I've been knitting for many years, and I was kind of expecting this book to be filled with some of the kind of patterns I knitted when I was a teenager or that my grandmother knitted for me - cardigans, twinsets and things like that. I didn't know anything about either of the authors other than that Stitchy McYarnypants also has a book called Museum of Kitchy Stitches and I really didn't know what kitchy meant. Well, now I do! The patterns in this book are definitely a little on the unusual side, and you might want to look at the other book or Stitchy's blog to get an idea of what these patterns will be like.
Once I got over the surprise of all the bright colors and "different" styles, I really looked closely at the photos and saw that they are all really beautifully designed. And, not all of them are "kitchy". There is a sailor sweater that is really nice; a striped turtleneck that I like a lot; a short sleeved, ribbed sweater that has two buttons at the back of the neckline. It's really gorgeous. There is a cardigan/jacket that has fabric covered buttons, and a matching hat with a strip of the same fabric woven through it in a really unique way.
One thing that you don't find out until you start looking through the book is that there are quite a few crochet patterns - approx 10 of them. There are also 4 sewing patterns. The crochet patterns are probably the most unusual, and they include a pair of crocheted hot pants and a granny square dress.
Most of the patterns are meant to fit snugly, but the sizes on most of them range from Small to 1 or 2X. That is a real bonus because I bought a book of vintage type patterns once and the largest bust size was 38. They say the patterns are meant to fit the modern woman and I guess we are all a little bigger than they were in the days these styles were first worn. I also have to add that the patterns all look a little complicated, so this book probably wouldn't be good as a beginner's knitting book (unless you are just looking for inspiration). Each pattern has a very nice photo and there is a little written description of each item. The writing style is really fun and I enjoyed reading through the book.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a book to have on your shelf that you will use again and again for basic patterns, this is probably not the book for you. But, if you love knitting books like I do, and are looking for something that you don't already have - definitely get this book. You will really have a fun time with it!
