Thank you so much for the positive feedback concerning my new design! I really appreciate it. Designing has really been an educational and fun experience for me. When I first heard about this book by Wendy Bernard I was so excited about the possibilities. I've been checking out a lot of stitch dictionaries from the library these last few years and was frustrated that most of them only gave instructions for bottom up construction. So I was thrilled that this book might make designing from other directions a lot easier.
I'll talk about the thing I didn't like and then the things I did. First off it claims to have "more than 150 stitch patterns to knit top down, bottom up, back and forth, and in the round." But right from the beginning I was annoyed that 3 of those 150 stitches are stockinette, garter, and seed stitch. To me those didn't really needed to be added to the book. They seem pretty simple to figure out how to do in various directions. It seems a little cheating to list those as part of the 150 but maybe I'm being [k]nit picky. :) But actually that is really the only thing that bothered me about this book.
This milanese lace stitch pattern is one that I have had marked for a design for awhile and I was thrilled to find it written out in all directions. Isn't it beautiful!
This swedish weave is another stitch pattern that I really liked. I don't remember seeing this in other stitch dictionaries. One of the things I liked about this book were the pictures. I like that they are in color and big enough to see details. And that the instructions are written out and charted. Yay!
Now the next two stitch patterns thrill me to no end. Remember that poncho that I was working on before I started my Summer of Socks? Well I've been wanting to add a border other than the fringe shown in the pattern but all the borders that I've seen in stitch dictionaries before gave directions from the top up except the feather and fan stitch pattern. I believe this is the first one that gave other directions at all for borders. I haven't decided which of these 2 borders I'll use but I am really liking both of them.
Here is Wendy. She has also published a book called Custom Knits to "unleash your inner designer" which I am excited to check out. And one last thing I like about this book is the binding. It has the spiral binding so it will stay open on its own which is great for being able to knit and read from it at the same time. But also the spiral binding is covered by the outside cover so it won't catch on things and/or being tangled and broken. Smart move.
I'm pretty frugal when it come to books. I mostly check them out from the library over and over again. So when I say that this is a book that I will total buy that says A LOT. It is on my short list of books that I want to add to my home library just as soon as I stop spending my pocket money on fiber every month. :) But seriously this book has opened up easier possibilities for designing which is making me rethink my stitch pattern choice for my triangle shawl that is in the works....
Labels: book review, designing, designs, knitting, stitch dictionary, Work-in-Progress
