Customer Reviews

Enchanted Knitting: Charted Motifs for Hand and Machine Knitting

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

 

 

All of the Cartwright-Jones knitting books are wonderful, and this one adds to the collection with amazing designs and motifs from all over the world, plus detailed directions for a pillbox-type hat, lavishly patterned kneesocks, a drawstring bag, and a hooded cloak/coat. These are a far cry from most knitting patterns available--they are ethnically or historically inspired and they allow the knitter to fit and style according to her needs and taste. The only reason I don't give five stars is that the charts are hard to read and for some reason don't give the stitch x row counts the way the Tap Dancing Lizard book did. A word of warning: these patterns are geared heavily toward machine knitters. Hand knitters will not be as happy.

This ia a faboo book, but not for someone who wants to learn to knit. It is as the tiltle says, charted desgins. That's it. Oh it has pretty pictues and ideas for projects, but there's no how-to instructions.

The patterns are wonderful! I love the celtic ones, and the little dancing skeletons. And the cover design which is a tattoo from a ice age mummy! (how cool is that??) The patterns are in black to white greyscales. They a rather easy to follow.

Highly recommended if you want patterns that are not the usual!

What were they thinking when they made the contrast so hard to read? What's wrong with black and white? The designs are attractive, but you'll go blind trying to reproduce them. Did I mention that the charts are hard to read?

I have to concur with the other reviews-- most of the charts are too large to use with an 8mm kniting machine or with hand-knitting. I like the idea that they are trying to show the grid-lines, because I sometimes had trouble with the charts in "The tap-Dancing Lizard", trying to figure out exactly how many stitches were in a large block of color. However, I think it could have been done better, in a way that was easier to read. Also, I wish the grid was marked with a heavier or colored line every five or ten stitches. Some of the designs are lovely, but simply too big for me to use unless I were making something huge like a blanket!

Tap Dancing Lizard by the same authors has the best patterns ever. The patterns in Enchanted Knitting are also consistently high quality. However they are printed in black and grey, not black and white. Maybe because of this the patterns feel too small, or maybe they are too small. I'm 23 and don't wear glasses and I have so much trouble that I recommend copying the patterns to graph paper if you want to use them. And the patterns are nice so its even more frustrating.

My advice is to try to buy Tap Dancing Lizard by the same authors instead. It has high quality patterns that are much easier to read. Probably if you get that one you will be hooked and buy this one anyway.

This duo's previous books were packed with charts and ideas, but unfortunately Enchanted Knitting is a comparatively slim volume. The charts are nice, but there are many less, and many are too large to use on a 60st electronic card -- so if you don't have 200st programming capability, you'll be a bit out of luck. They reprise their "coat" pattern, with a few refinements, but otherwise, the patterns are not much to write home about. All in all, buy it if you are looking to spend some money -- but if you skip it, don't feel too deprived!

I have been wanting for this book for a very long time. The transaction was smooth and the book arrived in a timely fashion.
I can't wait to knit up a design! Thank you very much.

This book is very well presented and is a must have for any hand or machine knitter. Photographs are clear and full of colour, diagrams and instructions are very well defined and easy to interpret. A wonderful book for beginner and experienced knitter.

This book is filled with gorgeous charted designs that include Day of the Dead, Pagan, Celtic, and other folk motifs. Unfortunately, the charts are terribly difficult to read, not marked with stitch and row counts, and most are too big to use on anything but cloaks, blankets, and suchlike.

The project directions are geared towards very experienced knitters and seamstresses; they'd be darn near useless for beginners.

A valuable resource in spite of some flaws.

The patterns in this book are many, and very nice, from all over the world. Not all of them are usable, but that's a matter of appeal. Most patterns are quite big to knit up, not for small projects. You have to copy and enlarge them first because they're printed very small.