Customer Reviews

Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library: Over 190 Creative Knitwear Designs

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
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Kaffe Fassett is an artist using textiles (knits, quilts, needlepoint) and paint. His style is to use a sort of ornamentation-on-steroids, a wild profusion of color and pattern to create a wash of color with pattern that looks logical in its confusion. His work never fails to amaze me. If you liked his earlier knit books, this Pattern Library is a really valuable addition. Instead of sweater patterns, this book has detailed charts of the designs and hints on how to knit them (such as the popular round Persian Poppy pattern that you can knit using a "magic ball" or random strands of yarn tied into a giant raggedy ball that yields fascinating results.) For those who design their own vests, pullovers, jumpers and coats, this is a really valuable reference book. Personally, I'd just use it to knit pillows and not even worry about creating a garment with the patterns. Plenty of color photos, detailed shots and a nice printing job, too. Highly recommended for knitters who love colorwork.

My mother got me started knitting when I was five years old. Admittedly my first scarves were trapezoidal marvels as I lost or split stitches, but I've enjoyed the hobby ever since. Kaffe Fassett's book of designs is an incredible resource. Not only are there useful designs for the knitter, but needlepoint, cross-stitch and other enthusiasts of handwork will also find wonderful ideas for their artwork. I used a pattern of flowers taken from the book to design a decorative band for the front of an otherwise very plain swing coat sweater, and I have yarn now for a similar sweater using another, broader floral pattern for the lower edge of another garment. Really, if you're tired of the routine, this book--an eye pleaser just as something to look at--will give you tons of ideas for your own designs.

Excellent resource for color work. And I mean color work as in knitting, embroidery, tapestry, mosaic. Doubles as all of that! This was my first book by Kaffe. Now I own a half dozen of them. And love them all.

The best thing about this book is it's so full of design patterns. Having the charts for colorful designwork is handy. So many books are full of the actual garment patterns, this one is full of the design patterns making it easy for the creative knitter to find a design and adapt it to whatever knitting project they choose. It's great for the experienced knitter, however, it may not be the best or most useful for a new knitter although, it's definately one for the new knitter to have in their library as inspiration and future use.

Nothing new here for Kaffe Fassett fans as it's a library of his patterns from the past. However, because the shapes in his older books are so large and oversized, this allows the knitter to take his patterns and adapt them to more modern shapes. Inspirational as usual.

I just received the book in the mail, and I have to say it is exactly what everyone else here is raving about. I am thrilled with the breadth of stranded and intarsia designs documented here and look forward to incorporating them in my own knitting projects. It's a super resource for any knitter. Fassett's designs would make beautiful pillows, of course, but there are infinite uses for this design treasury.

Many of Kaffe Fassett's knitting patterns are extraordinarily complicated, but wonderful to look at. Using this book, you can modify/simplify the designs and use them however you want. This is an inspiring book for even less-accomplished knitters. I suspect you can use some of these as a basis for needlepoint designs as well.

Wow!!!! This book is as much an art book as it is a knitting pattern book. It is beautiful to look at over and over again.

It is not for any but the most experienced knitters and even then it can be formidable.

However, it is inspirational, challenging, and beckons me to improve my knitting skills so I can tackle some of the most beautiful color patterns I have ever seen!

I highly recommend this book.

Kaffe Fassett is the best in knitwear designs! Use the designs in this book for your knitwork or use them as a source of inspiration and invent your own designs. It realy is great!

Wonderful multi color pattern stitches - not complete garment patterns. For the knitter who knows how to adapt an existing pattern or make one up.