Customer Reviews

Fitted Knits: 25 Designs for the Fashionable Knitter

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

...this book is simple, elegant and gives you some great jumping-off points for evolving your own designs from the patterns given to get a look that's truly "you." Stefanie Japel designs beautiful, well-constructed garments with easy yet effective techniques that knitters of any level can put to use right away. Are you a scarf knitter? Want to expand your range? Try a raglan-style sweater. Are you a sweater-in-a-week knitter? Japel will give you new inspiration.

Attention handspinners and those who like to use handspun yarn: many of the projects in this book would work perfectly with handspun! Seamless sweaters tend to accommodate handspun's quirks much better than pieced-and-seamed ones, and Japel has you covered with designs to suit any figure.

If you've ever knit her patterns from Knitty or the ones she sells on her website Glampyre, you know that Japel's designs are not only beautiful, but rock-solid. They work every time, they size up well (plus-sized knitters take note) and they are easily modified to suit your personal taste. I loved this book, from the designs themselves to the overall layout, and will be gifting it to a few of my sweater-anxious knitting friends.

Wow, what a great book. Loads of cool and flattering knits here. I like everything, which puts this book in an elite group of perhaps 3..... When you consider I buy practically every new knitting book, that sure is something. I immediately frogged some gorgeous suri alpaca I just started using an Interweave Knits pattern, and started her ribbed vneck sweater. I've never knitted a top down sweater, or one totally in the round, and I must say it is really liberating, and the instructions are very clear. I started with this pattern firstly because I like it, and secondly because it's marked easy. Her patterns are graded into varying levels of difficulty, which is a plus. I already know what my next project is going to be, and it will be the next step up in difficulty. Now it's just a matter of finding the right yarn in my stash.....

This is also one of the few books I have which doesn't rely on expensive yarns to do the work. Most of the yarns here are reasonably priced, and would be easy to sub if you wish.

It's true that the majority of patterns are for raglan sweaters. However there are a few that aren't. Besides, altho I could be way off here, I don't see any other way you can knit a top down sweater. Unless it's a round yoke, and personally I find raglan more flattering than round yokes.

Contrary to another reviewer, I don't see any shapeless knits in here. There are a couple of knits which are not knit in the round - a very cute sleeveless lace tank which gets its shapeliness from clever use of stitch patterns, for instance, and a tube top which uses a lace panel for the same effect. These are both in my project list for summer....

There's only one problem with this book. I can't use my usual method of marking with sticky notes, as I would mark practically all of them!

I hope she publishes more books soon, as this is one designer I will always buy sight unseen!

Now, I am a decidedly NON-funky dresser, and yet I'm dying to cast on quite a good number of these garments. For her first book, Ms. Glampyre has delivered a stunner, and I'm so excited to hear that another one is in the works.

So, a few major plusses for the book:

1) The projects are ALL garments, with no filler accessory patterns.
2) They use budget-friendly yarns (we love you, Cascade 220!).
3) There are a WIDE array of sizes for each project.
4) The patterns span the seasons, also.

Stefanie has a very distinct design aesthetic, which helps her blend old-age and new-age influences beautifully in "Fitted Knits". I'm so glad I purchased this!

Great designs, technically thoughtful, interesting without being overly tricky, and done with yarns that are easy to substitute. (No wacky gauges that force you to use only the recommended yarn.) Even though I already own shelves (and shelves) of books and patterns, and have been knitting for a long time, there are a lot of designs in here I want to start in on right away. On the "fresh idea" scale this book really packs them in, and is well worth purchasing.

Stefanie Japel has long been my favorite knitting pattern designer. After knitting my first sweater from one of her earlier patterns, I fell in love with the crisp, mathematical, foolproof fashion in which she writes her patterns. And after admitting such a bias, I must admit that this book lives up to my (very high) expectations.

First of all, the book is in paperback format. But it does stay open nicely, for ease of reading patterns as you work. It is comparable in size to EZ's Knitting Without Tears.

As for the patterns, they run the gamut from classic (Cozy V-Neck Pullover) to romantic (Keyhole-Neck Blouse, Elizabeth Bennett Cabled Cardigan, Puff-Sleeved Feminine Cardigan) to young and modern (Coquette Lace Tube Top, Crisp Rectangle Tunic Top). As I first flipped through the book, there were many patterns that interested me in a purely "well, that looks innovative" sort of way. But after spending a couple days studying the book, it has become obvious that each pattern in this book is truly wearable and would be a stunning addition to any wardrobe.

