Folk Vests: 25 Knitting Patterns & Tales From Around the World (Folk Knitting series) [Paperback]

Cheryl Oberle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Knitters will delight in these 25 traditional and innovative vest patterns collected from around the world and through the ages. Both functional and decorative, these wonderful projects for men’s and women’s vests are accompanied by folk stories and regional histories from the country of the design’s origin, including Tibet, Scandinavia, Guatemala, Japan, North America, and many others. More than a pattern book, readers will feel connected to the cultures behind the projects as they bring these native crafts to life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Vests have long been a favorite garment of knitters because they are fun to make, comfortable to wear, and easier to knit than garments with sleeves that must be carefully fitted to the wearer. Oberle is a knitwear designer and popular workshop teacher whose designs often appear in popular knitting magazines such as Interweave Knits. This book, like her earlier Folk Shawls, is a compilation of patterns based on the folk wear traditions of Europe (Scotland, Germany, Ireland, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and England), Asia (Nepal, Japan, and China), Africa, and the Americas. The 25 vest patterns each include background information about textile traditions of the country or region, a full-page photo of the garment, a materials list, and complete instructions. Avid knitters will have difficulty deciding which of these elegant vests to knit first: the beautiful Sari Silk Vest from Nepal, the "Many Buttoned Vest" in the German tradition, or the African-inspired Kasai Vest with its wealth of Fair Isle motifs. Warmly recommended for textile collections and public libraries.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A useful book for all of us. Knitters can make the design as is or adapt it." -- Knitting Knutz

"The versatility of these vests is matched only by the diversity of the patterns that adorn them . . ." -- Knit ‘N Style

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 135 pages
• Publisher: Interweave Press (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931499144
• ISBN-13: 978-1931499149
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars International collection, February 10, 2003

By 

Carol Peterson Hennekens (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Folk Vests: 25 Knitting Patterns & Tales From Around the World (Folk Knitting series) (Paperback)

Cheryl Oberle returns with another book in her series of internationally flavored knitting patterns. This book is all about vests. 25 separate patterns for less than a dollar a pattern - a great value. I've had the pleasure of learning vest construction from Cheryl and know that these patterns contain the little details that will make the vests work - i.e. armholes that don't gap and such.

For those of you thinking of buying the book sight unseen here are some details that might be helpful:
---three traditional fair isle designs (2 pullovers and one button front)
---eight single color designs - bavarian twists, the many buttoned vest (cute!); irish with the vertical x's and o's; a celtic lattice pullover; a tunic length 'bookworm' button-front; a mandarin collared texured button front; a traditional v-neck men's pullover with four columns of cables; a casual, all garter vest with a shawl collar; and a fine yarn, v-neck button front.
---three vests with wide vertical bands and a single button - done in African, Peruvian and Korean colorwork patterns.
---one vest with vertical stripes designed for the Nepalese recycled silk yarn.
---three vests knit fair isle style but with bold varigated yarns on a black background.
---two Japanese inspired panel designs.
---two traditional Scandanavian looks - a pullover and a button-front.
---a side to side vest with Navajo patterning (but easy to adapt to other looks).
---a traditional vest with a big lace collar.

Even as a person who rarely wears vests, I enjoy having this book on my shelf. The photography is crisp and the the text is clear. If you like to wear vests, that this book would be a treasure trove of projects.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Like Knitting Sleeves?, November 12, 2002

By 

A. Lupia "amlbee" (Branford, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Folk Vests: 25 Knitting Patterns & Tales From Around the World (Folk Knitting series) (Paperback)

I really like this book. I am an intermediate knitter who's love affair with the wildly popular chunky knits ended with my last sweater knitted on size 19 needles (it was like knitting with pvc pipes!) Anyhow, the vests in this book are beautifully shaped and patterned using needle sizes 3 to 8, with sizing accomplished by going either up or down a size needle. Many of the designs are worked in the round using circular needles to the underarm and then the back and front are worked on regular needles: Speedy and less seaming! The vests incorporate many interesting techniques for all levels of knitting skills including stocking, garter, cables, two-color pattern, Fair Isle, lace and steeks. This is not just one vest 47 ways!

I especially love the Japanese and African designs, but all of the vests are lovely and I would venture the opinion that there is something for everybody in this book. The photographs are good, showing color and design details. I was disappointed, however, not to have any schematics included. The yarns used are pretty much speciality yarns, so schematics would have been helpful in making sizing changes and yarn substitutions easier.

I would recommend this book for providing good instruction, design and inspiration to the knitter who is looking for a bit of a challenge and some good designs. I am looking forward to working my way through this book and having some great vests in the process!

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Textile traditions re-interpreted in very beautiful knits!, February 5, 2003

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Folk Vests: 25 Knitting Patterns & Tales From Around the World (Folk Knitting series) (Paperback)

I loved Oberle's "Folk Shawls" and I was even more impressed with "Folk Vests." Her first volume "Folk Shawls" had patterns for traditional shawls and stoles based on ethnic designs from around the world. In "Folk Vests" not only are the vest shapes re-created, but the textiles of the various lands are cleverly worked out.

In particular, the Japanese vests look like Ikat dyed handloomed cotton, both a single direction dyed ikat and a double-dyed check pattern (Kasuri) in the traditional indigo color. The random striped vest versions could also be knit in handpainted wool--a nice use for this popular technique of dyeing.

The shape of many of the vests uses the same construction as would be used with woven cloth. Some of the vests have a long version, which is a good thing because most of the vests are short. This is a problem if you are short-waisted or thick on top, as short vests are not as flattering a shape.

There are other wonderful patterns that take a twist on the traditional. The Tyrolean twisted stitch vest is similar to those knit garments found in the Alpine regions of Austria and Germany but Oberle incorporates a stocking "clock" pattern on the vest back that makes an interesting "v"--not just a replica of Tyrolean style knitting but a clever play.

There are several fairisle vests that are of interest to handspinners. One is done in sheep's colors (cream, gray, brown and black) and could be knit of handspun undyed colored wool. Another recalls the use of lichen dye from parmellia which gives golden tones. While the vest pattern is knit from commercially available Shetland yarn, you could, as a spinner and dyer, make your own genuine lichen dye or onion skin dyed yarn to knit this vest. The Prince of Wales' famous fairisle is also here, with a note that the colors of the vest in the portrait of the Prince were probably not those on the actual vest. My favorites, however, are an African vest in a mudcloth-like black and white pattern, and a Peruvian llama vest with a gorgeous patterned band on a rich brown plain knit vest.

As in "Folk Shawls" there is a also a plain black model and notes on how to modify the various models. And husband Gary Oberle contributes his attractive linocuts to ornament each chapter.

A lovely book. Highly recommended.