First, the facts:
Title: Wendy Knits Lace: Essential Techniques and Patterns for Irresistible Everyday Lace
Author: Wendy D. Johnson
Published by: Potter Craft, 2011
Pages: 143
Type: Lace.
Chapters:
1. Understanding the Basics
2. Learning Lace Techniques
3. Knitting Lace for Every Day
The In-Depth Look:
Wendy’s books just keep getting better. Her first, “Wendy Knits,” while all sorts of good is my least favorite of the bunch. She followed that with two top-notch sock books which are fantastic, but my sock-knitting tends to be straight stockinette-stitch, so I don’t use them as much as I might.
But this? This is lace, and I do so love knitting lace.
The designs in this book are described as “everyday lace,” so don’t expect elaborate, intricate wedding-ring shawl type patterns. These are more the kind of lacy designs that you can wear all the time without having to worry about a cobweb-weight strand breaking.
Wendy writes, “The pieces I use over and over again are sturdier lace. The shawls and scarves I knit from slightly heavier lace-weight yarns and sock yarns, for examples, are the ones I wear all winter long. I like the idea of knitting pieces that are sturdy and serviceable while at the same time lacy and pretty–lace for everyday life. In this book, you will find lace you’ll want to live in, too.”
She starts by going over the basic techniques you’ll need to knit lace, so even if you’ve never tackled it before, you’ll have the information you need. How a yarn-over creates the holes that make lace, well, lace. How to block your finished items. How to read the charts. What’s the best way to join new yarns. How to bind off loosely enough. There’s probably something she neglected to mention, but I can’t think what it could be.
The how-to is followed by the patterns–twenty of them–ranging from shawls to scarves to gloves to socks to sweaters to hats. My favorites are the shawls because that’s my personal preference–you can’t have too many shawls. I stopped in my tracks on the Vortex Shawl/Afghan on my first flip through the book because I liked it so much. But there’s more to lace than shawls, and it’s easy to forget that lace gloves and socks are just as much fun to make and just as wearable.
It’s a pretty book, too, with some gorgeous photos. I particularly like the Project Index at the back which shows thumbnail-size pictures of each pattern to make it easy to remember and find the designs you like.
Like I said, Wendy’s books just keep getting better, and this is one I’m happy to give shelf-room, to. You can get your copy at Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.
This review copy was kindly donated by Potter Craft. Thank you!
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