Customer Reviews

Knitted Lace of Estonia

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This book is a great addition to Interweave's series of "approachable" knitting technique books, but it is not an exhaustive compendium of advanced techniques. It contains 14 projects and a number of knitting stitch charts for lace shawls and scarves which are typical of Estonian lace knitting, and which span the range from introductory (the Raha scarf) to advanced.

Estonian lace is characterized by a few unique stitch components, such as nupps (knobs of yarn) and nature patterns, including lily of the valley (a graceful arc of nupps). The author seems to have spent much time in Estonia collecting stitch patterns and shawl designs from knitters, decades of magazines, and museums. (I wish this book contained much more of what she found!) The book begins with a brief history of knitting in Estonia, then describes traditional shawl design and techniques that the knitter will need to know.

Next is the pattern section of 5 lacy scarfs and 9 shawls. Each of the designs is based on an actual Estonian shawl (purchased by the author or in a museum collection), or taken from Estonian magazines, or utilizing a documented traditional stitch or pattern, though there have been some reworkings. Only two patterns have been previously published by Interweave: Madli's shawl, from Interweave Knits Summer 2004, and Triangular Summer Shawl, in Piecework July/Aug 2008. Each pattern includes information about where it is from and its history, such as a designs created in honor of the Swedish Crown Price and Greta Garbo.

Finally there is a small stitch dictionary, in charts, of 25 complex body patterns, 11 lacy edgings (none simple, and some complex), and 2 diamond borders. Some of these stitches are variations related to patterns that lace knitting fans already know, but some are completely new (at least to me). Additionally, in most cases, the project patterns themselves have their own charts for (usually) the body and the edging, and these patterns are usually similar to, but not exactly the same as the stitch patterns in the stitch dictionary, so that there are even more stitch pattern charts scattered throughout the text.

I am delighted with what is here, but disappointed that it is not an exhaustive compendium and stitch dictionary. Nevertheless, there is a lot here, carefully described and presented, and to my eye, all the projects look appealing (except maybe the simple Raha scarf). I found the interspersed accounts of Estonian knitters interesting, and greatly appreciate that the author was careful to credit the sources of her patterns and included a bibliography.

I had been tempted to buy this book after reading the buzz by a couple of popular bloggers, but delayed because of previous unsuccessful attempts at lace knitting. I'm definitely not a beginning knitter, just new to lace knitting. I also couldn't see myself ever going anywhere that a lace shawl would fit in (I'm a blue-jeans type of girl). However, when one other reviewer on Amazon said that the patterns were relatively easy, I jumped off the fence and ordered. I also figured that if/when I did knit one of these beautiful shawls, it could be a present to a niece to wear at her wedding.

After looking at all the patterns and reading Nancy's tips on making nupps, I started with the Peacock Tail and Leaf pattern scarf. It looked to be small enough to allow finishing in a reasonable length of time. It also had enough nupps to make it interesting but not so many that it was scary.

After completing the bottom edging and 4 repeats of the center pattern, I'd like to pass along my own tip for knitting the nupps. When I get to those, I use a double pointed needle that's several sizes larger than the one I'm using to knit the 7 nupp stitches. (For instance, I'm using a US 5 circular needle to knit the scarf, but use a US 10 dpn to knit the nupp stitches.) After knitting the nupp stitches on the big needle, I slide those stitches to the other end of the dpn, put a marker on the smaller right hand needle and then slip the nupp stitches to the right hand needle. I knit the next couple of stitches in the pattern loosely to make sure I don't tighten up the big nupp stitches. On the return purl row, the start of the big nupp stitches is very evident, and the marker stops me from purling through any additional stitches.

One other caution - when purling through the nupp stitches, be sure you get all seven. the next to last stitch (which was a yarnover) especially tends to hug the left hand needle making it hard to get the point of the right hand needle under it. If this happens, your nupp will have a loose stitch that looks bad. This is a good reason to use sharp pointed lace needles instead of the blunt bamboo ones I'm using.

I will preface this review with the fact that I got to take a class with Nancy Bush on Estonian Lace at SOAR 2008, and what a great preview to the book it was! I got to see these shawls, and shawls like these first hand, so I can say they really are as beautiful in real life, if not more so.

This book really has everything I enjoy in a knitting book, especially one that is based on a particular area or tradition. The front of the book is full of information on the knitted lace traditions of Estonia, informative without being boring or tedious. The tutorials are well designed to make some of the more "advanced" techniques like nupps something to enjoy rather than dread.

The patterns themselves are just gorgeous, ranging in difficulty from easy to quite challenging. My favorites have to be the Queen Sylvia, Madli, and Crown Prince shawls. There are a range of shapes, whether you like stoles, scarves, squares or triangles you'll find something that suits your style and adventure level.

As an added bonus the stitch dictionary and information in the back make designing your own shawl yet another option. The book is worth every penny, both the wow factor and how much knowledge it packs.

Tip from class: If you want a dark colored shawl, try knitting it in white to give your eyes a break and then dyeing it when you're done!

