Customer Reviews

New England Knits: Timeless Knitwear with a Modern Twist

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Interweave Press has published another winner. Despite it being summer, I can picture a beautiful fall day in New England when I look through this book. The patterns are tantalizing and most of them are, indeed, timeless. The book is divided into three sections: Around the Town, Fall on the Farm and Along the Coast. There is a short introductory section about New England.

My favorite patterns are:

The Hampton Cardigan is made from super-soft wool and yak, "suitable for more than one season". The sweater is knit in one piece and is primarily garter stitch and lace. It's sized from 36" to 51".

Northampton Neckerchief is a square shawl shape worked on a smaller scale. It has a lace edging and is in three fall colors: wine, purple, and bronze. Finished size is about 30" square. It is delicate and beautiful, knit with superfine yarn on a size 5 needle.

Brattleboro Hat is unique and interesting to the eye. It is knit in 2 directions: "a ribbed band is worked from side to side to create the brim, and stitches are picked up along oner side for the moss stitch crown. A button tab at the side gives this simple hat a twist." It is knit with a worsted weight yarn.

The Augusta Cardigan is lovely, with cables down the front and sleeves, and stockinette stitching for the back. It can be knit for a man or a woman and "waist shaping is omitted to flatter a variety of figures." It is sized from 32" to 56". The yarn called for is Classic Elite Montera knit with size 8 needles.

The Windsor Warmer is "a long scarf knitted side to side with buttons and buttonholes along the edges, offering a variety of options for wear". It can be used as a neck warmer, a traditional scarf, or as a cowl. It is knit in a lovely lace pattern using cashmere yarn. Yummy!

This book definitely reminds me of New England and there are plenty of luscious patterns to spur the fancy of most every knitter. I plan on knitting the Augusta Cardigan first but I hope to get to several of the projects in this book.

As always I ask myself these three questions:

Does the book contain patterns that I'd knit?

Are the instructions clear?

Is the book a good resource?

The answer to all three questions is 'yes'.

Bonnie Brody 7/20/2010

A Staple For Ever Knitters Library.
I take pride in the fact that i seek out the cutest/wearable knitting patterns.Friends of mine(Im 26)have asked me to teach them to knit after looking through my knitting pattern books and seeing what i make from them.I love seeing my friends and people from my generation pick up the craft,And patterns like these help peak that interest.This Is an amazing book.Depending on the number of patterns in a book or pattern booklet,I have to like a certain # of the patterns to get the book(unless there are a couple designs in there that are so amazing that only liking 2 of 15 patterns makes it somehow worth it).
This is NOT one of those books.But, of course how can I be surprised as it is a Cecily Glowik Macdonald collaberation.
I love this entire book.With exception to maybe 1 or 2 patterns I will be knitting my way through this entire book.
With 25 wearable flattering designs i cant wait to get started.I pre-ordered this book and i dont do that often.It just arrived this morning(A Saturday,last delivery day of the week.Yay!),and Iam so excited about it i just had to get online to leave a glowing and exstatic review for all who have yet to get this book to see.
This runs the gammut of patterns to choose from:

Cardigans:A couple of my faves,The Greenfield Cardigan looks comfy and pretty as well as the Ashfield and Hampton Cardigans!
Sweaters both light-weight and heavy cozy ones to choose from,like the Middlefield Pullover(Cover)
Cabled fabric lined shoulder bag:The Groveland Satchel.
Colorwork Whale Watch Hat.
vests:The Airy Lace backed Montague Vest.
Jackets:The Salem Hooded Jacket or Melrose Peacoat.And much more...

Go ahead and get this book.I know its hard to know if it's any good online since you can't thumb through the pages,but you wont be dissapointed.If you are on Ravelry you can always take a peak at the patterns there.
5 Stars.Loved it.I really think you will as well.

I haven't been this taken with a knitting book's overall aesthetic since "A Fine Fleece". The accessories are equally lovely, but the stand-outs to me are the sweaters and cardigans. The basic shapes are familiar, but the constructions and details are innovative and eye-catching, and they're all extremely wearable. I usually consider a knitting book worth purchasing if it has at least 4 "must-knit" patterns in it -- there must be at least 15 that I want to knit here. :)

I'm a 51-year-old, very plus sized woman who has made two sweaters from the book. I had to make some modifications to fit me but the mods were easy to make because the styles are truly classic. No knitting book will make everyone happy, but as a middle-aged, ample woman, I love this book and couldn't recommend it more highly.

Maybe it is the cover, or the patterns in this book which are so wearable and classic that made me knit the Montague Bulky Lace Vest from the New England Knits at a Maine beach in 85 degree heat. But there I was, knitting away when I had a problem understanding what to do when the pattern called for "a yarn over before a purl stitch". My husband suggested I walk the beach and look for someone knitting; of course, no such luck. That's when I read the section on yarn overs and my problem was solved. This beautiful book is chock full of beautiful patterns. Often a book contains only one or two patterns which tempt me, but not this one. I may knit the Providence Hoodie on the beach next summer!

I am so pleased with this book. I pre-ordered it before knowing about no more than 2 or 3 of the patterns, but I'm so glad I did. There are only 2 patterns in this whole book that I would not knit (unless I made some significant mods) but EVERY other pattern is one that I want to cast on for, NOW. I can't think of a book in my collection of over 50 knitting books that has nearly as many patterns that I love as much as those in this one. Buy it now, you won't be sorry!

I received this book a couple weeks ago and had to look at it immediately. This book has many sweaters and accessories to knit. The items in the book are based on being able to wear them during the New England weather changes, but they would be appropriate for any part of the country that has cold weather. There are several sweaters I plan on knitting as soon as I'm finished with what I have on the needles now.

The book is worth the money you use to buy it.

I have never written a review for Amazon before, but I was so taken with these patterns that I had to speak up. These patterns strike a wonderful balance between timeless elegance and a strong fashion sensibility. So often pattern books disappoint me because the patterns are either too youthful (read Brooklyn hipster) or too matronly (read Mid-western elementary school teacher). EEK! But New England Knits was a must buy the minute I saw it in my local knitting store. (And I am a cheap sake who normally just gets knitting books from the library.) You won't be disappointed with this purchase.

This pattern and style book more than lives up to it's title. The styles are classic and very becoming to most shapes. Covers a large range of sizes, allows adaptation, and the garments will be timeless. A book for every adult knitters library.

Looking forward to making the middlefield pullover sweater and the brattleboro hat. Hope my knitting looks as good as the pictures in the book. Really appreciate multiple pictures and graphs that are included.