprised by what I found inside. This is not a pattern book! It's a book of creative techniques that you can use to design your own knitted art pieces or unique garments and accessories.
The author explains her goals on page 7, "Ideally, learn to develop patterns from scratch, just as you learned to write ltters of the alphabet, words, and -- finally -- joined-up text, rather than following existing patterns on automatic pilot" and "I encourage you to explore hands-on experimentation and to hone your craft skills through practice, so that they become second nature and you can go on to translate your own creative ideas into something tangible and original." Chapters include: 1. Essential Tools, Equipment, and Know-How 2. Yarns, Fibres, and Other Materials 3. Big Knitting 4. Borderlines 5. Knitting with Beads 6. Spool and Frame Knitting Techniques 7. Advanced Techniques for Knitting in Rounds 8. Pattern on Pattern 9. Decorative Surface Treatments 10. Creative Journeys From knitting with odd materials at unusual gauges, to adding decorative embellishments ranging from beads and washers to needle felting and varnish, to knitting 2 and 3 dimensional shapes, to working with straight and circular needles as well as knitting frames, this volume covers many techniques that you won't find in more traditional knitting books. For anyone who wants to move beyond just knitting from patterns and especially for all knitters who want to explore knitting as a visual art form, this book is an excellent resource. It will definitely get your creative juices flowing. Highly recommended.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Valuable Resource for Textile Artists,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Contemporary Knitting: For Textile Artists (Hardcover)
I checked this book out of the library before buying and fell in love at first sight. To me, a textile artist who designs her own patterns, uses oddball materials for unusual results, and makes art, not afghans; this book is exactly what I want to have in my library. Inspiring, exciting, and some great ideas for working with difficult materials. I nearly ended up with carpal tunnel after crocheting with wire - and here is this smart author coming up with a knitting alternative that will give me the results I want without ruining my wrists. It's worth it just for that tip alone. I've shown it to other textile artists and they all are wowed by it. I can see that I'll be incorporating much more knitting into my mixed media work using the ideas in this book. A strong recommendation for this book as a textile art tool - absolutely not what you want for sweaters, hats, booties, and blankets. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it's just that you need a different book for working with those items.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
knitting as an art form,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Contemporary Knitting: For Textile Artists (Hardcover)
This is an inspirational book for people who want to knit pieces of art or large pieces and definitely not wearables. It is based on the author's own works shown in galleries and museums. She uses unusual materials of which many are not easy on the hands but has tips on how to handle them. She gives some exercises for some basic types of knitting such as short rows and as a knitter of 40 years experience I really didn't find much new to me. The chapter on 3-dimensional forms was very interesting as was the information on needle felting. The final chapter is about some of her own pieces. There is a list of suppliers and an index but no bibliography. While there is a scarcity in this area, I would recommend Sommer's "A New look at knitting", c1977 which can be found still second-hand. The book is quite lovely to look at and while not for most knitters who make clothing still it could be inspiring for non-knitters who want to use the craft in their artwork and for adventurous knitters wanting to go beyond the usual.
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