Sasha Kagans Country Inspirati [Hardcover]

 

 

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This is a lovely book to look at, the designs are wonderful and there are many interesting patterns - and I would have given this book 5 stars except that no pattern has multiple sizing! And given that the garments aren't just the standard boxy shapes, it wouldn't be all that easy to modify for someone that doesn't happen to fit the size the pattern is written for. I would not buy this book unless it was heavily discounted because of this.

Sasha Kagan's "Country Inspirations, Knitwear For All Seasons", the latest inspirational offering from this well-known British knitwear designer, does not disappoint. Using the beautiful countryside around her rural Welsh home for inspiration, Ms. Kagan has created an exiting collection of knitwear. There is more than enough variation among the design offerings to delight even the most jaded home knitter. Ms. Kagan's stated aim is to interpret the seasons for knitters from Summer's full-blown roses to Winter's leaves and berries. Good full body shots of sweaters on attractive models with close-ups of interesting details are interspersed with photos of her botanical inspirations, making an effective presentation. Delightful line drawings accompany most of the designs, adding to the general creative air of this book. You feel as if somehow you are getting a private peek into the designer's personal notebook. The book's layout is both clear and colourful, pairing well-designed charts with helpful keys that provide just enough colour and stitch detail to make the actual knitting of these seemingly complex designs manageable. Helpful construction and stitch diagrams are provided where necessary, allowing the knitter to tackle unusual stitch or construction techniques, without the help of full-body charts. (There are knitters who find too much chart reading confusing.) Ms. Kagan's "Country Inspirations" are divided into 5 sections: Roses, Autumn Leaves, Meadow Flowers, Forrest Fruits and Cottage Gardens, with several different designs included under each heading. The shapes of the sweaters vary and clever pattern or stitch details are added to Ms. Kagan's signature colourwork motives, resulting in a sophisticated mix of both knitterly design and fashionable style. It is nice to see this kind of complex knitting paired with a sense of contemporary style and shape, rather than the more usual boxy drop-shouldered styling often seen with complex colour or pattern knitting. I liked the combination of simple intarsia designs with stitch and texture patterns, creating complex looking garments that are really simpler to knit than is apparent from the rich end result. If you don't feel like knitting a whole sweater, but are still inspired by the Welsh countryside, there are several afghan and pillow designs that will allow you to try out the combination of colour and stitch pattern without having to worry about complex shaping. The inspiration Ms. Kagan gains from her surroundings in Wales and the delight she experiences from a colourful piece of handknitted goods comes across in this collection. Even if you never knit a single design, as actually charted, this book is well worth owning for its inspirational qualities and delightful presentation. I suggest you add it to your collection of knitting books, now.

This is an excellent book for all knitters! It has wonderful warm colours and really nice patterns. I won't say anything about the instructions, I haven't tried any pattern yet. The pictures are good and show the patterns well. It is really hard to decide which pattern to begin with...

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