Book Review and Giveaway - Alter Knits

This is a review of the book AlterKnit by Andrea Rangel, a new publication from Interweave Press. 

More than a stitch dictionary, this book presents a new spin on colorwork, or Fair Isle knitting.

It does give a nod to traditional patterns, but Andrea goes way beyond what you may have seen before  -- and comes up with some original and whimsical colorwork designs. 

The book also has sections on choosing yarns and colors for your colorwork, a really important factor.

It shows you how to hold the yarn for two color knitting, teaches you how to deal with floats -- that's the yarn that sits behind your knitting when you're not using one color or the other. She teaches about swatching in the round and how to cut steeks in your knitting. These are all very valuable skills to have with colorwork knitting. It's easiest to do all your knitting in the round, so for something flat,  like a cardigan, you will need to cut your knitting in the round to make the front opening.  The book covers this technique in good detail. 

From there, we are on to the actual patterns. I even made a swatch of one of them that I thought was pretty, although there are so many, it will be hard for you to choose just one to start with.

There are abstract or geometric designs; there are motifs like flowers, animals, skulls, mushrooms, and bicycles. 

Not only are there swatches for all of them, but the book also includes a few patterns, so you can move right into making some garments for yourself. It's easy to substitute one pattern for another as long as you take into account the stitch repeats. 

There's plenty of guidance for using all these pretty designs in your knitting.

If you’re anything like me, you'll find your imagination taking flight with ideas of what you can make next! 

Thanks to Interweave Press, I'm able to offer a giveaway of a copy of this book to one lucky person who comments on the blog, naming a favorite pattern or a favorite aspect of the book.

Check this link to see all the swatches.  

If you love colorwork, you will enjoy this book.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from F+W Media.

Now for the giveaway information. If you post a comment on this blog entry stating which pattern is your favorite, and sign up for my newsletter, you will be entered into a giveaway to win your own copy of this book.

Be sure to give a Ravelry ID, or an email address -- or even your Instagram handle will do -- so that if you win I have a way to contact you! Don't forget! 

I will select a name in 1 week's time, on Sept. 5. 2017. 

Talk to you soon.