Customer Reviews

The Tap-Dancing Lizard: 337 Fanciful Charts for the Adventurous Knitter

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are some hints and tips in this book, particularly for machine knitting, but this is essentially a book of charts. There are 5 sections of patterns in the book. "Past times and distant cultures" includes African designs, dragons from both Asian and European traditions, and other mythological designs from a variety of cultures. "In the wild" has realistic animal patterns as well as more mythological creatures. "Not so wild" is a collection of domestic plants and animals with a few buildings and boats tucked in. "The heavens" has sun, moon, and star designs, plus a neat set of angel wings. "At home" has a hodge-podge including flowers, Christmas designs, a map of Africa, a hedgehog, and some musical instruments.
I have used several of these designs (including the tap-dancing lizard) in hand-knitting, with complete success. The charts are clear, there is a good variety of designs, and it makes a nice change from traditional color-work.

I don't knit at all, but I bought this book because the two-color charts are perfect for filet crochet. I've made several of the cat designs and they're really gorgeous! If you're into filet crochet, this is a wonderful book, although it purports to be for machine knitters.

This book features fantastic graphs of animals (wild and domestic-LOTS of cats and dogs), dragons and other fantasy creatures, and celestial and other patterns. It is written for hand and machine knitters but is also great if you are looking for patterns for filet crochet and crosstich projects.

I bought the book, not because I had much interested in knitting, but because the illustrations--a collie lamenting that the beaded border on her sweater made it longer every time she wore it--were so much fun.

Then one day I needed a show quilt. So I took the "little dragon" intended to be knit three times around a watch cap and made it into a seven-foot long monster. It was accepted into a juried show.

I sent a slide to the authors, Roy wrote back that that was the kind of thing they hoped would happen with their book.

I have made quite a few sweaters from the patterns in this book, both by hand and by machine. I have given most of them as gifts and the recipients are always impressed! The patterns in this book are much more suitable for chunky gauge knitting machines than in their next book (Enchanted Knitting). I highly recommend this book!

This paperback book is essential for the knitting putterer who fancies herself/himself a quirky creator of meaningful originals. Included are hundreds of charts for adding animals, borders or characters to a knitted piece. The charts are sometimes complex and there is not enough color in the book, but if you're creating something that would benefit from non-cutesy wolves, spiritual symbols, Chinese characters or ancient Egyptian symbols, here's where you'll find them, ready for the needles

I have used this book over and over for their designs of animals. They contain graphed pictures of all kinds of dogs, even pugs as well as charted designs of houses, boats, xmas items, and mythic figures. A very useful resource. The only bad thing about their pictures is that they are all in black and white so you have to use your imagination to come up with colors for the animals.

I met Catherine and Roy at a dog show in Michigan during the early 90's. They were creating beautiful custom sweaters, scarves, etc. for the proud doggie owners. I spent more for my sweater with two views of my beautiful Champion Gordon Setter than I ever spent on a piece of clothing in my life! But it is also the most beautiful work of art I own.

I do cross stitch, and needle point, and have used many of their charts in my work. While looking for more charts on the internet, I found out that somewhere along the line Catherine has become a Henna artist, and I am assuming, no longer designs for the needle work audience. PLEASE come back Catherine and Roy!! We (the less talented) need your assistance!!

The book is WONDERFUL!! the charts are easy to follow, and are shown in color on scarves, sweaters, coats, and stockings.

If you are a needle work lover, and can only have one book... BUY THIS ONE!!!!

My mom got this book to use for loom beading, since beads like stitches in knitting are not quite square so the designs can be used for either. In keeping with the whimsical title and pattern featured on the cover, this book is packed with really cool patterns. Many of the designs feature dragons etc and all are excellent. The quality is consistent and good and there are so many patterns. Interspersed are cartoons in which dogs knit and humorously give tips on aspects of knitting.

I have no idea why this book is out of print. Now I have to steal my mom's copy. If you are at all interested in knitting you need to check this book out.

Many knitting pattern books are boring, because they repeat one another. Most of the drawings in this book are original. There are indeed a number of pictures of cats, dogs and horses, but many of them are not your ordinary animal patterns: a cycling cat, two happy cats, a smiling kitten, a dalmatian. What is even more interesting is the richness of inspiration: dragons, a lizard, a snake, the greek gods Pan and Dionysos (for some reason called Dyonisus in the book - in latin, he should have been Bacchus, but this is really nit-picking). And also, trees, a giraffe, an ancient maya gentleman, a moon and a sun, ibexes, griffins, a feathered serpent, some friezes and abstract designs, a football, a french horn, and more. And, of course, a tap dancing lizard.

There are suggestions for garments, on which I basically disagree, but this is personal. The source of my disagreement is that the suggestions are for very, very wide garments. There is another option, which is to use thinner yarn.

All the grids are in black and pale grey. If you want a result in more than two colors in a row, the authors suggest swiss darning a.k.a. duplicate stitch, and fabric painting, which is more original. They give interesting color plates to document this point of view. If you were looking for a double jacquard solution, then you have to select your own colors and if necessary produce your own computer grid. Even in this case, starting from the two colors design in the book is relevant.

In conclusion, this is an inspired and original book of patterns.