First, the facts:
Title: Stunning Stitches: 21 Shawls, Scarves, and Cowls You’ll Love to Knit
Author: Jen Lucas
Published by: Martingale, 2017
Pages: 96
Type: Shawls, scarves, and cowls
Chapters:
No chapters, just patterns
The In-Depth Look:
The author writes, “As a designer, I’m constantly inspired by the stitch patterns that fill the stitch dictionaries on my bookshelves. The patterns are so beautiful, interesting, and thought-provoking, I can spend hours poring over them, searching for just the right pattern for my design. The hardest (and perhaps saddest) part of designing is that many times I use a stitch pattern only once … It feels like it’s gone forever.”
I can relate to this.
There are so many great stitch patterns out there, there’s never going to be enough time to try them all, and so you pick and choose, use one, and then move on. No time to dawdle! So many stitches to try!
This is why I like the concept of this book. The designer forced herself to slow down. She picked seven different stitch patterns and then came up with three different designs for each of them.
All the patterns are meant to be worn around the neck as a shawl, scarf, or cowl, which makes this practical. You can always use more accessories, right?
The patterns sometimes use the stitch all-over, sometimes just as an accent, and sometimes a little of both. I like the fact that she had to push herself for these, finding new, inventive ways to re-use the same stitch.
It’s a good exercise for all of us, I think. Just because you’ve found one use for a beautiful stitch, why stop there? And if the author can help you push the edge by giving you three different patterns for each creative stitch? So much the better.
You can find this book at Amazon or at your local bookshop.
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This review copy was kindly donated by Martingale. Thank you!
