Few knitting books arrive at my house that surpass my every expectation in a good way. This one did. I expect the best from Veronik Avery. She was one of the first designers for interweave that I knew I would love almost every pattern that she put out. I also love the history of fashion. This book combines great designs (that would actually fit me with few mods!) with some great history to make a fabulous book.
What I totally love:
*Every design is photographed so nicely, they are their own form of art. What else would you expect from Melanie Fallick's publishing team?
*Every design has some tie to history. You get to learn something without it being a lecture in the history of fashion.
*There are Women's, Men's, and Children's fashions all in one book. And not just a token few men's designs but a good 6 designs (not bad for a book that has 32 total designs).
*It's not all about the sweaters. There's a purse, several pairs of socks, a gorgeous cabled scarf, beaded cuffs, hats, and gloves. There's even a tie pattern.
*It uses a multitude of different kinds of yarns, put out by different people. I hate books that all one yarn company, especially Rowan. While the yarns in this book are not cheap, at least she mixes it up a bit so that I don't feel as if she has a corporate sponsor standing behind her. I think that it's admirable, that while she works for JCA, not all the yarns are JCA distributed yarns.
*I could learn a new skill (or at least refresh one) with every design. It's not just cables or lace. It has colorwork, lace, cables, beading, and great stitch patterns all in one book. I think my favorite is the argyle socks and vest for the man cub in your life. But it's hard to chose a favorite.
*And last but not least. It has sizes that fit REAL people. With some books, an XL is a 40 inch bust. Avery's patterns often go up to a 52 inch bust. Awesome for all us big girls.
Alright, I'm off to
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