While there is some repetition (3 cropped cardigans), I can see having many of my finished knits from this book become staples in my wardrobe.

Japel maintains her love of raglan construction, while also giving a nod to innovative construction or stitch patterns on more than one occasion. (Airy Wrap-Around Lace Sweater, Boatneck Bluebell Sweater, Textured Tunic)

Also of note is the adaptability of many of these patterns to handspun. As a spinner, I'm always on the lookout for pattern to display my handspun to its full potential, and this book has many patterns that would work well for the intermediate or advanced spinner who enjoys spinning worsted to bulky yarns.

Lastly, the layout of the book is stunning. All designs are photographed beautifully and include schematics. Decorative patterning (which looks much like brocade) decorates every page, breaking up the monotony of pictures and black text on a white page.

This book is an inspiration.

I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book as I love Stefanie's other designs, and I definitely was *not* disappointed. For me, so many knitting books seem to have the same old patterns, just written by different people. I don't buy many pattern books because I usually only like one or two patterns--but I *love* and am considering making over half of the patterns in this book (and yes, I counted).

The patterns are split into four chapters (Tubes, tanks, and tees; shrugs, cardigans, and wraps; sweaters, vests, and coats; and dress-up clothes) with 24 patterns total.

Most sweaters come in a wide range of sizes; for example, the first pattern has finished bust measurements of 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, and 44 inches, which allows for a more accurate fit. And in my opinion, most of the sweaters would be flattering on a variety of body types.

I also like that she includes instructions on how to tailor the patterns to fit your body. This is why I don't understand another person's comment about the items not being 'fitted.' You can easily adjust pretty much every pattern in the book so that it works better for your body type.

I am very pleased with this book and can't wait to see what she comes up with in the future.

I looked forward to this book so much! As a 'curvy' girl, I welcome any patterns and techniques which make for better fitted, bespoke knitwear - none but the slimmest can carry off the old-fashioned boxy sweater.

I was really disappointed to see that every design in this book is for chunky or aran weight yarns - there is not one single design worked in a finer guage yarn, and it doesn't matter how well a garment is fitted, big chunky yarns are never going to be flattering on a more generous body-shape. Also, lots of the patterns are for slash and boat neck-lines: not one v-necked sweater in there! When I read 'fitted' I automatically inferred 'designed to flatter'. Not so, I'm afraid. And don't be deceived into thinking the cover design is typical of the patterns in the book: it's not.

Overall, this is an interesting book if you're knitting for a willow, but curvy girls beware - this is full of big, hefty, chunky knits. If that's your kinda thing, go for it. If not, save your money - I wish I had.

This is a good book with many fashionable designs. They are almost all top-down raglans save for a few patterns. Several are similar to previously released patterns on her website, but they are different enough to be interesting. This book is very brand happy- I believe Cascade Yarns donated some yarn for the making of the book, which makes guessing yardage a little difficult when they only give you the amount in skiens for the reccomended yarn.

Another complaint I have is that the coat in the book would cost about $400 in yarn...that's just insane! I think it would be nice to have some alternatives listed for those who don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on knitting. Also, personally, many of the patterns are not my style. But, I am sure someone else will love them.

All in all, it's a good solid book with clearly written out patterns and fashionable designs. If you haven't made a sweater before or just love top-down raglans, this is your book! There's something for everyone here, and something for each season.

I'm an intermediate knitter and purchased "Fitted Knits" to learn more about knitting fitted items. Japel does a good job of teaching the technique of creating fitted knits. She uses a top-down method for her patterns so that you can try on your sweaters as you knit them. Five of the patterns use bulkier yarn, a plus if you want to knit them up quickly, but I don't personally prefer the look. I'd buy the book for the tips on shaping, but not for the patterns themselves.

This is a beautiful book. The photographs are gorgeous, with many closeups of the garments' details.

Stefanie's instructions and tips are clear and easy to follow. I am an intermediate knitter, and I still appreciate learning new secrets and the reasoning behind techniques. She also includes tips for beginners, such as how to wash and store a knitted item.

The patterns are coded as Supereasy, Medium, or Challenge. Even the Supereasy patterns are for real sweaters, not scarves. In fact, there are no filler patterns in this book. Every pattern is for a top, a dress, or even a suit!

This is an inspiring book, and I can't wait to work up to making the Saturday in the Park Perfect Dress (marked "Challenge", I feel a little intimidated, but I know Stefanie will guide me through it!).