Customer Reviews

Dazzling Knits "Print on Demand Edition"

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Because I already own both of H. Schultz's books, you'd think by now I would be whipping up a domino storm. Alas, though I have been knitting since before the invention of the lava lamp, I was pretty much unable to produce the desired fabric of squares by following his instructions. Anyone can knit a domino square, but things get tricky after the first one's finished. How--and where--to join the yarn to begin the next, adjacent square is not clear in his directions, or at least it was not clear to me. Also, his instructions rely on charts which are not the way most of us on this side of the pond learned to knit. So Werner's book is definitely worth the price if you want to actually MAKE something with this technique.

The garments are stunning, but not so weird as to be unwearable. Most have a southwest kind of feeling to them, not surprisingly since the author lives in Taos. The colorways are exciting and the garments are photographed advantageously--by which I mean a knitter can actually SEE the garment in good detail.

I suspect a couple of errata here and there, but as I have not finished reading the book through I'll leave that problem to future reviewers. But the technique is so easy once you get the hang of it (I am smacking my head that I didn't identify my error sooner!) you will sail right along with no problems.

There's just one more thing I'd like to add. The author's tone gets a little preachy, with a kind of I-am-such-a-free-spirit-colorwise-and-you-aren't presumption that is rather off-putting. Furthermore, she says more than once that "it's just yarn!" and no one is going to die if you put yellow next to purple, or some such example. While this is not exactly revelation teaching to most people, who love yarn and color every bit as much as the author does, it would be well to note that she is using mostly Noro silk and wool yarns, which are extreeeemly expensive if one considers the variety and quantity required to produce any of these garments, let alone the coats. It might be "just yarn" to someone who is getting a deal on it from the manufacturer, or is perhaps independently wealthy, but for those of us who have to pay full retail (plus shipping and handling, since even your average LYS can't afford to carry a full inventory of the stuff)these projects could conceivably represent an investment of at least a couple hundred dollars. We've all been disappointed by color projects we thought would be brilliant but turned out to look like clown's pants, so if the average knitter tends to err on the side of sound color theory, it might not be entirely due to a lack of imagination or personal freedom. Some of us work for a living, though we would vastly prefer to knit all day, or hire somebody else to do it for us, and the purchase of even just a knitting book is a real treat which doesn't happen every day. Would it be too much to ask that when we curl up with that special book, selected with care and insight from among so many others, we could please avoid being talked down to, even just a little bit?

This is an exciting technique, and the book does provide knitting order and assembly instructions and drawings.

But the attitude towards color that is supposed to set you free from thinking about color intelligently is wrong. The samples in the book are all examples of bad color usage. Most of them look muddy because all colors are of medium value. some of the color changes obscure the design unit as in the tumbling blocks sample where you cannot see the design graphic from the bad color changes. The piece de resistance coat on the cover is really bad with a thin orange stripe that interrupts the flow of the eye and joins a turquoise thin stripe in the middle of the back with an uneven match.

The author can use a few color theory classes, and training in the use of dark medium and light values.

Edited to add after I made two vests:

I knitted the Ojo de Dios learning one, and the scalloped shell one.

I had to write out the instruction steps myself, because they are presented out of order, and you have to search for the next step. A sure way to make mistakes is to have steps out of order and jump back and forth before one memorizes the pattern.

In Ojo, she does not write the odd rows at all. This presents a problem because the color changes occur on the odd rows.

There are no total number of stitches per row after each decrease given. This is not a problem until you have to take out a few rows due to a mistake (what? you make no mistakes? then you don't have to worry about this) and try to figure out where you are without a total stitch count per row. And the underarm join as written leaves you with a join that is missing the dark colored outer rows. Changing directions to make the "eyes" symmetrical would work better if done in the middle of the back,and joined with two rows of garter stitch in the middle of the raw edges of the squares to make it symmetrical.

You have to be willing to work around instructional steps out of order and generalized information that applies to a group of different steps which you are supposed to remember by reading once in an overview to the steps.

And modular knitting is lots slower than straight knitting. So if you enjoy finishing and wearing projects, this will try your patience. I got down to 25 minutes a module but even then it takes forever to finish a little vest.

This book, and its author, Pat Werner, will inspire not only beginning knitters, but knitters with many years of experience. The book itself is beautiful, and Ms. Werner's own work is extraordinary. Although the technique of mitered knitting has been around for a long time, and there are a number of other books on the subject, this one demonstrates more fully the unlimited possibilities of the technique. Although there are specific instructions for projects to complete, the information is available for designing your own. This is one of three books on knitting that have really inspired me, the other two being Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop and Kaffe Fassett's Glorious Knits. Highly recommended!

This beautiful book, with its sumptuous photographs and clear, detailed directions, is a treasure. I have taken a number of classes from the author and know that even though these garments look complicated and intricate, they really are quite doable, even for an average knitter like myself. I love the Horst Schulz books too for their visual inspiration, but they have no instructions. I am grateful to Pat Werner for demystifying this technique--making it fun, creative, and wholly satisfying--and for the gorgeous garments presented in this volume.

Dazzling knits is not only building blocks to creativity,it is a masterpiece of knitting. Besides being a tribute to Horst Schulz, it contains beautiful pictures to inspire knitters and detailed instructions to take them along the knitting trail. The instructions are well written, schematics are clearly presented and the color play is wonderful. The book can stand alone on its instruction and presentation, but it is also a great companion to the Horst Schulz books. Patricia Werner demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of modular knitting. The book is words and magic plus beautiful pictures and practical instruction. I, too was among the 10 people in Berlin and certainly wish this book had been available then. Gloria J. Johnson, Dayton OH

Pat Werner has shown us that knitting can be more fun than we ever imagined! This book is a feast for the eyes! Pat's color sense, creativity, and amazing style captures the interest and draws the knitter into one of the most amazing techniques I have ever learned. I have personally taken several of Pat's knitting classes and she makes knitting in this technique fun, easy, and very rewarding. Dazzling Knits showcases Pat's amazing talents!!! Wonderful job!

This is not just another knitting book - it opens up a wealth of creative possibilities. The basic instructions are clear, and I am sure that once these are mastered, the sky is the limit for aspiring knit designers. The colour photography is absolutely gorgeous, showing how all rules are made to be broken, both in colour placing and yarn types. I look forward to the arrival of my double pointed needles, so that I can wade into my yarn stash and commence the creation of some dazzling garments.

This is a must have book for every knitter! Patricia Werner teaches you to step outside the traditional thinking box and explains very clearly why there are no knitting rules anymore! The techniques and patterns are well written, easy to understand, and the style of the writing lends to creativity not often seen in a world where you are told not to deviate from the pattern, use only 1 weight of yarn, be cautious of melding colors, etc. If you have only 1 book, this should be it!

Great little book for those of us with lots of yarn and a reasonable skill with simple knitting stitches. I get bored with the same color anything after awhile, so this style of knitting is really great because you don't always know what is going to happen next. Patterns and instructions seem understandable, but you never know until you actually knit the garment. I'm starting one of the vests using my hand spun yarn, with some commercial yarn to tie it all together. It does encourage a knitter to think outside the box!

Very clever use of color and the patterns certainly will be in style years from now. A book worth owning and keeping in your knitting library.