Lace Style

I received this book a few months ago and it wasn't until last week that I tried one of the patterns. It was the Lace Trim cami, shown on the back cover. This was not a simple pattern, made with #3 crochet thread and size 3 needles. It had multiple steps and took some time. Once the bodice was made and assembled, lots of finishing touches had to be knitted. The photos and instructions for this delicate garment were very clear and thorough, easy to follow one step at a time. The cami is fully fashioned with lots of shaping, even darts! It's finally completed, and mine actually looks like the one pictured, very professional. (That doesn't always happen, sad to say). Lace Style is now part of my permanent knitting library, and while I haven't chosen a second pattern, I look forward to trying more.

I really like this book and have returned to use the patterns more than once. I like the beautiful full page colour models of each pattern and the easy to see pattern guides, it is a very well thought out, layout book and I have enjoyed it very, very much. The patterns while being very modern are simple and delightful and can be adapted easily to some of the modern wools, as well as the traditional homespun, which I use more of. Congratulations

21 designs of lace, and only 1, well maybe 2, shawls! This really goes to show that lace can be more than a table cloth or a shawl. One of the best things about this book is the full information given on the yarn for each pattern. They tell you the weight recommended, and then give the full stats on the exact yarn that they used for the item in the photos. Yarn weight, yardage, everything that I would need to substitute another yarn, or my own homespun. There's a couple of really little / quick projects, and a couple that look really challenging. And, with all that, there's a wide range of sizes for each design. There's a few pages, but not too many, that show techniques, and really good photos that illustrate the way different increases, decreases, etc. will really look. One of the quotes: "... the patterns will give you new ways to think about knitting lace..." I cannot wait to get started!

There are a plethora of lace books for knitting; about five years ago, knitters discovered that lace knitting is hypnotic despite its complications (you get a "song" in your head as you repeat the pattern, according to knitting guru Meg Swansen.) And the results are magical--delicate webs of astonishing beauty with very little yarn can be made by most intermediately experienced knitters. This new book is refreshing in that it does not call for only cobweb-fine yarn. In fact, a lot of the patterns are made from bulkier yarn including the cover model, which is a very nicely designed loose jacket that would fit most people and is eye-catching in a peridot shade of yarn. It's knit in a medium bulky weight yarn despite its look of a light cardigan. This model would be great for any knitter to try out lace as it is not particularly complicated, and the result is fashionable for minimal effort. This is a tempting pattern, a light jacket you can throw over jeans or a good pair of slacks--I plan to make one soon. There are more ambitious projects--including Shirley Paden's lace dress. This designer is known for her figure-skimming fit and this dress is no exception. Done in an eye-catching arrowhead-like lace pattern, it is calf-length and done in an aqua-sapphire tone. For the fashion-conscious knitter with a good figure, this would be quite a beautiful dress, possibly something you'd take on a cruise or wear for going out on cool summer evenings. There are some shawls, none terribly difficult, and shrugs, those short bolero-like jackets that go well with backless dresses. Hats and socks and a few other items round out the patterns. There is a how-to section about lace knitting and shaping, so beginning knitters will find that with some study, this may push up their skill a notch or two and get them into some sophisticated results while still being able to knit fairly quickly with thicker yarns. The experienced knitter will find plenty of interesting designs. The emphasis is more on shape and fit here, and less on the intricacies of the lace itself as in Shetland or Orenburg lace knitting. Most knitters will like this book if they enjoy textural and lace knitting or are looking for fashionable pieces that are wearable. I give this book a big-thumbs up.

Interweave Press is consistently producing some of the most interesting and inspiring knitting books on the market. Lace Style is the latest entry in their Style series, and features 21 patterns which use lace. Some are the kinds of patterns you'd expect -- a lace stole, socks -- while others use lace as stitch patterns in entire garments. The book cherrypicks from many of today's top designers, including Joan McGowan-Michaels, Veronik Avery, and Nancy Bush, to name a few. High production values with lots of color photography and tips in the back for how to work with lace and use it in your own designs. Lovely patterns, inspiring and challenging -- another winner.