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Knitting in America: Patterns, Profiles, & Stories of America's Leading Artisans
 
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Knitting in America: Patterns, Profiles, & Stories of America's Leading Artisans [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Melanie Falick (Author), Chris Hartlove (Photographer)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)


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Book Description

January 10, 1996
Author Melanie Falick traveled thousands of miles to create Knitting in America, an inspiring and revealing portrait of knitters, spinners, dyers, and breeders of fiber-producing animals. The most complete survey yet published on the scope and influence of this vital art form in America, the book profiles many of this country's most fascinating artisans and farmers, and features more than thirty original patterns for adult and child-sized garments designed especially for Knitting in America.

In addition to the designer profiles, the book includes special features on locations such as a musk-oxen farm in Montana, a school in Detroit where children learn to knit before they learn to read, and a New Mexico yarn shop that supplies many of this country's top gallery artists with handspun, naturally dyed fibers.

The thirty-plus patterns in the book range in difficulty from basic to advanced and in style from traditional to contemporary. The patterns are clear, the charts easy to read, and a complete listing of mail-order sources ensures that the patterns can be executed to perfection.



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Knitters, traditionally women, share a genius for design and construction with architects and engineers, but these skills haven't afforded them the kind of respect they deserve; they've been considered little more than draftspeople who create basic patterns and a working model. Finally knitters are coming into their own.

No one who opens Knitting in America will mistake the knitters depicted here (many of whom also produce wool, spin, and dye) for anything other than artists. The sweaters are beautifully conceived and executed, and each looks wonderfully wearable.

From Library Journal

This book carries on the tradition of Ann L. Macdonald's No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting (Ballantine, 1988) in a somewhat more personal vein. Falick, herself a knitter, spent one-and-a-half years exploring studios, galleries, yarn shops, farms, festivals, and museums. In the process, she got to know a virtual "underground movement" of knitters for whom the craft is closer to a way of life than a simple pastime, including such luminaries as Meg Swansen, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Deborah Newton, Nancy Bush, and Norah Gaughan. Each was asked to create an original project for this book. Falick's interviews with these knitters are marvelous, the more than 30 projects interesting and challenging. The only caveat is the number of well-known knitters Falick had to leave out. Highly recommended for all collections.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Artisan; 1st edition (January 10, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1885183275
  • ISBN-13: 978-1885183279
  • Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #966,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (3)
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Not a must have knitting book, but worth a look, December 29, 2000
By 
Carol Peterson Hennekens (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Knitting in America: Patterns, Profiles, & Stories of America's Leading Artisans (Hardcover)
At first glance this is a terrific book. It features American knitters from all over the country -- very fun to see pictures of some of the designers and learn about them. There are also about 40 designs, some classic and some that are pretty out there. The photography is divine.

Unfortunately, this book hasn't stood the test of time well for me. I tend to prefer knitting books that I refer to over and over again. This book lacks the quality of being a good reference for either technique or designing. I doubt that I look at more than once every six months.

Bottom line -- if you can find a copy for a good price, a nice second tier addition to a knitting library. But if the budget is tight, there are many equally beautiful and much more useful books on the market.

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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!, December 2, 1999
By A Customer
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This review is from: Knitting in America: Patterns, Profiles, & Stories of America's Leading Artisans (Hardcover)
Gorgeous pictures, wonderful patterns, good balance between easy to advances projects. I enjoyed the stories about how these knitters evolved their craft. The only difficulty is that the patterns don't reference back to the page in the book that described the project. Minor inconvenience.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars For knitters who like inspiration and challenge, October 25, 2004
By 
Laura (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Knitting in America: Patterns, Profiles, & Stories of America's Leading Artisans (Hardcover)
Melanie Falick takes us on an amazing tour of some of the most influential people and places involved in American knitting. Melanie's wonderful profiles of knitwear designers, spinners, dyers, and breeders of fiber-producing animals and plants are accompanied by Chris Hartlove's spectacular photography. The photos are in natural settings, natural lighting and of natural people - mainly the designers themselves or their family and friends.

The patterns go from slightly challenging to extremely challenging. But they will be worth the time and effort spent making them -- they are either so classic that they will never go out of style or so artful that they transcend fashion trends. They are mainly for women, but some are unisex and a few are for children. They are also mainly sweaters, but there are a couple shawls and handful of mittens.

The lives and accomplishments of those profiled are truly inspiring. You will want to knit, spin, dye, design, or even raise some sheep!
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