I am, in the meantime, enjoying my new copy of Amy Herzog's latest book. I borrowed Knit to Flatter from the library. Love the explicit instructions, detailed schematics, and methods for modification. I will buy it, but decided to get Knit Wear Love to start. Love it. Love the patterns, the styles, the 'meta patterns' that are a foundation for adding different elements. Each pattern has three styles and three gauges provided. This versatility is great for me. I hate knitting in fine gauges, and find it hard to modify a pattern to a different gauge on my own. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite capable of doing the math and re-writing the pattern to my new numbers. In theory. But I don't have time or energy to redo a pattern to a new gauge, only to find it didn't work.
My only complaint is that the pattern tells me how many skeins of a certain yarn I'll need, but doesn't give me total yardage. This means I have to go online, find out how many yards are in a skein of a given yarn, and then determine how much I'll need for my size. Not a big deal, but I prefer the total amounts right on the pattern page.
I love several patterns already. Lots of styles appeal to me in different ways. Depends on my mood or where I'll be going with it on! I will be reading and rereading this to pick one to start with. As soon as I finish my vest!
argg. I hate it when I have to frog back, but in the end you will be happy.. I remember a friend of mine saying people never wish they hadn't frogged, but sometimes wish they had.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that your vest is being difficult - you will get there. I loved "Knit to Flatter" and only dipped into it again yesterday! I keep coming back to it.
ReplyDeleteYour criticisms in your review are useful to readers like me and valid.
I share your feelings about recalculating gauge - I had a go at doing it with a cardigan this year and it took me aaages! Sometimes it is nice to just pick up a pattern and follow instructions verbatim.
I am surprised that yardage was not mentioned - this is more important to planning than no. of skeins as yarn labels and lines are continually being discontinued. Those of us in a different country do not have the same yarns - we can't just go to the LYS to inspect the recommended product in order to find the best substitute.
I will have to get my hands on the Knit Wear Love to inspect it and look forward to watching your progress on your vest and the new patterns too. :-)
Thanks for a thoughtful and useful book review.
The book does have a page at the back with fibre content and yardage for the yarns used, so it is mentioned on a page at the end (I overlooked it at first). I still wish it was included on the pattern pages themselves instead of at the end like an appendix. A small annoyance in an otherwise great book!
DeleteI usually don't like marking my books and magazines but when vitals like that are missing from the page, I will often make notes in pencil on the pattern page to save me from repeatedly cross referencing. Do you mark your pattern pages? Sometimes if a diagram is lacking and the margin is wide enough, I will add a drawing too, especially in stitch dictionaries.
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