Customer Reviews

Contemporary Knitting: For Textile Artists

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
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2 star:		(1)
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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.

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.

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.

I would like to underwrite every word of reviewer Donna, just to make her review weigh double.
I have been involved in textile arts for 60 years and have a good library of books in that field. Ruth Lee is a foremost artist in her field, her book is inspirational. The text is clearly structured and informative, great care was given to color rendition of finished projects.
I will not repeat Donnas listing of contents but rest assured, each chapter of the book is worth reading even if you are an experienced knitter. Knitters who are using patterns instead of free-forming will also be able to glean more knowledge for their work by the many examples that are included in the book.

As I was doing the planning for a fiber focussed trip to Scotland & England that I am leading Fall 2008, I came across Ruth Lee. As I did my research on Ruth I found that she had written this very exciting book about knitting, not just your usual variety of knitting projects but something that really pushes the boundaries of what is normally thought of as the sort of materials and techniques associated with knitting. I'm thrilled with her use of unusual materials, her mixing of different textures and types of materials to create contempory art with this age old skill we call knitting. I highly recommend this book for both the "armchair" knitter and the active knitter alike because I think it will excite your imagination and make you look at what, and how you want to knit in new and very different ways. For me, Ruth has created something with this book that I will return to again and again for inspiration and instruction. And, after talking with Ruth, I have decided to include a visit with her on my upcoming tour so we can see some of these exciting pieces from the book in person. Can't wait! I have also recommended the book to my local yarn shop and I'm happy to say that the owner has ordered copies for the shop too.

I'm a knitter from the ones who doesn't like to work always with the same kind of materials. And I experimented with all kind of techniques too, but this book is an amazing source for those who like to see something really different. I loved the suggestion of materials and it has also the measures of needles they used for the different experiments they did... I think is not for begginers and traditional knitters, but is full of tips to help you open to "another knitting dimension.."

this book let's one explore one's creativity rather than sticking to classical knitting patterns. an open mind is essential to the creative knitter.

This book has some great and innovative ideas of working in yarns and various materials to make very interesting works of textile art.

Although I found it somewhat inspiring, I wasn't impressed enough to fully read it. The objects made in the book are odd along with the materials. Now the materials were far more interesting than the objects. So if you want to expand what to knit with then it is good. But don't expect to have any lightbulb ideas.