Most Helpful Customer Reviews
75 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing and unique book, September 25, 2007
This review is from: Knitting New Scarves: 27 Distinctly Modern Designs (Paperback)
This book really is amazing. I just had to say it. I absolutely love this book, and this is the first time I've ever given a book five stars.
Firstly, the production and presentation is spot-on. Each of the 27 scarves in this book is photographed beautifully, and the layout is lovely. Each picture is beautifully styled and the photos are clear (no fuzzy 'artistic' shots that prevent you from actually seeing the finished product in focus).
There are absolutely no standard beginners' projects in this book - every pattern introduces new and interesting techniques. Many of the techniques are so unique that the book includes full colour photographs of each step, to make the instructions clear. Many require the use of double-pointed needles to get an unconventional result.
The scarves in this book have a very structural, architectural quality to them - there are patterns that include pleats, waves, wedges, and triangular shaped corners. To look at the finished product I would have had absolutely no idea how the scarves were made, and I have been reading through the techniques with fascination. I haven't started making any of the patterns yet, but I can't wait - I just need to decide where to start.
I have been knitting for a few years and would consider myself to be an intermediate knitter. However this is the most inspiring book I have come across yet, with truly unique ideas and techniques. Highly recommended for anyone interested in knitting something with a very special structural feel.
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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
knitting is for process, October 10, 2007
This review is from: Knitting New Scarves: 27 Distinctly Modern Designs (Paperback)
There are knitters who love to knit just for the fun and challenges and others who are mainly interested in the knitting as end product. This book is more for the first type of knitter. I am hopeful that by making these scarves I can add new techniques to use in other types of knitting. There are several techniqes new to me and they are well described with up-close photos. The scarves are very structural based many of them on buildings. Next time I look at a strangely shaped building, I will have to think about using it in a scarf! The colors used here are pretty dead but there are some really interesting scarves that colors used well could really brighten up. The scarf that most interests me is using i-cords in weaving them. Short rows are used a lot to make interesting spirals. The difficulty level varies but even a beginner could make some of them and then move on after that. Yarns called for are pretty easy to find as they are mainly worsted weight although the ones here are a bit more pricey than others. Knitter's choice. I am not very excited by the color photos but the up-close technical ones taken by the author as she knit are really good. Also, a good spiral binding would have been a better choice than this one. Each scarf is introduced by the author so you get the background on why it was done that way. Very good book and the first review here alerted me to buy this book. Thank you and thanks Amazon for these reviews as I buy mainly sight unseen.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
doesn't need fancy stitches!, November 3, 2007
This review is from: Knitting New Scarves: 27 Distinctly Modern Designs (Paperback)
One reviewer complained that the patterns were done mostly in garter stitch- having just now purchased the book at a brick and mortar retail store (I couldn't wait to get it on Amazon once I saw it) and having read the intro this afternoon, the whole point of the book is to explore various construction techniques and to spur the reader to experiment with some new tools. You are encouraged to do your own thing, and if you do want to make a scarf like the one in the book, then good for you! If not, then try these techniques with whatever stitches or yarns you want.
The author doesn't need to wow us with exotic fibers or fancy colors, rather she focuses on the structure and leaves it to the reader to augment.
This book is educational, pretty enough, and simple- it does not need further embellishment, and the scarf on the cover is no where near the most interesting example in the book.
If you want to learn some new techniques, this is a great read- if you want someone to put it together with all your favorite yarns et al, go find something from Martha Stewart.
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