There are two things I need to tell you first. One, is that there are two editions of this book, since Interweave Press nicely saved it from its dreaded out-of-print state. And, two, I own a copy of both editions. This should pretty much tell you right off the bat that I like this book. Or that, really, I love this book. My very first attempt at lace was inspired by this book. So, it’s possible that I might be just a little biased.

Do you knit sweaters? Do you like different shapes? Do you hate having to do all the math for designing your own sweaters, but don’t want to be tied to pre-written sweater patterns?

This book is for you.

Taking the basic sweater shapes–Drop-Shoulder, Modified Drop-Shoulder, Set-In Sleeve, Saddle-Shoulder, Raglan, and Seamless Yoke–this book tells you EXACTLY what you need to do to make one.

In this, their second book, Ann and Kay expertly toss the narrative back and forth, bouncing the stories to each other in their own special fashion, perfected over at their blog. They’re fun. They’re conversational. They’re breezy. They’re serious when they need to be serious–like when Kay sits us down to talk to us about how “your handiest tool is not the Chibi needle case–it’s your head” in the essay, “The Independent Knitter, or Where Have You Gone, Elizabeth Zimmermann?” Or when Ann gives us her pep talk about Steeking in the Fair Isle section. (“It’s the knitterly equivalent of a controlled burn in a forest. It sounds terrible–you’re setting the forest on fire on purpose? But it’s actually very efficient, a part of nature, and in the end, a means to a result that would not otherwise be possible.”) In other words, it should come as no surprise to anyone that this book is witty and amusing.

Ranging from the simple (”Warshcloths”) to the sublime (those Log Cabin afghans), this book absolutely lives up to its subtitle of “The Curious Knitters’ Guide: Stories, Patterns, Advice, Opinions, Questions, Answers, Jokes and Pictures. Created for Knitters Everywhere who Share the Give’em Hell Spirit of Just Picking up the Needles and Making Stuff.”

Really, that says it all.

The title promises casual and elegant–a combination that I love. It implies comfortable, but attractive items that aren’t too fussy but aren’t dressed “down” too far, either–and the knits in this book hit that just about right.

She says that, “Most traditional cable patterns place the cables vertically, with the repetition of rows continuing until you reach the neckline, where you simply bind off and then start the same thing all over again for the next piece … But what if we escape from the repetition? The power of change is remarkable. The excitement of new things–a new home, friend, or even a piece of music–affects us deeply. I created the following designs to illustrate my fascination with transformation and to offer knitters new possibilities in cable knitting.”

Um. Let’s see. You know how your Mom taught you that old saw, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all?”

Well . . . that scarf on the cover is really lovely. . . . There’s a pretty pillow in there, not that I knit pillows. . . . The writing is pleasant, and the little blurbs about different folk tales and legends, scattered through each section of the “elements” (Water, Air, Fire, Earth) are enjoyable . . .

But, um, the rest? Well, you’re not going to be hearing any paeans of joy like you did when the Cable book came out.

So–things I liked? Well, really, there’s a lot. Really nice patterns. And a LOT of them. Good photographs of them–which is important. There are good schematics, and the charts are nice and big and easy to read. And the sweaters are listed in the table of contents AND in the index. Each pattern is labelled with a “Skill Level” and has notes for “Special Techniques,” “Notes,” and “Pattern Stitches” in the basic information–so, basically, you know right away if a pattern seems within your skill set. Never a bad thing.

(Continuing our interview from Part One…) Do you try to branch out into different yarns for the books? Or do you tend to stick with yarns you already know? Kay: We have our favorites, but the lure of new yarns is so compelling…..the book has a broad mix. Ann: I’m happy about all the wools [...]

Today, I’m talking to Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne of Mason-Dixon Knitting, who have a new book coming out on September 16th. First, let me welcome you to Knitting Scholar. I’m honored to have you as my first guests!

Well, most knitters have heard of Elizabeth Zimmerman–and if you haven’t, you should get to your local library as quickly as your feet can take you to check her out. She’s the original knitting maverick, and the embodiment of a Thinking Knitter. She was the first writer to really talk about knitting as important in and of itself, rather than just a means to a nice little sweater. She encouraged people to try new things, to experiment, and above all, not to allow themselves to be restricted by what was written in a pattern. Trying to knit a sweater in a yarn you love but your gauge is different than the pattern? Adapt! Want to add in cables to the basic shape? Go ahead! Have a crazy idea in your head? Give it a try and see what happens! Not only that, she encouraged Continental-style knitting, and knitting in the round whenever possible–both of which are my preferred methods. (Largely, no doubt, because of these two books.)

Just looking at the Table of Contents should pretty much reinforce that this book on finishing techniques is covering pretty much everything you could hope for. I can’t honestly say that I can think of something obvious that was left out. There are some other ways of casting-on, for example, but the 7 most common are here (Long-tail, Knitted-on, Cable, Picot, Chained, Tubular, and Provisional). So, instead of giving you a page-by-page recap of what’s included, how about a nice overview?

Overall, these patterns are beautiful. Not all the colors in the photos are necessarily to my taste, but there isn’t one design that I hate. That said, however, they’re not really the most practical sweaters. Lacy edgings, belled cuffs, bits of eyelet to catch on things … They all look wearable, but not like they’re the kinds of sweaters you just grab because you’re cold, or you want to take a walk with the dog. They’re the kind of knits you wear to the office, or out to dinner–or, yes, a wedding. There are definitely sweaters in here I would love to have in my closet, but many of the sleeves, for example, would get in my way on a daily basis. It’s hard to wash dishes, pack boxes, type, cook, wash your hands with big, flouncy cuffs on your sleeves. Not that these are ridiculously so, but still … many of these designs are things I would wear when I didn’t have to DO a lot with my hands, but not for just puttering around the house.