Vogue Knitting: American Collection (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Retrospective pattern collections such as this one are of particular interest to libraries, because often they do not have easy access to the magazines in which the patterns were originally published and a hardcover pattern collection will stand up to wear better than a single issue of a magazine. This collection includes patterns from ten of this country's best knitwear designers: Meg Swansen, Elizabeth Zimmermann, Norah Gaughan, Lily Chin, Deborah Newton, Pam Allen, Nicky Epstein, Kristin Nicholas, Mari Lynn Patrick, and Michele Rose. The book features four or five patterns from each designer, along with an essay on their careers and how they entered the field of knitwear design. The more than 50 patterns range in date from the first Aran pattern commercially published in the United States (1958) to Chin's Reversible Rib Shawl published in the Winter 99/00 issue of Vogue Knitting. All patterns have been reworked to include yarns available now. Good selection for large public libraries and knitting collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Vogue Knitting editor-in-chief Trisha Malcolm selects patterns from the top 10 American designers featured in the magazine. There's a mother-and-daughter publishing team, a Maine native with no formal design background, a Yale grad who maj ored in fine arts and economics--and no one who would give up knitting as a hobby or as a career. Except for 2 patterns, all of the more than 50 of them are targeted to the intermediate or experienced knitter. Yet even rank beginners can imagine a multif loral tapestry shawl, gauntlet cabled gloves and hat, and a dragonfly pullover. Biographies of each woman artist help inspire r eader, as do the full-color photographs. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Sixth&Spring Books (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573890200
• ISBN-13: 978-1573890205
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #672,248 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars from a beginner's perspective, November 13, 2000

By	"hmcbr" (Greenwich, CT USA) - See all my reviews

While this book of patterns is more down to earth than their designer series- it has many of the same problems from a beginner's perspective. The sweater patterns are almost exclusively for experienced and expert knitters. There are a couple for the intermediate. There are no interesting, simple and classic pullovers or cardigans for the beginner, or even the advanced beginner! Steer clear unless you're very proficient.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner from Vogue Editor Trisha Malcolm, January 18, 2001

By	Clara H. Parkes "Publisher, Knitter's Review" (New England, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Want a "best-of" collection from the top American knitwear designers, even if you'll never manage to complete half the patterns? This book is for you.

Each chapter begins with a two-page profile of the designer and then features four or five of the most memorable patterns she ever did for the magazine. In total there are more than 40 garments from Pam Allen, Lily Chin, Nicky Epstein, Nora Gaughan, Kristin Nicholas, Debora Newton, Mari Lynn Patrick, Michele Rose, Elizabeth Zimmerman, and Mag Swansen.

As you'd expect from Vogue Knitting, the layout is exceptionally clear and well illustrated, and the patterns are easy to read. The book has just a few Very Easy Very Vogue patterns. The rest are definitely for intermediate to expert knitters.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars High quality book. Designs from 90's issues., November 13, 2000

By A Customer

If you have all or most of the 1990's issues of Vogue Knitting, you will already have all the sweaters in this book. Vogue always publishes a quality book, with large photos, diagrams, and good instructions, so purchasing the book is worthwhile if you have missed the 90's issues. As with Designer Knits and Very Easy Knits, both nice books, you get recommendations for updated yarns when the original is not available. Even so, I was disappointed. Those sweaters chosen for this collection are ones that I never considered all that appealing. A good many are weak attempts at avant garde sweaters and few for a more conservative, classic style are included. Many of these sweaters are also appropriate for very thin women, but normal bodies might not be complimented by the styling. One plus is that the tapestry afghan is included in case you missed it, and the author attempts to do something similar to Falick's Knitting Across America by including two page biographies of major American designers. This adds interest to the book but then those two pages could have been put to use to include more sweaters -- the usefulness if really up to you to decide. I was much happier with Designer Knits and Very Easy Knits.