Customer Reviews

Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Shawls are very "in" right now, and nothing is more stunning than a lacy shawl in a great color. Martha Waterman's book is very unique in that it has a little something for every knitter; if you are new to lace knitting, there are some not-very-difficult but really nice-looking shawl patterns. Some are written out row by row if you don't like charts (I do like charts--the symbols are quicker to read for me, but some people do not prefer them.) If you are an experienced knitter, this book is like a toolbox with various shawl shapes (round, half-circle, square, triangle, oblong) and stitch patterns in a small but useful lace library. You can combine the stitches and shapes and make your own creations. So you won't outgrow this book.

If you like to follow patterns, the Kerry Blue Shawl is just terrific. It is a square shawl with various lace stitches, and is knit from the center outwards, with four diagonal "rays" at the corners. This is actually a very easy shawl but looks like an heirloom. It would work as a baby christening wrap also. The Kerry Blue Shawl is written out row by row, for those who eschew charts.

Because lace knitting doesn't need to "fit" you can use all kinds of yarns of various weights. Find a yarn, test out how the stitch looks, and "guestimate" the yards you will need by comparing the yardage and gauge used in the pattern. If you run low, you can make the shawl a bit smaller.

I have quite a few lace knitting books, but I actually use this one the most. I just love this book!

My aunt told me once that the best way to learn a knitting technique was to pick a project that you really wanted to do, and then just do it with no fear of the potential difficulty. This is the ideal book for that philosophy.

The comments on the history of knitting and lace shawls are extremely interesting, as are the sections on shawl care and how to wear a shawl. I would have liked to see a little more description of how a traditional shetland lace shawl was made using the old techniques, especially the actual process of "grafting" as that is a new term to me despite 30 years of knitting experience. There is really no discussion of elementary knitting, but that is not inappropriate for an audience of advanced knitters. There are already a lot of books out there to teach how to cast on and do the basic stitches.

There are patterns for eight shawls in this book, but what I found fascinating was the possibility to design an unlimited number of your own unique creations. She breaks the elements of design down into simple steps with advice for choosing patterns for each section and intructions on how to shape and combine the different elements. There are pages and pages of beautiful lace patterns to use for the body, border, and edgings. It's the ultimate yarn puzzle book and it makes me itch to get my fingers on some good one-ply wool.

This book is a good intro to shawl design. It is not for the "blind follower" knitter, but for the knitter who wants to understand shawl design and maybe make up a pattern or two on his/her own.

I collect lace books and do some design myself, and while I have twenty or thirty books on lace design, this is one I keep coming back to. Most of it is a relatively straightforward beginners' lace shawl book (albeit for fairly experienced knitters), but the chapter on different methods of construction is the best summary I've seen. It covers the different ways to knit a square/round/half-round shawl: rays vs. rounds, knitting shawls in the round vs. back and forth, and so on. It lays out very clearly the effects of different increase patterns, and where to do increases if one wants a square, round, etc. shawl. It is simple but comprehensive, and I haven't seen it anywhere else.

The only other encyclopedic discussion I've seen of methods of increase is in Barbara Walker's Fourth Knitting Treasury, where she talks about octagons, hexagons, and spirals--but not in the context of shawl design.

The remainder of the book is a good introductory lace knitting book (for the advanced beginner or intermediate knitter)--several lace patterns, and a few shawl patterns. These are well charted and appropriate, but nothing spectacular; the real value in the book is the tools it gives you for designing your own.

If you are looking for just "blind following" patterns, get a different book (perhaps A Gathering of Lace?); if you are looking for a really advanced book, Susanna Lewis's Knitted Lace (if you can find a copy) has the best discussion I've seen on designing your own lace patterns.

But if you want a good, clearly written book on how to design your own lace shawl, and some lace patterns to get you started, this is a GREAT place to start.

