Customer Reviews

Made in Brooklyn

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

 

 

Now that the leaves are falling and we've had our first little bit of snow here in Maine, it's time to settle down to some serious knitting. What a piece of good luck that one of our favorite knitters has made it so very tempting! Jared Flood's knitting blog, Brooklyn Tweed, showcases his love for good yarn and pleasing design, with gorgeous photography and authoritative writing. Jared's own designs are often seen in knitting books and magazines. Now in partnership with Classic Elite yarns, Jared has produced Made in Brooklyn, a booklet featuring thirteen projects worked in Classic Elite yarn, all named after streets in Brooklyn, designed and photographed by Jared. In an unusual marketing strategy, the patterns will all be available individually for download from the crazy-popular knitters' hangout site, ravelry dot com.

Like every other knitter out here, I'm rushing to finish my current projects (or ... maybe not all of them) so I can play with some of the patterns included here.

The collection features four hats. The star is Quincy, a unisex creation that has Jared all over it, in the garter stitch and the simple but (in typical Jared-speak) "non-traditional" twisted construction. If the temperature dips where you live, you WILL be seeing this hat everywhere this winter. There is also Laurel, a cabled beret, and the colorwork Beaumont in tam or beanie version. Yummy, that one, especially with the slight angora halo.

There are two sweaters for men, full of classic style: a spectacular stranded colorwork hooded cardigan that's knit in the round and steeked -- that means cut up the middle with scissors after the body is knit; and a pullover with stranded yoke design. For women there is a henley neck pullover, a collared vest with cap sleeves that looks great for layering, and a wonderful solid-colored pullover with sideways cables winding around the yoke and cuffs. This is definitely an object of desire!

Jared's unique way with lace gives us a laceweight rectangle and a truly luxurious cashmere stole in a heavier gauge. It's all in the blocking, he claims but something tells me there's a bit of knitting to be done first.

The collection finishes up with a pair of ornate twisted-stitch mittens and a pair of quirky but super-practical crocheted earmuffs.

There you have it--thirteen designs from a designer known for great lines and meticulous patterns; and all done in satisfying quality yarns. I'm ready for winter, bring it on!

Linda Bulger, 2009

Jared Flood, of Brooklyn Tweed fame, created one of the best pattern booklets available. The patterns are simply classics that will stand the test of time. Plus, there is a nice variety of projects: mittens, hats, sweaters for him & her, wraps, and shawls. The photographs are lovely. The techinques are for intermediate knitters and beginners who are looking for a challenge and want to learn some new tricks. BT teamed up with Classic Elite yarns for the sample projects -- of course Classic Elite make some of the most beautiful yarns on the market, but they also happen to be a bit pricey. Don't worry, if Classic Elite is not in your budget, it was easy to find compatible yarns fairly easily.

I love Made in Brooklyn. There's a lot of great stuff in a relatively small book. The patterns are lovely and they are easy to read. This is a plus as I sometimes have to forego choosing a pattern because of the confusing instructions. The patterns all call for Classic Elite Yarn which I love. However, it is possible to substitute yarn of the same gauge for any of the patterns.

The book has hats, sweaters, mittens and shawls that are all for real people. Sizing, too, is for real people.

When I buy a knitting book, I ask myself three questions:

Will I knit any of the patterns?

Are the patterns clearly written?

Will I use the book as a resource?

The answer to all three questions is a 'yes'. I've already read the book three times and am enjoying the pleasure of planning my projects.

Jared Flood creates amazing designs that are complex and beautiful, and yet not complicated. Every time I knit a pattern from this book I learn something new. He doesn't like sewing seams or extensive finishing so he has creative ways of avoiding those steps. Nevertheless, all of the projects are finished in appearance, beautiful and fun to wear. This book is absolutely worth it. If you've never knit a Jared Flood pattern, then now's the time!

I have followed this author on his blog and he is incredibly talented with both yarn and pictures. I'll need to progress a little more in my knitting to be able to do most of these.

There is a slight error on the page with the pictures of the Tam and the Beanie. The caption says left Beanie and above Tam, and I guess somehow someone got the pictures mixed up in the editing or something because in the actual pictures, it's reversed.

I am a new knitter(only 3 months) and I find, in reading the patterns through to be a bit challenging. I chose a 4 for this booklet because it offers the opportunity to learn more knitting techniques and improve my skill. The patterns are written fairly clear and concise. Diagrams are also offered as explanations of techniques and/or instructional. It is inspirational and the projects are beautiful.

I would not have bought this booklet if I had been able to see the designs inside. I have bought several of Jared Flood's knitting patterns from his website and find I like them all. The patterns in this booklet were very different and I won't knit any of them. The "Look Inside" feature would be good to see photos of finished articles before buying.