After Dark: Uncommon Knits for Night Time (Spiral-bound)

by Jil Eaton (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Stylish, upbeat designs--Jil Eaton shares her knack with the needles." --"Woman's Day


Product Description
From sumptuous to sensuous, the stylish, elegant knits in this book are perfect for a night on the town. Designs for a sexy beaded halter top, a sleeveless tee, a wraparound shawl, and a knockout obi belt beautifully combine color, panache, and warmth. Tips on classic and novelty yarns accompany all designs, including many that children can wear to parties. Simple and quick to complete, the designs in this collection offer creative inspiration for sophisticated knitwear.

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Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 160 pages
• Publisher: Breckling Press (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972121897
• ISBN-13: 978-0972121897
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,242,805 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Small sizes only, June 20, 2005

By	M. Strange "michelleinmd" (Takoma Park, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was disappointed to find most women's patterns are for a size range (XS-S, S-M) with no larger sizes. I put it back on the shelf.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing "Uncommon" here..., November 11, 2004

By	Serine E. Givens - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After looking through this book, I became very disapointed. I was really looking forward to it's release, but after looking at all the patterns I found nothing new, exciting, sexy or uncommon. The first few patterns in the book are so fuddy-duddy I couldn't believe it. The obi pattern on the cover is likely the coolest pattern, but any knitter with a little experience could make this without a pattern. There is one other sweater that has a little style, but over all it is simply old hat. The description from the main book page is misleading. If you want fun patterns that have style there are many better books out there.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful book of dressy designs to inspire you!, January 15, 2007

By	Song & story lover (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

I guess timing is everything. Like many other avid knitters, I generally look through all the new knitting books as soon as they come out. When I first browsed this book, I quickly saw Jil Eaton's lively signature in every design, but I couldn't picture myself wearing anything in this book. I put it back on the shelf.

Now, a couple of years later, I have picked up this book again, and I find that there are quite a few designs that will work well for me, and several that are perfect gift items (the Obi, the Party Mix cardi, the Lolita Tee in chenille, the darling Bon Bon Cape for a little girl, the Pashmina Shawl -- just to name a few). Several Christmas gifts I made from this book were total successes!

I'm not sure I understand the negative reviews written for this book -- I suppose it depends entirely on one's expectations. I'd say that Jil Eaton delivers here exactly what she promises, 'stylish, one-of-a-kind QuickKnits for evenings and holidays.' I have lots of yarns in my stash that work well with these patterns -- it isn't necessary to use the specific yarns mentioned in the book. I don't by any means have a 'matchstick' figure, and I found the sizes in the book work fine for me. (The size of the bandeau, for instance, is irrelevant for me as my bandeau-wearing years are far behind me!!) In any case, I have always found Jil Eaton's patterns lend themselves easily to resizing if one needs a few extra inches.

This is truly a fun book -- it's a departure from the kind of natural-fibers knitting I generally do that has inspired me to be a bit more bold and daring with some of those lovely glitzy or high-end yarns in my stash that I have never known exactly what to do with. If I have one complaint it's the Vogue-ish photos that, while stylish, don't allow us to see the details in the projects. Especially in garments shown in black, it's almost impossible to see neck and border details -- if there were close-up photos, or pictures of the projects off the models, it would be easier to imagine the finished fabric. This is so important when deciding whether or not to attempt a project.

When I first picked up the book I wasn't in the mood for glitz, and no matter how delightful the patterns, they wouldn't have spoken to me. But timing is everything.... With knitting one never knows what direction one will want to take next. That's the fun of this craft -- and it's that 'fun' that Jil Eaton seems to capture in everything she does. Bravo, Jil!