Book Review - New American Knits; Giveaway; Special of the Week

UPDATE: The winner of the Giveaway is Rachel McKinney, 100Creations on Ravelry. Congratulations, Rachel!

I’m delighted to have received a copy of the new book by Amy Christoffers,  New American Knits.

I’ve been an admirer of Amy’s for a while. Her style is crisp, modern and very wearable. The new book extends her style into the realm of classic sportswear, the kind of sweaters that you can throw on every day and look polished and put together.

The photography is lovely, and the layout is clear and readable. It's a pleasure to leaf through it.

Here are a few notable pieces:

Let’s start with Nevelson, the cover photo. It has that look, simplicity plus sophistication, that is so hard to find. Very pretty.

Benton is a lovely cardigan with a shawl collar and attractive cables.

 

Benton

Moses is a classic hoodie. While simple, it has some nice detailing, with pockets and textured stitches at the shoulder.

Moses Hoodie

Edmonia  has a fresh modern look with its wide neckline and attractive lace trim. This piece is a top-down seamless design.

Remington is one of my favorites. The lace trim on this fitted cardigan is fresh and original.

Remington

Tanner Cowl - a very pretty cowl done in worsted weight lace.

 

Tanner Cowl

Some pieces were not to my taste:

Evans tunic was a bit too plain and simple. It lacked the eye catching details that make the other designs special.

Georgia is really pretty with a big embroidered flower on the front. But I was disappointed that there were no instructions to execute the embroidery except for “using the photo as a guide…”. There should be a stencil or some further detail provided.

Wyeth Shrug seemed too shapeless and loose for me.  It’s meant to be slouchy but it didn’t seem in line with the polished sophisticated look of the other pieces.

All the pieces have good schematics and the lace where applicable is charted. All in all, the majority of the 20 patterns included here are wearable, pretty and interesting to work. What more could you ask?

How about a Giveaway?

Would you like to win a copy of the book? Just leave a comment on the blog telling me why you want the book. Also please sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't done so already.
I'll pick a name on Sept 3. Please make sure to include an email ID or your Ravelry name. Good luck!

New American Knits  - By Amy Christoffers; Interweave / F+W; $24.99

I received a review copy from F+W Publications; photos used with permission.

Special of the Week

This week I'm offering 40% off one of my top selling patterns, the Richmond Mitts. Just use the code "RICHMOND" (without quotes) to get the discount. 

Act fast, it expires on Sept 1. 

 

These pretty fingerless mitts use an unusual zigzag rib combined with a single cable on the top of the hand. The palm is decorated with 2 sets of zigzag stitches with a stockinette stitch background.
They use less than half a 100 gm skein, so treat yourself (or someone special) to something beautiful and practical.

See you next time!