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Our favourite knitting books
100 KNITS edited by Kerry Bogert (£34.99)
SUBTITLED “INTERWEAVE’S ultimate pattern collection”, this hardcover book with more than 500 pages brings together 100 of the most iconic projects from Interweave’s huge back catalogue of knitting books and magazines.
There will be some designs that will be familiar to many knitters - Evelyn Clark’s ‘Swallowtail Shawl’ from 2006, for example, which has been knitted by more than 12,000 Ravelry members, and Jared Flood’s iconic ‘Koolhaas’ hat. But there will be many, many more patterns in the book that will surprise and delight you, and will become new favourites.
The one hundred projects include hats and socks; scarves, cowls, shawls and wraps; 21 cardigans; 26 pullovers, including sweaters and henley-style jumpers; and 11 tanks and T-shirts. A huge range of stitch patterns is on display, from cables, lace and Fair Isle, to intricate textures using double-wrapped or elongated stitches, fisherman’s rib, or Indian cross stitch.
Sock knitters will enjoy the cabled projects by Hunter Hammersen and vibrant colourwork from Lisa Shroyer, and General Hogbuffer plays with construction on two fascinating designs. Courtney Spainhower offers us the chance to try cuff-to-cuff, two-at-a-time socks - you knit one sock down to the toe, add some waste yarn, then knit the second sock toe-up, remove the waste yarn and graft to produce two separate socks!
The book has 12 stunning shawls, such as Anne Hanson’s ‘Edmonia’ design, which has an array of lace patterns, and the ethereal, beaded ‘Waxwing’ by Susanna IC. Or how about trying a cobweb-weight Shetland shawl, courtesy of Rebecca Blair?
There is a wide choice of cardigans, from elegantly draping to satisfyingly chunky, including cabled and ribbed designs, raglan, yoked and set-in styles, hoodies and shawl-collars, and side-to-side projects with lace and cable panels.
Likewise, there are all kinds of pullovers to try; we love the cowl-neck raglan by Isabell Kraemer, the ‘Telluride Aran’ by Amy Herzog, and two contemporary projects from Bristol Ivy. There is a Fair Isle yoked sweater by Kate Gagnon Osborn, but otherwise there is not a big choice of colourwork garments. And there is just one men’s sweater in the collection - a saddleshouldered, ribbed design.
The final section offers lightweight vests, tanks and tees for warmer weather, knitted in cotton, silk, linen and bamboo.