Vintage Knits: Thirty Knitting Designs from Rowan for Men and Women (Hardcover)

~ Kim Hargreaves (Author), Kaffe Fassett (Author), Martin Storey (Author), Sarah Dallas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A stylish collection inspired by films like Amélie and Chocolat, Vintage Knits recalls an era of well-tailored designs with elegant finishing touches. Designs by Kim Hargreaves, Kaffe Fassett, Martin Storey, Sarah Dallas, Sharon Peake, Louisa Harding, Brandon Mably, and Lucinda Guy.

From the Publisher

These knitwear designs draw their inspiration from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, when fashion emanated charm, simplicity, and elegance. Rejuvenated by the postwar years, men and women embraced styles that captured feminine appeal and masculine exuberance, glorying in the recovered pleasures of fine cloth, rich texture, and relaxed fit. Inspired by old photos, archival patterns, and films like Breakfast at Tiffany's, the classic designs in Vintage Knits have been adapted for modern figures and ease of wear. Leading names in knitting—Kim Hargreaves, Kaffe Fassett, and Lucinda Guy, to name a few—bring new life to vintage, with stunning designs for belted jackets, roll-neck sweaters, delicate cardigans, and simple wraps. Photographed in the beautiful French countryside, the featured designs are complemented with vintage pieces and accessories, making this not just a knitting book, but a captivating fashion pictorial.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 138 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570763127
• ISBN-13: 978-1570763120
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #294,339 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous book, great looking patterns!, September 4, 2005

By	Loribird (Alaska) - See all my reviews

I pre-ordered this book based on the positive editorial reviews, and I was not disappointed! The book itself is beautiful eye-candy - the photography inspired me immediately. The patterns are very well presented and seemed at first reading to be easy to follow. The book includes projects for a range of knitting levels, from a long sweater coat in chunky yarn on size 10 needles, to a fair isle sweater done on size 3s. The suggested yarns come from the Rowan collection, but a description of each yarn (gauge, content, length, etc.) is given in the back of the book, which makes substituting ever so much easier. All the patterns in this book are tailored (i.e. close fitting) but they do include sizing from XS (32" bust) to XL (40" bust). I am an intermediate knitter, and am planning to knit several projects from this book ASAP, and will probably make more as my knitting skills increase. All in all, a lovely book.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hardcover "Vintage Style", October 14, 2005

By	Lynne E. (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Since I loved the "Vintage Style" pattern collection enough to commit right away to three different projects, I couldn't resist purchasing this new hardcover edition. It has at least one important correction, because it includes the yarn color key to the chart for the Kaffe Fassett vest that was inadvertently omitted from the softcover edition. This is not a book for brand-new knitters, because the patterns use light- to medium-weight yarns, include shaping, and may utilize "advanced" techniques like intarsia. However, the finished garments are well worth the effort! Many of the patterns can be previewed on the web sites of Rowan yarn retailers that carry the "Vintage Style" pattern collection.

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled -- this is NOT a new book, September 10, 2005

By	Leslie T. O'Neill "BookFreak" (Pleasanton, CA) - See all my reviews

Unfortunately, this is NOT a new book from Rowan. It was first published last winter (2004) in the company's usual paperback format as "Vintage Style." It is still a lovely book with several attractive designs to knit, but it's the exact same book most Rowan fans already bought last year. I am extremely disappointed in Rowan for misleading its customers with this repackaging effort.