Designing Knitwear (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Master designer Deborah Newton takes the mystery out of the design process and shares the trade secrets she has accumulated in over 18 years of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Barbara Walker, Fair Isle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Readers of Vogue Knitting and Threads are familiar with Newton's beautifully crafted knitwear, as are readers of mass circulation periodicals like Family Circle and Woman's Day. Here Newton systematizes her approach to designing handknit garments and, in the process, shares information she searched for in vain when she was a fledgling designer. Using 16 of her original designs as teaching tools, Newton takes the reader from idea to finished garment, emphasizing creative swatching and a lighthearted "what-if?" approach as the creative process begins, followed by solid documentation and detailed garment schematics as the design takes its final form. This is not a how-to-knit book. The author assumes her reader has the knitting skills required to put to good use in-depth information on design sources, yarn characteristics, working with silhouette and fit, and designing with stitch patterns, color, and graphics. Highly recommended.
- Janice Zlendich, California State Univ. Lib., Fullerton
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

If you dream of creating your own knitwear designs, master designer Deborah Newton shares the secrets she's learned over the years. Newton offers in-depth information on shaping and fitting, color and graphics, dressmaker details, finding design inspiration, creating textured fabrics, and more. In addition, she includes patterns for 16 garments and dozens of partial schematics for you to develop into your own original designs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Taunton (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0942391063
• ISBN-13: 978-0942391060
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,027,657 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NOT your run-of-the-mill knitting book, November 30, 2000

By	"amrdmr" (Arlington, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Knitwear (Paperback)

I rarely review a book that has several well-written reviews already, but was tempted to add my voice about this book at a time when those who are looking for a good gift for knitters may be abroad in Amazon.com-land. I also have been a knitter for Lo these many years (about 30) and have perused many knitting books and magazines. And I have several knitting friends, some real fanatics, some just beginners. I personally love this book and wholeheartedly agree with some of the other reviewers that it is the most imaginative book about knitting that I have ever come across. However, a word of caution: having spent time in the company of other knitters, I know that I am pretty much a maverick, at the far, wild end of the bell curve. There are a lot of knitters out there, some extremely technically advanced (far more than I) who simply would not know what to do with this book. So, if your target knitter follows patterns to the letter, even if your target knitter can execute Kaffe Fassett designs, if they are color-inside-the-lines type of knitter, it might be better to give them (as I have done to several of my knitting friends) "The Big Book of Knitting" by Katharina Buss, which, I have found, is mightily appreciated even by those who have an extensive knitting library. However, if your knitter is bored, bored, bored, even by the most intricate classical designs, then "Designing Knitwear" might just light their fire. I agree with the reviewer who said that "Designing Knitwear" is not for beginning knitters. So, if your knitter is just learning how to knit, purl, do stockinette stitch, it might be better to choose another book, for now at least. I have to say, though, if you know or are a maverick knitter, you will LOVE "Designing Knitwear". One of the patterns is for a white-on-white three-piece shawl that is absolutely stunning and yet so incredibly simple to make. This is the type of stylish "shawl" that I would have loved to have seen in the collection of shawls in "Shawls and Scarves: the Best of Knitter's Magazine". But hey, that's me. There's room in the world for all knitters, from perfectionist chart-followers to free-form-let's-just-see-what-happens. Happy knitting!

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The first book I bought to learn how to design, May 18, 2002

By	"arana8" (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Knitwear (Paperback)

I worked very hard on a child's lace-trimmed sweater from a pattern only to be very disappointed by the result. The dropped shoulders had no shaping and a clumsy-looking knitted seam, the back rode up, and the button band was too narrow to control the curl of the edge. That was when I thought, "I could do better than this." I decided to start designing my own stuff. "Designing Knitwear" has a lot to offer someone who wants to design their own knitwear. Newton's ideas are inspiring. I don't particularly like the majority of projects she gives directions for, but I learned a lot about the design process from her, and about producing looks that are way beyond the run-of-the-mill. One thing I don't like about the book is that Newton takes the sewing approach, with the flat-knit pieces sewn together, the edges sewn on, etc. I like to keep sewing to a minimum in knitted garments.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How one knit designer does her thing, May 21, 2003

By	Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Designing Knitwear (Paperback)

Here is a fascinating peek into the way one designer, Deb Newton, does her knitwear. Her designs are very recognizable--interesting stitch texture, shapes from couture. She even cuts and sews knitted "fabric" into garments.

If you are an experienced knitter and want to design using those tempting stitch dictionary patterns, and if you like the fit and shape of garments to be tailored more than the standard raglan pullover, then this book is for you. The drawings are especially interesting, showing how Newton goes from swatches of yarns knitted in pattern, plus inspirations to a finished garment.

If you want a "how to knit your own" sweaters for simpler knitting techniques, I don't recommend this book. You can knit your own sweaters using the percentage technique found in "Knitting Without Tears" or "Knitting Around" by Elizabeth Zimmermann, or you can try "The Sweater Workshop" by Jackie Fee. But if you want more high-fashioned, structured design, this book will be a great resource.