I've been searching for years for the perfect shawl to make my sister and I found it here! These are beautiful patterns and there is something for everyone who loves lace knitting. The book is well written, with both charts and written instructions, and very understandable technique instructions with pictures. The shawls and scarves are shown modeled and with close-up details so it's easy to see how they drape, the size, etc. The added stitch dictionary and instructions on construction make it easy to design and make your own creation if you don't like what's offered. I really appreciate the instructions for the blocking frame. My biggest disappointment is that I have to wait for the yarn I ordered before I can begin knitting! This book is definitely worth the price!

This is a gorgeous book. It is so well done with beautiful pictures, and really excellent close-ups, so you can actually see the project in detail. I own many knitting pattern and technique books, and some of the more highly-rated of those are lacking in photography and organization, are printed on cheap paper, and have many errors (grammatical and technical) in them; this one only has minor errors in 4 charts, and they have been corrected in subsequent printings. I love the stories and the old photos, and the mini-stitch dictionary.

One book is never going to satisfy everyone. If you like looking at breathtakingly beautiful knitted items beautifully photographed, and want to knit any of them without having to have pages of corrections nearby, then this quality book will provide that.

I just got my hands on this book last week and was just stunned by the beauty of the lace in this book. Nancy Bush writes about the history of Estonian lace and includes quite a few little tips on some of the finer points and unfamiliar abbreviations. There are little history lessons at the beginning of each of the different patterns. It's more like an origin lesson really.

I think I was drawn to the unique texture of the Estonian lace with it's nupps. I am a beginner lace knitter, though I have knitted many other things. At first I was a little taken aback by the fact that the patterns are charted out, and I had never worked from a chart before, but the lace won out and soon I was casting on.

I used a fingering weight, Navajo plied, handspun that I spun last month and started with one of the least daunting projects, the Raja Scarf. Before long I was at ease with the pattern symbols and concept behind the chart. In fact, it was so well laid out that I finished it in 2 evenings and then went on to adapt the pattern into a hat knit in the round to match.

I have been beating the rest of my knitting group away from this book since they discovered it's existence. They can all get their own as I have plans to make one of everything in there. No amount of crying or outright bribery is going to get my hot little hands off this book. In the meantime, if anyone has a review on a good safe...

As always with Nancy Bush books, this is not just a pattern book, but a study of lace knitting in Estonia, the way lace has been knitted there over the years and very detailled technical information. There are patterns for full scarves and shawls, but also a lot of charts for basic Estonian patterns to create your own design with.

I have a Gathering of Lace and Victorian Lace Today. They are great books but really big to carry around. I like to take books with me a lot so this book works great. I am going to get it spiral bound so it will be easier to knit and read.

Most of the patterns use a needle size between US 3 - US 5. You should easily be able to find things in here you just have to knit. It is a very focused knitting book. As with all of her books, she describes things in detail with relevant how to's that are helpful with more than what is in the book. The history lessons you get are interesting. Folk socks was my bible for the longest time so I was already in awe of Nancy Bush. The stitch dictionary is unique and inspire you to create something using them.

I was able to get my book at a LYS book signing with her last weekend. She brought the shawls from the book with her. They really are beautiful. It was very cool. :)

I must admit, the lovely cover is what got me interested in this book. I am new to lace knitting (but not new to knitting) and had only completed one simple lace project when I bought this book. I started off with the "Lily of the Valley" scarf. I checked the errata online and saw that any corrections had already been incorporated into my printing. I started on the scarf and toward the end of the first repeat of the pattern, I realized that there is an error in the pattern that was not in the errata and that can't be easily remedied correctly except by completely reworking the pattern. How frustrating. I fudged a modification that let me keep working. This was quite disappointing. I ended up frogging that project and did another of Nancy Bush's patterns from "Lace Style" -- a Lily of the Valley shawl. The pattern was really easy and fun to knit, until I got to the knitted on border, the same kind of border ("modern") in many of the patterns in this book. She recommends slipping the first stitch of every row, and then gives instructions for picking up stitches around the edges for knitting on the border. There was no way to make the border look neat. I must have picked up stitches for the border about a hundred times, then decided to quit and bind off the silly thing. It looks lovely the way it is. I would recommend that you not use a knitted on border unless you knit the first stitch of every row, rather than slipping it. Otherwise, you end up with unsightly holes. The knitted on border is not considered authentic by the Estonians anyway. They also do not use Kitchener stitch. Nevertheless, it's a nice book and if you want to do an Estonian "style" scarf or shawl that is not completely traditional, this is a very good book.

Knitted Lace of Estonia contains 14 stunning lace patterns. It is definitely the best book of lace knitting I've encountered to date. The patterns are stunning, without exception; I think all of them are worth knitting. This is fairly unusual in a knitting book; usually there are one or two worth pursuing. I can see being interested in most or all of the patterns in this book - if I had the stamina! The patterns are not for the beginning knitter or the faint of heart. With one exception, they shawls and scarves are large projects. They are also challenging. They seem doable by any moderately experienced knitter, and all of the unusual stitches are described, but this book is probably not a good choice for a beginner.

The book starts out with a nice historical / informational section about Estonian knitting with some interesting photographs. There is a short instructional section. Then, the bulk of the book is devoted to patterns. The patterns are charted (displayed pictorally). Finally, there is a short stitch dictionary in the back.

This book is also a pleasure to flip and read through, even if you're not interested in actually knitting Estonian lace. The photography is excellend.