Our favourite knitting books
Wear wild and wonderful colour on your hands and feet with this quirky book of socks and mittens from Finland
THE FINNISH author, artist and designer Lumi Karmitsa wants to encourage knitters to let their needles and imaginations run wild with her riotously colourful book of sock and mitten patterns. The collection offers 22 vivid, fun yet totally wearable designs that will be fun to make and wear - and adhere to Lumi’s motto, that “life is too short to knit with just one colour!”
Lumi’s book offers a range of cheerful mittens. All feature charted motifs, and are written in one size only (so if you’d like larger or smaller mittens, you might have to change your needle size). Quirky designs include ‘Buddha’, with large-scale images paired with floral bands and twisted cuffs; and ‘Jesus Saves’, decorated with symbols of faith, hope and love, in two colourways - ‘Retro’ and ‘Hippie’! The ‘Peonies’ design comes with instructions for fulling, so you can create a cosy felted pair.
Animal lovers can choose from the pictorial ‘Giraffe’ mittens, and ‘Mews’, which are covered with little kittens and tiny two-colour patterns. The amazing ‘Tiger’ mittens are designed so that when you put your two hands together, a large tiger head picture is formed.
Lumi has created two sets of matching mittens and socks, depicting ‘Merry Skulls’ - teenager will love these! - and chihuahuas, which feature picot edgings on both socks and mittens, and Dutch heels on the socks.
More canine socks are on offer, depicting Staffordshire Bull Terriers; cat fans are not forgotten, though, with a pair of delightful ‘Kittycats’ socks. These have charming cat faces, and the option to weave a twisted cord through the eyelet cuffs, finished with mini pompoms.
Highly decorative, the ‘Roses of the Mansion’ socks have twisting panels of colourwork, paired with lacy cuffs, heels and toes. ‘Lupines’, with their large, elegant floral motifs, are worked with a short-row heel and mock cable cuffs.
We love the ‘Jellyfish’ socks, which can be knitted in ankle or over-the-knee lengths, and which use a variegated yarn to give depth to the ‘ocean’ background. Even more whimsical is the ‘Spooky Christmas’ pattern, complete with festive skeletons. Like the mittens, the sock patterns are all written in one size only.
This book is fun, playful and will make you want to pick up your knitting needles and create accessories for yourself or others that are guaranteed to bring a smile to the wearer’s face!