Full disclosure: I received a review copy of this book through Sixth & Spring to review on my blog.
I was very excited about reviewing Knit Local: Celebrating America's Homegrown Yarns, and for the most part, my high expectations were met.
The concept of Tanis's book is great. The target audience is confident knitters in the United States who are environmentally conscious and/or interested in knowing more about how the yarns they love are produced. Tanis encourages you to learn about where your yarn comes from, and introduces the reader to U.S. based companies who produce yarn in an eco-friendly manner. By promoting these companies, Tanis aims to encourage us to be more environmentally conscious consumers, who buy products locally to reduce the carbon impact from transportation. To this end, the book is arranged regionally, and includes a profile of twenty-eight yarn companies. Each company's profile is followed by a pattern using one or more of its yarns.
What I like about this book:
As someone who has always lived in an inner-city, and who occasionally fantasizes about living on farm, producing my own super awesome yarn, I was thrilled to read about people who've actually lived this dream.
The stories of the different companies are really interesting. (Full disclosure: I find entrepreneurs and their stories interesting - if you don't, this could bore you to tears.)
It was helpful to read the business philosophies of the different companies and to know more about their products. I learned a lot about the philosophy behind some of my favorite yearns.
I enjoyed learning about new yarns, and especially about those produced by small, independent yarn companies. The profiles feel more intimate than reading about the yarn company on a website - almost like being introduced by a friend.
The resources section in the back includes information about knitting notions made in the U.S., as well as information about the yarn companies profiles in the book.
The book is graphically attractive and has excellent photographs. It definitely qualifies as "eye candy."
Unlike many books, which have no defined target audience and include beginner tutorials along with advanced patterns, this book aims squarely at the experienced knitter. Two patterns are done in crochet, and the rest are in knit. About half of the projects are advanced difficulty, with the rest being mostly intermediate. There is one easy pattern.
There is a broad range of projects by many different designers.
(Side note: My favorite knitting patterns were the Big Man on Campus Hoodie in Green Mountain Spinnery Alpaca Elegance by Josh Bennett, the Cabled Car Coat in Farmhouse Yarns Andy's Merino by Sauniell Connally, the Maritime Hat and Mittens in Swan Island Yarns Worsted by Jil Eaton, the McEnroe Diamonds Scarf in Juniper Moon Farm Fire Wool Worsted Weight by Ben Walker, Farmhouse Gloves in Solitude Romney by Kristin Nicholas, and the Winterthur Beret and Cowl Set in Hazel Knits Artisan Lively by Elspeth Kursh. It might be my crochet bias, but I really liked both crochet patterns, too: the Wildflowers Scarf in Buffalo Gold Lux by Linda Permann and the Random Harvest Afghan, photo-styled like a shawl, in Brown Sheep Company`s Lamb's Pride Worsted by Randy Caveliere.)
On the other hand...
Like some works of conceptual art, the book doesn't come together exactly as you would imagine based on hearing about the concept. For example:
After Tanis convinces us in the opening pages about all of the benefits of buying local to reduce environmental impact, the back cover flap proudly declares that the book was manufactured in China. It is hard to believe that Sixth & Spring couldn't find a location in the Western hemisphere to publish this book,
especially given the subject matter.
It is wonderful to see a book with so many different designers represented. However, I'm not sure that any one knitter would actually be interested in making this diversity of patterns. There are baby/child garments, men's and women's clothing, all manner of accessories, a pair of socks, and a sprinkling of home decor - in quite a few different styles and using a range of techniques. The book doesn't look as cohesive as most books with a limited range of designers or a project theme. I think many people look for themes in their books - either a project type (e.g., socks) or emphasis on a certain technique (e.g., cables), so this aspect of the book may limit its appeal.
While the back cover declares "30+ Gorgeous Knits!," I keep counting and only get 30 projects. I actually think 30 projects is plenty for a book of this price - but since the back cover has me thinking there are more projects, it seems like something is missing.
I can't help but wonder why the companies with only 1 yarn produced in the U.S. are included (though their stories are just as interesting as the rest).
The verdict
I don't knit nearly as much as I crochet, and if you read myblog regularly, you know that I don't tend to follow patterns, so I'm not in the target audience of this book. However, it does stand on its own as an introduction to some of the small, independent yarn companies in the U.S. I think an environmentally conscious knitter who likes at least five of these patterns would be quite happy with the book. And it would be easy to find 5 patterns you like, since the patterns on the whole are really great and represent a variety of techniques and styles. If you are not persuaded by Tanis's case for buying local, eco-friendly yarns, you may still be swayed by the 30ish designs included in the book. I do think you are likely to rate the book higher if you are interested in the environmental issues Tanis presents, or prefer to shop local for other reasons. I would rate the book as a 4 out of 5 stars for the experienced, eco-conscious knitter. It is an attractive exploration of diverse projects with interesting, well written tales of independent yarn companies. This is not a book for a beginner knitter, and will probably have limited appeal to eco-friendly knitters outside of the U.S., or knitters who aren't particularly concerned with how their yarn is produced or its impact on the environment.
