Fishermen's Sweaters: 20 Exclusive Knitwear Designs for All Generations [Hardcover]

Alice Starmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

The elegant styling and exquisite detail of traditional fisherman's knits are brought to life in Alice Starmore's 20 original sweater designs for men, women, and children.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alice Starmore is a leading knitwear designer and the author of books that include The Celtic Collection and Celtic Needlepoint.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Peter Smith Pub Inc (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844671355
• ISBN-13: 978-0844671352
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,216,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly Alice Starmore's best book., January 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Fisherman's Sweaters: Twenty Exclusive Knitwear Designs for All Generations (Paperback)

I can't praise this wonderful book enough. Every adult sweater in this collection is a treasure!

Starmore's marvelous book focuses on single-color, richly textured sweaters (though there are also two very striking Scandinavian-style pullovers which would serve as an excellent introduction to multicolor knitting.) There are complex Aran-style cabled sweaters as well as knit-and-purl brocades which involve little or no cabling. These brocade patterns (Lochinver, Filey, Norfolk, and Cape Cod, to name my own favorites) are some of the loveliest and most elegant sweaters ever to emerge from Starmore's workshop--and best of all, they are much simpler to knit than they appear!

Traditional construction is the hallmark of this collection. It is Starmore's ode to the Scottish fisher gansey, the art form of her homeland. Therefore, most of the designs call for DK, sport, or 5-ply gansey yarn, and fairly small needles. Finishing one of these fine-gauge sweaters will require a little extra patience and stamina, but the end result will be a hard-wearing, versatile, impeccably crafted garment.

It's a toss-up as to which is Starmore's best work: this book or the magnificent "Aran Knitting". This book has more original designs, however, and much greater variety among them.

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful patterns and pictures, July 27, 2001

By 

Martha E. Nelson (Watertown, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fisherman's Sweaters: Twenty Exclusive Knitwear Designs for All Generations (Paperback)

This is a book that just makes you itch to knit. I had not knit a sweater in the round until I started working with this book, and I unerstand now why traditional knitters would never have done things any other way.

I have rarely seen such beautiful swater patterns or such beacutiful photographs. If you like to knit, be patient and learn from this book and you will be immensely rewarded.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Catch of the Day!, February 18, 2002

By 

Virginia L. Tubbs (Claremont, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fisherman's Sweaters: Twenty Exclusive Knitwear Designs for All Generations (Paperback)

I am new to Aran kniting. The detailed, close up pictures of the sweaters show very clearly how the stitches should appear. The charts are easy to follow, and Starmore's general directions in the back of the book are a bonus. Sweaters are featured in light to heavy yarns. The fibers range from cotton, silk, wool or a combination. My sample knitted swatches have been sucessful.