Customer Reviews

A Knitting Wrapsody: Innovative Designs to Wrap, Drape, and Tie

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I love Kristin Omdahl patterns, I have several books from her, This book has beautiful patterns, and because they are inspired in crochet, you can get many ideas how to crochet this patterns. The DVD is exellent, she explains all the techniques she uses in the patterns. This is a great book, with very original patterns. This is no a beginners book, I'll say Intermediate more to advanced.

Wraps are currently a popular item to knit, along with Cowls (see my review of Cowl Girls: The Neck's Big Thing to Knit. Is it because we're keeping our houses cooler in winter to save fuel (not a bad thing...we keep ours at 64 or 65) or because we feel a psychic need for warm comfort wrapped around our shoulders and necks? I don't know, but I do know I enjoy knitting both cowls and wraps. This book has some innovative patterns for these hybrids of cardigans and shawls--designed to conform to your upper body but not fitted and buttoned like a cardigan. Or...they are shawls, scarves, or shawlettes--a shawlette being a cowl that slipped down or a shortened shawl, just enough to keep shoulders cozy.

There are eighteen patterns, categorized: scarves, wraps, shawls, and skirts. They go from lacy to quite dense, solid knitting. It's really hard for me to pick a favorite because there are a lot of great ideas in this book. Here are a few:

1. An infinity wrap-plus-sleeves. The back is knitted with a textured large motif (really a figure 8 but they say infinity so I guess you better be photographed lying on your side!) It could be knit with handspun yarns or art yarns, so this is a great show piece for some interesting, textured yarns. And it's one of those pieces you grab to thrown on at home or just going out whether you live in Southern California, Maine or Georgia. It could be made into a fabulous evening coat.

2. The "Leilani" which is a three-panel shawl. The front panels are solid, soothing garter stitch for the front panels, and an exciting back panel in flower motifs that look like crocheted motifs but are knitted. Personally, I would adapt this pattern, if I liked to do crochet, and put crochet motifs in the middle instead of the knit flowers. I think it would be amazing to mix crochet and knit. Plus you might choose a different motif to suit yourself or make it multi-colored in the center. Either way, this pattern's shape lends itself to modification if you want to take off on your own ideas. It's edged in a solid tooth design, and front or back, looks amazing.

3. Warrior Wings--a side-tied shawlette, lacy, beautiful as an evening wrap.

4. Gypsy Skirt --I'd have called this a pareo, instead. It's a very open, netted overskirt that can be worn as a halter or just around the waist. This is perfect as a light swimsuit cover, and if you live by the pool in the summer, you are going to want to knit one of these. There is another skirt--a side ruffled solid skirt that is striking. Not for everyone, to be sure, but a really eye-catching design.

There is a DVD included with this book to go over some of the innovative knitting techniques, so the flower is demonstrated. Also demonstrated--edgings, a picot cast on, and much more. I think this adds so much to the book--not sure how to make a particular model? Check the DVD to watch Kristin Omdahl demonstrate.

I admire so many more of the patterns, and I encourage you to examine the book for yourself. I think this is one of the most useful knitting design books to come out recently and each of these patterns could be adapted, using different stitch patterns or techniques, to make additional designs. With the inclusion of a technique DVD, this book is suitable for most knitters, because even if you are a beginner, you can work on the techniques until you have them down, then embark on one of the projects. Love this book!

I'm frankly at a loss. While I certainly believe in innovation, when what results is sad, tired, and downright ugly, it's rather pointless. I bought the author's previous two books as well, and didn't like either of them; but everyone on the reviews there and here keeps raving. There are at least a few items in this book I find really cute or lovely, such as the cover bolero and the "Warrior Wings" knitted shawl, but most look anywhere from ho hum to weird to really odd. One shoulder wrap piece in particular looks like a burlap feed sack, braided and thrown about the neck.

The included DVD is informative and well made. Some of the author's methods are unusual; the DVD will certainly help with understanding. Her writing style is also straightforward and easy to follow.

Taste is subjective. This author's work does not appeal to me personally. If you are familiar with her work or previous books and like her style, you will almost certainly love this book. If you are unfamiliar with the author's techniques or style, I strongly recommend you thumb through a copy at a library, or find more information and pictures online before spending your money. It's going to be a trade-in book for me.

This book focuses on wraps, shawls, and shrugs. It has the innovative feature of including a DVD that illustrates some of the special techniques used in the book. This is a fantastic feature.

Kristin is well known in the crochet world. I'm not a crocheter, so I'm looking at the designs solely from a knitter's point of view.

This book is not intended for beginners, as it really requires a good foundation in basic kntting techniques.

I'm fairly experienced as a knitter, so I'm attracted to new and different tecnniques and design effects.

Overall, the book is well-produced: there are lots of clear photos of each piece; charts and schematics are sharp and usable; the design layout is visually pleasing.

