Customer Reviews

Knitovation: Creative Knitwear Made from 3 Simple Shapes

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I liked this book for the project ideas. Knitting basic rectangles and squares and joining them in creative ways to come up with usable wearables has a lot of appeal. The recommendation in the beginning of the book is a must: make paper models of the shapes and fold them as directed in the pattern to figure out what to do with the knit pieces. I wish there were diagrams with each pattern showing the assembly process. As others have said, the yarn choices are bizarre. In some cases, they hide what the garmet is, making it hard to decide if this is something I would want to try to make. Some projects seem a waste of paper and ink -- who would really knit six squares to sew together into a cube? I will definitely use some of the patterns, but will substitute my own yarn choices.

Knitovation is based upon a very intriguing design idea - putting together basic squares and rectangles, in different sizes, to make various garments. This book contains more than 25 patterns, designed in just that way. With only a few exceptions, however, the garments are somewhat boxy (well, what else can be expected from squares and rectangles?), and attempts to compensate for or hide that defect are made with heavy use of glitzy, fuzzy, fancy novelty yarns. The photos are good, as are the instructions and diagrams, but there simply isn't enough here that I'd like to knit.

This book is exactly what it says it is. It offers fashionable and fun designs for the knitter who loves to just knit and does not want to deal with a lot of shaping, counting, and finishing.

The designs are not form-fitting, but they are quite flattering for many figures. I consider this a collection of very basic patterns that can easily be adapted to an almost endless variety of yarns. Since the pieces are all rectangular or triangular, it is very easy to substitute yarns of different gauges. I made the design on the cover out of a totally different kind of yarn and everyone loves it.

Since Barry Klein is the owner of Trendsetter and frequently collaborates with the owner of Prism, the yarns used are all from Trendsetter and Prism, which are expensive. The designs, however, stand on their own without the specific yarns used.

I am totally disappointed with this book. The designs, without exception, could have been a pamphlet and I still wouldn't have bought it if I could have looked in it beforehand.
All the yarns used (Trendsetter, naturally) are expensive, in my opinion beyond the amount an inexperienced knitter would pay. And no experienced knitter would be pleased with the poor quality of the designs. Some are actually hideous, such as the Annie O vest, which is comprised of horizontal stripes of long shaggy red hair and checkerboard ribbon. Even Sonny Bono, at his freakiest, would have rejected this one.
The concept was good - designing garments using only 3 basic shapes, but although the authors claim the book is for knitters who want to go beyond the scarf, at least 6 of the designs are for scarves! Expensive scarves with lots of silk ribbon strips tied on.
There is a blanket made of woven strips (more scarf knitting. How is this going beyond the scarf?)- how boring that would be to knit, and would cost over $400, if made in the recommended yarns.
I am disturbed that Trisha Malcolm is listed as editorial director on this one. How can she want to be associated with subtitles such as "Her name is Lola and she is a showgirl...you will be too!" and "It can be sweet, elegant or crazy. Whatever form it takes, shake your bon-bon." this is a description for an undefined object that looks like a ball of fuzz and would cost over $60 to make in the recommended yarns.
Save your money. There are so many good books out there to take a new knitter beyond scarves and help them create simple, wearable shapes. Try Sally Melville's Knit Stitch. Maybe use a little Trendsetter yarn to spice things up. As for me, I don't think I will be buying anything else from Barry Klein and Fayla Reiss, thank you very much.

Even the use of some really nice yarns can't disguise the really awful patterns in this book.

On the funny side, I was vastly amused by the book's inclusion of so many simple scarves. The humble rectangle isn't my idea of the world's most creative knitwear shape.

Buy any other book or buy yarn instead.

I keep coming back to this book. I haven't made anything in it yet, but I'm getting ready to start on a few. I of course am going to skip the useless pillows and scarves, but I like the idea of the unshaped "wrap" sweaters. After all, the book "Knit Kimono" just came out and talk about boxy ;) I won't be using the yarns in the book but if I did have access to them I might - you can use plain colors and not so much frill if you don't like it (like I don't) and still get a functional sweater/wrap/shawl. I do recommend this book for beginners and more advanced to use the ideas and run with them.

This is an absolutely great book for anyone, but a real motivation for beginners. Everything in the book is "shaped" from squares and rectangles. If you can knit, purl, cast on and bind off, you have it covered. The looks are extremely new and fresh looking, and great for all body shapes.

I have only knitted scarves and lots of them. I wanted to try something else. So, I saw this book in a store and decided to get it at Amazon about a week later. I find that it really is easy to just make rectangles and piece them together and have a sweater! Even I can do that! And beware you will need to know some stitches besides the garder. It's a whole new way of looking at knitting.

THIS A WONDERFUL BOOK ------------ INOVATIVE AND YET, EVERY DESIGN IS TOTALLY WEARABLE IN EVERY CLIMATE.

I really disliked this book, the designs are repetitious and not inspiring at all. Comparing this to Loop-d-Loop, which I loved, just shows how far from gorgeous, creative or amazing a set of designs can get.

I am so glad that Amazon will take stuff back