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57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unwieldy Collection of Lace Stitch Patterns From VK Magazine, May 31, 2010
This review is from: Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Five: Lace Knitting: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series) (Hardcover)
If you already own the previous four volumes in the STITCHIONARY series, you may want to purchase VOGUE KNITTING STITCHIONARY VOLUME FIVE: LACE KNITTING to complete your set. However, VOLUME FIVE is nothing more than a rather unwieldy coffee-table-book collection of "more than 150" lace stitch patterns "taken from the pages of Vogue Knitting magazine."
The patterns are organized into general categories: easy/mesh, edgings, chevrons, allover, panels, combos, and motifs. However, the "lace knitting" title is misleading, because there is no instructional material on (1) combining lace stitch patterns into garments, shawls, or stoles; (2) selecting patterns that are appropriate for different kinds of projects; (3) attaching edgings; or (4) understanding or using the charts and written-out instructions.
There is one page of instructions for yarnovers (illustrated with line drawings). This page appears to be taken from the publisher's very good general reference book, VOGUE KNITTING. There is also a short glossary of knitting terms used in the book. For each stitch pattern, there is a beautiful, enlarged, color photo of a swatch knitted in the pattern. The selection of patterns is somewhat random, because VK magazine is the pattern source, but many basic lace patterns are included. There are also quite a few complicated "designer" patterns (evidently created for specific patterns published in the magazine) that may be of limited practical value to knitters seeking ideas for lace items of their own design.
Many other stitch dictionaries are currently available that provide more patterns, and therefore offer better value (e.g., the Mon Tricot stitch dictionaries, the Barbara Walker stitch treasuries, the Lesley Stanfield stitch treasuries). One very good lace stitch treasury is HARMONY GUIDES: LACE & EYELETS: 250 STITCHES TO KNIT. One general stitch treasury that includes a good sampling of lace patterns and edgings is the Reader's Digest ULTIMATE SOURCEBOOK OF KNITTING AND CROCHET STITCHES. Two excellent books that provide copious instruction on lace knitting and designing, as well as some lace stitch patterns, are Sharon Miller's HEIRLOOM KNITS and Jane Sowerby's VICTORIAN LACE TODAY.
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104 of 117 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed, May 11, 2010
This review is from: Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Five: Lace Knitting: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series) (Hardcover)
I just received this book and am disappointed. Here are the reasons:
A. It doesn't look like they used lace yarn! Or else the patterns were knit at too tight a gauge.
B. It also doesn't look like they blocked the samples hard enough to open up the patterns. (See pattern 47, "Wave Rider." The points should look like mesh and be all full of holes but they look solid.)
C. Some of the yarn used is rather pale, so the patterns (the holes) don't show up well.
D. A large number of the patterns look like they took some textured patterns and threw in some yo's and called it "lace."
E. This is a personal thing - I don't like the symbols they used for K2T and SSK; the extra little leg coming down makes the charts look "busy." I prefer a simple / or \. Again, strictly a personal thing.
I'll have to judge the patterns by the charts provided, instead of looking at the pictures. Not easy to do. Maybe after I've scrutinized the charts I'll find a pattern or two that intrigue me.
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38 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do you need another Vogue Stitchionary?, June 1, 2010
This review is from: Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Five: Lace Knitting: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series) (Hardcover)
Vogue say: "The newest volume in Vogue Knitting's must have series"
Is it a must have? That's for you to decide. Perhaps this review will help you to make a decision.
The introduction makes clear the distinction between lace knitting and knitting lace. It's all about whether you yarn over on one side of the work or both. When you yarn over on both sides of the work, you are knitting lace.
The latest is in the "Stitchionary" series contains lots of practical information on knitting lace. There are full page descriptions of abbreviations, Yarn Overs, and a glossary.
And while yes, Vogue does not use the lace symbols we are used to, the symbols it does use are actually clearer. Instead of the usual backward and forward slash for K2 tog and SSK, the symbols used has a little dash under the slash. So instead of relying on an aging brain to remember which way the slash is leaning, you can much easier see the direction in which the slash is leaning.
The glossary is definitely up to Vogue's standards of excellence. I especially like the Technique Tutorial on Yarn Overs. Most of the time I manage to execute whatever the pattern demands, but Vogue describes and illustrates what Yarn Overs look like: between two knit stitches, between two purl stitches, between a knit and a purl stitch, between a purl and a knit stitch, at the beginning of a knit row, at the beginning of a purl row, multiple YOs and etc. In other words, they explain every instance in which one might encounter a yarn over.
The photography of the stitch samples is superlative. In fact, at first glance, I actually thought there was white knitting yarn threaded through the yarn overs. That's how crystal clear the illustrations are! The cool blue and gray color palette used for the pattern samples makes the illustrations literally pop off the page.
Eye candy yes, but this book includes lots of new lace patterns. It does not recycle patterns we know from other books. The editors have even managed to come up with new ways to do the basic and all time favorite of lace knitters - Feather and Fan. This is not your mother's or your grandmother's lace book. There are new, different and unusual patterns. And I am happy to see the chapter on edgings which makes lace books complete. Many of the patterns have a full page devoted to the picture of the pattern, row by row directions, and a chart.
The book takes a broad view of lace knitting, including cable and lace patterns and Fair Isle patterns which include lace. Some of my favorite patterns are "peacock tails", "argyle" and the piece de resistance - "parachutes". I had fun playing the game of "How did they come up with the name of this pattern?" Sometimes it is not as obvious as you might think.
So is this a necessary inclusion in one's knitting book library? Again, that's for you to decide. As for me, I adore the Stitchionary series, and I am as smitten with knitting lace as most knitters are these days. I could not imagine my knitting book library without this!
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