On to the patterns:

I Do - diamond lace scarf, is very pretty, wearable and appealing. This might be the first project I tackle.

Echo - mobius - has an original stitch pattern that makes me want to try it.

Ring of cables shrug - has a bright fresh look that would be so cute on a twenty-something, and it has a really interesting construction.

Infinity cardi-wrap - just breathtaking in its unique design. A figure-8 is knitted for the back, So striking.

Finally, the Warrior wings shawl, with its pretty scalloped edges, is another winner.

I passed the book around at my knitting group, and these patterns got the most ooohs and aaahs.

As for the downside, I couldn't see knitting the Flamenco ruffled skirt, or the Gypsy wrap... Just not wearable for me or people I know.

All in all, there is a very proportion of things I do want to make, compared with other knitting books I have. So this book is a winner :-)

I bought this book looking for nifty new ideas for wraps/shrugs/capes/shawls. Almost all of the patterns use heavy-weight yarn, not an option for people living in the south of the US. The patterns were just plain boring, not creative at all. I'm sorry I spent the money.

Let's face it, Kristin Omdahl is an innovator who pushes the boundaries. She does not really do ordinary, so you are going to love her or hate her designs with little in-between. A lot of people will buy this book on the strength of the front cover design, which is one of the best. Kristin has covered a lot of ground in this book to appeal to different tastes. For traditionalists, there are the lace shawls - I cannot imagine anyone who loves lace not falling in love with 'I do' - it's a classic design with a beautiful diamond lace pattern, ditto the lacy crochet-look scarf - Melange, the traditional lace Tama with beads and Warrior Wings. Then we find tradition with that inevitable Omdahl twist - innovation writ large in Summit, Tide Pool and Arcelia. Then we have the non-openwork knits - the front cover bolero called Ring of Cables, Echo - a drop stitch scarf, Tree of Life, Serpentine and the amazing Infinity - which knitter would not like to get her knitting needles around that? All these patterns appeal to those who like texture. You might not want to wear the ruched and ruffled Nerina, but your 20 year old will. I'm not fond of Anouk, Lelani or Sand Dollar - but the latter looks attractive belted and I positively hate the skirt, Flamenco - but there is more than enough reason to buy this book. Celebrate Ms. Omdahl for her innovation and don't knock her - she produces some of the best knitting and crochet patterns around - where else have you seen a pattern like Lucky Clover or Infinity? The latter takes the award for most innovative pattern for 2011 for me. The book is beautifully produced with a bonus DVD, clear instructions and stunning photography. Highly recommended. This review first appeared on Karen Platt's book review website.

This pattern book does not contain a single dud!! All of the patterns are doable for even a new knitter. I'm an an advanced knitter who is a part of a knitting guild made up of the newest knitting newbies to knitters like me who have been knitting for decades. I took the book to our last meeting, and the book received oohs and ahs from all. Many indicated that they were going to buy the book for their own library. It's a definite keeper.

You can definitely see the crochet influence in this book of knitted patterns. Some of the designs are readily recognizable as "knitted" objects, but a few really stand out as unique because of the designer's crochet background. The Infinity "cardi-wrap," for example starts with a knitted infinity sign on the back and then works from there. The Lelani shawl starts with a series of medallions that look like they could have been crocheted and then connected for the rest of the shawl.

I appreciate the creativity behind that. One of the advantages of crochet is that you can work in almost any shape you want--circles, squares, oblongs--whereas knitting tends to be more linear, primarily rectangle-based. Most knitters wouldn't think to start with a completely different shape, (and it certainly is easier to crochet some shapes than to knit them) and I like the hints of crochet-legacy here to remind me of other possibilities.

So ... all these new ideas. Are you worried that some of these techniques might be beyond you? Never fear--the book comes with an instructional DVD to demonstrate many of the techniques. Hosted and narrated by Kristin Omdahl, the DVD shows many of the stitches used in the book's designs. This is a great advantage, especially since some of these ideas might be entirely new to some knitters, and it's interesting to hear how the designer came up with some of the patterns and their names.

All in all, this is a nice book, though I still don't get the conceptual link from "wraps" like shawls to skirt patterns, but that's not important. The included DVD is a nice touch, too, though the written descriptions seem quite clear. But then, I'm a word-oriented learner. If you do better with visual aids, you'll appreciate the DVD even more than I did.

the cover photo got me - gorgeous. On closer inspection, the wrap fits very badly at the back, not a single pattern that is modern and interesting

This beautiful book if full of inspirational scarves, shawls, and skirts for the knitter. The patterns are bright and fresh and definitely perfect for complementing today's fashions. Just be aware that the patterns are not for beginners. This is not your Grandma's pattern book! It comes complete with beautiful photographs, step-by-step patterns and an instructional DVD to show some of the new techniques.