The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for All Seasons: Sweaters and Accessories for Men and Women

I liked this book a lot. It has patterns in it for every skill level, and the designs are very flattering and chic. Easy to understand and substitute the yarns as well.

I have always had good luck with projects from the previous Yarn Girls' books, and this one looks good, too. I haven't tried any of the projects yet, but there is a nice variety. Their instructions are always easy to follow, and the styles are fun to wear. I wish they would include a little more shaping, especially in the waist area, but overall, I think the patterns are great.

Hands down the best Yarn Girls' book yet. The patterns are stylish and classic, and there are quite a few men's patterns too. There are several sweaters that I can't wait to get started on!

The patterns in this book are lovely, classic patterns. The main problem is that the biggest sizes for women are about 38 to 40 inch finished bust size. I noticed that all the women models wore their garments skin tight so these patterns may be meant to have negative ease but it would be better to have a larger size range.The mens patterns were also nice but were worn much looser. Australian knitters could subsitute 12 ply and 8 ply yarns for many of the patterns.

The concept behind the Yarn Girls' fifth book is pretty solid: knits for every season of the year. The book is arranged by season, and there are 40 patterns represented of different technical skill levels. The majority of projects are well-suited to beginning knitters who are ready to move into garment making. Intermediate and advanced knitters will appreciate the simplicity of the patterns, and can also use the basic constructions as a "jumping off point" to add colorwork, cables, shaping, or other embellishments. The majority of the fibers and yarns used in the book's designs are easy to find, and are common weights and materials, able to be substituted easily. The fibers are natural, and there are also a few patterns that use vegan yarns and yarns from sustainable plant fibers (mainly linens and linen blends). My only complaint comes with the sizing: They are not quantified with sizes as many other knit patterns are (e.g. 34", 36", 40") but rather XS, S, M, L. Knitted measurements are provided in the pattern along with a schematic, so a XS corresponds with a finished width of 16", which would probably relate to about a size 32" or 33" (with ease). Sure, the information is there, but I am not sure why they choose to display it in this unconventional way; it could be confusing to a beginner. The simplicity of the designs are what is so appealing - I like classic styles. If I am going to take the time and effort to knit something, I want it to be "in style" for years to come. These styles will undoubtedly stick around, and they will be fun to knit up in the process.