Knitovation: Creative Knitwear Made from 3 Simple Shapes (Hardcover)

by Barry Klein (Author), Fayla Reiss (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Beginning knitters: graduation day has come! Two designers from the highly regarded Trendsetter Yarn Company have created a collection of projects that will painlessly take novices to the next level.

What's a newly avid knitter to do when she's mastered the scarf and wants to go beyond? Too many books just repeat the same group of basics, while others set the goal too high for anyone who's not a whiz with the needles. Innovative Knitovation solves the problem, showing just how easy it can be to create something sensational while gaining proficiency at the same time. These are high-end, sophisticated fashions, with slightly more advanced skills--but all you need to know to begin is how to knit a simple square, rectangle, or triangle. At the start of each design, drawings show every piece that goes into the final product; then, there are unique techniques for putting them together for a finished item that fits beautifully and looks great.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sixth&Spring Books (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931543828
• ISBN-13: 978-1931543828
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #771,787 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Why pay for an ad for Trendsetter?, December 2, 2005

By	Ellene Warren "knitwear designer and teacher" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am totally disappointed with this book. The designs, without exception, could have been a pamphlet and I still wouldn't have bought it if I could have looked in it beforehand.
All the yarns used (Trendsetter, naturally) are expensive, in my opinion beyond the amount an inexperienced knitter would pay. And no experienced knitter would be pleased with the poor quality of the designs. Some are actually hideous, such as the Annie O vest, which is comprised of horizontal stripes of long shaggy red hair and checkerboard ribbon. Even Sonny Bono, at his freakiest, would have rejected this one.
The concept was good - designing garments using only 3 basic shapes, but although the authors claim the book is for knitters who want to go beyond the scarf, at least 6 of the designs are for scarves! Expensive scarves with lots of silk ribbon strips tied on.
There is a blanket made of woven strips (more scarf knitting. How is this going beyond the scarf?)- how boring that would be to knit, and would cost over $400, if made in the recommended yarns.
I am disturbed that Trisha Malcolm is listed as editorial director on this one. How can she want to be associated with subtitles such as "Her name is Lola and she is a showgirl...you will be too!" and "It can be sweet, elegant or crazy. Whatever form it takes, shake your bon-bon." this is a description for an undefined object that looks like a ball of fuzz and would cost over $60 to make in the recommended yarns.
Save your money. There are so many good books out there to take a new knitter beyond scarves and help them create simple, wearable shapes. Try Sally Melville's Knit Stitch. Maybe use a little Trendsetter yarn to spice things up. As for me, I don't think I will be buying anything else from Barry Klein and Fayla Reiss, thank you very much.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Ugly, frumpy and lumpy, December 14, 2005

By	Liz (London) - See all my reviews

Even the use of some really nice yarns can't disguise the really awful patterns in this book.

On the funny side, I was vastly amused by the book's inclusion of so many simple scarves. The humble rectangle isn't my idea of the world's most creative knitwear shape.

Buy any other book or buy yarn instead.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sad book, January 19, 2006

By	M. Henry (Hampshire) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really disliked this book, the designs are repetitious and not inspiring at all. Comparing this to Loop-d-Loop, which I loved, just shows how far from gorgeous, creative or amazing a set of designs can get.

I am so glad that Amazon will take stuff back