This book really does offer something for everyone. There are some shawl patterns, including a few that would be easy for someone new to shawl knitting to make. The shawls aren't too "doilyish." The shawl patterns are written out long-hand, not as charts. It also includes information about wearing shawls, storing them, and mending them.

The majority of the book is actually dedicated to designing shawls, and provides several lace stitch patterns as well as border/finishing patterns. WARNING: If you can't read knitting charts, this part will be of no use to you. There's a nice section on shaping shawls. There's an interesting appendix with a chart listing the number of stitches needed to fit around circular needles. There are some nice pictures of techniques that I think new lace/shawl knitters would find helpful.

I only gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because none of the pictures are in color, I would have liked to have seen chart & long-hand instructions provided for each shawl & stitch pattern, and a few more shawl patterns. Still, it's a nice book and worth the money.

I'm new to lace knitting, but not new to knitting. I've become fascinated with lace shawls and was looking for a good introduction. This book is exactly what I was looking for.

After a brief introduction of the history of lace shawl knitting and the appropriate yarns to use, the author presents a detailed description of shawl shapes (triangle, square, rectangle, circle and halfcircle) and how to create them through increases and decreases. That's exactly what I wanted to know !!!

There are a few stitch patterns shown and a few complete projects to knit which are all helpful, but were not my main focus in buying this book.

If Ms. Waterman were ever to revise and expand this book, I would ask for a more detailed discussion of fitting stitch patterns into the various sections of the shawl while still at the same time shaping with increases and decreases. There is a brief discussion, but I could have used more details.

Now, with Martha's Waterman's explanations of the ways to construct the various shapes and my copies of Barbara Walker's First and Second Stitch Treasuries, I have everything I need.

This book is an excellent book on how to create your own shawls. The projects are very limited, however the number of stitch patterns, how to shape shawls, how to mend them, and different ways to wear them make this one of the best lace book that I have come across.

The diappointed reader is Ohio may have missed a crucial point. Lace is very difficult to knit; one typo can throw off the entire pattern, ruining the design as well as discouraging completion of the project. I designed knitwear for how-to publications for over a decade, using charts and schematics for the benefit of the "blind followers" among readers, as well as non-knitting editors and typsetters. Charts are also international: the symbols are universal so you can interpet the knitting designs of any nation, and not be dependent on translations which could be faulty or unclear, at best. I hope the Ohio reader will reconsider her approach. Charted knitting has been used for years now, and it benefits both knitters and publishers to learn how to use them. This particular book is a real gem; the finished projects are heirloom quality.

I purchased this book with high expectations. What I received is a book explaining how to knit, with stitch pattern examples taken directly from the Mon Tricot dictionary of knitting stitches (I already own).
Several illustrations were of shawls not charted in the book, and they were more interesting than the ones included. Of the 8 patterns given (2 round, 2 half-circle, 2 square, 1 rectangular, 1 triangular), only one was of the quality that I expected (Kerry Blue).
If you know how to knit in the round, have a good stitch dictionary, save your money. I gave 3 stars only because of the completeness of the beginners directions: the book excels in that category.

This paperback book (119 pages) has only black and white pictures. It is mostly a book on knit stitches with a mere 8 patterns. She does touch briefly on the history and origin of knitting shawls. Overall, this is really more a book on how to design shawls, choosing different yarns and needle sizes and is not suited for someone who wants to be able to pick up a book; find a pattern; and know which yarn to use.

Before getting this book, my knitting had been limited to Arans and Guernseys.

This book is a great introduction to designing and creating your own lace creations. Starting with triangles, the author step-by-step explains the different shapes in which shawls traditionally are knit. While there are 8 patterns for shawls in the back of the book, I think the author's point in writing this is to get your own creative juices flowing. She shows you that it is possible to be a designer.

For me, the charts of different lace stitch patterns are more of help than hindrance, as the review below suggests. By using the charts and some graph paper, the designer can "see" what the design is going to look like before it is even knitted.

Overall this is a great book!