Pacific Coast Highway

Every book I have by Alice Starmore is more beautiful than the next. The photographs are luscious, the projects to die for, and the books all inspire me to knit more. This book is no exception. The patterns are all Aran and Fair Isle sweaters for adults and children except for the Point Reyes Baby Blanket. This baby blanket is adorable. It's a shame that Alice Starmore yarn is no longer made but Jamieson, Rowan or Simply Shetland are good substitutions. I wish there were more hours in the day so that I could knit every project in this book. The patterns are very clear and the book is a great resource. I highly recommend this book for intermediate and experienced knitters. However, if you are a beginning knitter and want inspiration and beautiful eye candy, this book is for you, too.

I am a complete Starmore junkie, but I am appalled at the cost her OOP books are going for. I am writing this review to aid those out there to decide whether they want to ante up their rent money to buy these books or not. I have this book and I am currently working on the Grant Avenue vest. I have the original Scottish Campion yarn, bought years ago before it became worth more than its weight in gold. A couple of notes--I bought the proper yarn amounts in Campion as stated in the instructions--enough to knit the largest size listed. Owing to having the loosest gauge in the world, I am knitting the SMALLEST size so it won't be a circus tent (remember to KNIT YOUR GAUGE SWATCH!!!) So, in theory, I did all the necessary prep and am knitting to gauge. Despite this, I ran out of one color of yarn (Brass). This distresses me because if I had been knitting a larger size, I could have been totally sunk. I was lucky in that Shetland Spindrift color Old Gold is a dead ringer for a substitute. In searching for substitute yarns, I came upon several online charts. About 3/4 of the Campion colors have Spindrift equivalents, but some do not. A specific example is Delph, heavily used in this vest. The suggested color is Cobalt, but since cobalt is also used, in this case, the substitute won't work. Another way to make up colors is to watch for them on eBay, which can also cost big bucks. In this specific case, AS has actually posted a kit with pattern for the Grant Avenue vest at [...], so if I didn't already have the materials, I would have bought the kit. Lastly, This book is patterns only--NO TECHNICAL INFORMATION. So you need to know how to work with steeks, do fairisle stranding and cable work already, have references you can use or an experienced knitting buddy to guide you through. So, I can say I am glad I have this book. I love it. I will use it and knit from it. If I was starting from scratch--well, I MIGHT buy it. More likely I would use the money at virtualyarns to buy a kit with a pattern. That would be a lot easier that trying to make these designs up with substitute yarns or bankrupting myself trying to find the original yarns. As much as I love this book, there are so many great projects out there from cheaper books. So, if you are a Starmore junkie, go for it. If you are just curious, find something cheaper.

I acquired the Starmore books in real time, not knowing they'd sell for hundreds on EBay. Pacific Coast Highway is by far my favorite. I've made 3 sweaters from it but I've also taken design ideas and applied them to other projects. The photography is stunning. I see the disappearance of a lot of great Starmore books as a cautionary tale...get it while it's in print for you may have to pay a fortune later. I've seen Pacific Coast Highway sell for 600 dollars US. If you can see a copy, you'll find lovely, timeless designs, gorgeous detail and fit with a winning color palette. It is definitely worth learning to substitute yarns.

This oop book is another in the series of large format paperback knitting books by Alice Starmore. Her artistry with wool is reknown amongst knitters and admirers of all kinds of textile art and craft. Ms. Starmore, and her apprentice, daughter Jade, take colorways directly inspired by landscape and natural items and then blend them into fairisle type colorwork sweaters or textured Aran fisherman knitted pieces.The Pacific Highway recalls the colors along California's glorious coastline and the shapes and feel of the sea and shore. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I like the Abalone for its uncanny impression of shimmering nacre (how DOES she do this in matte wool?) and everything Jade designs (I love her shaping and bold colors.) The only caveat about these books is that not only are they out of print and very rare, but the yarns are often out of production. However, if you do find a copy, with the help of color charts and some guessing about gauge of wools, you can often recreate the model and make an heirloom garment to wear or give as a treasured gift.