Punk Knits: 26 Hot New Designs for Anarchistic Souls and Independent Spirits (Spiral-bound)

~ (Author), Bam Ross (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Rocker/knitter/author: Share Ross personifies the indie spirit driving both knitting and music today

Share Ross is addicted to the needle—the knitting needle. A few years back, this punk guitarist and singer wouldn’t have given knitting a second thought. She is a dyed-in-the-wool rocker, and knitting . . . well, knitting was for grannies. Then a friend showed up at her house wearing a scarf that she found totally amazing. When Ross asked her where she’d gotten it, she said she’d knit it herself. Ross was hooked.

With Punk Knits, Ross shares her passion and unorthodox approach to the ancient craft she’s so grateful our grannies preserved. All of the 26 designs—beginner- to intermediate--level projects that include arm- and leg-warmers, scarves, miniskirts, hats, and sweaters—draw their inspiration from the style and independent spirit of rock ’n’ roll legends like Sid Vicious, Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, and the New York Dolls, and they’re all modeled by pierced and tattooed Hollywood rock ’n’ rollers and scenesters.

If you think knitting can’t be punk, consider this from Ross: “Knitting can be as artistic as you want. You can make a statement. And by knitting garments instead of buying them, you can snub the corporations that strip away your individuality.” So what’s not punk about knitting?

About the Author

SHARE ROSS, currently an avid knitter/designer and the guitarist and singer for the award-winning independent rockers Bubble, formerly played bass for the platinum-selling EMI recording artists Vixen. Her knitwear designs have appeared in the magazine Knit.1 and the book Stitch ’n Bitch Nation. She lives in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles–based artist and musician BAM ROSS shoots publicity shots for rock/punk bands and has created CD and album artwork for The Dogs D’Amour, Bubble, The Blessings, and The Wildhearts. He has also directed videos and edited commercials for Geffen, Dreamworks, and Universal Records. Visit his website at bam13films.com.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 136 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584795832
• ISBN-13: 978-1584795834
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,265 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't worth it, May 12, 2007

By	Lindsay - See all my reviews

I ordered this book from amazon without seeing it, figuring I'd find something I'd like, and it was cheap enough to take the risk. Well, I ended up returning it, because I didn't see anything really new or innovative in the book. There's a lot of dropping stitches and holes made on purpose, but the basic designs are just that--basic.

There are three pairs of armwarmers, and all are knit flat and seamed with a hole left for the thumb.

There are a few scarves as well--one is knit lengthwise in garter stitch, and the other is a basic drop stitch. Versions of most of the patterns can be found for free on the internet.

The sweaters are pretty basic with little to no shaping. And I don't think many of us would find use for the micro mini skirts, as cute as they are on the models.

I did like the felted hat that was inspired by Alice Cooper, and the kilt was kind of cute, but neither led me to keep the book.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Punk Knits...something for everyone, May 10, 2007

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

If anyone had any doubts about knitting, Share Ross is ready to shatter them: Knitting isn't just for grannies anymore. The punk rock guitarist and singer of Bubbles "is addicted to the needle--the knitting needle. What is more rock 'n' roll than making your own fashion statement and snubbing the corporate entities that tell us how to look."

When she started knitting, Ross discovered there were almost no patterns for edgy, underground rocker types like her, and out of necessity began creating her own. The result is Punk Knits: 26 hot new designs for anarchistic souls and independent spirits, with the designs modeled by her friends--independent punk rock musicians from Hollywood. Ross' inspiration comes from famous (or infamous) rockers like Sid Vicious, the New York Dolls and Frank Zappa, and each pattern includes her comments on the artist.

All the designs are suitable for beginning to intermediate knitters, with a few advanced patterns for those who like a challenge. Ross' designs are unisex (although I wish she had included photos of guys in the mini skirts) and the measurements for the finished sweaters reflect that, with chest measurements ranging from 27" to 47". If you are looking for basic knitting instruction, you'll need to find that elsewhere; however, if you need instructions for including deliberate holes in your knitting, then this is the guide for you.

So what about the patterns themselves? I have to admit to being a bit disappointed since I was expecting something rawer, more cutting edge. That may not be possible as, by its very nature, punk isn't about being conformist and a book of knitting patterns could be construed as conformist since the patterns are available to the masses. Unfortunately there isn't much here which can't be found elsewhere, although the Skull Kilt is fabulous.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a fan., June 28, 2007

By	Alison Macmanus (Cleveland) - See all my reviews

For some reason, I didn't like this book. The instructions lacked clarity, especially with finishing the garments. Most of the designs feature dropped stitches or weirdly placed holes. A lot of the designs are simple rectangles sewn together. However, one pattern makes the book worthwhile: the pixie shoulderette, featuring a crisscrossed back. The book does a good job of explaining this technique. Throughout the book I just felt like they were overdoing the whole "punk thing, especially when including the myspace pages to all of the models.