First of all, this ia a book of reprints from patterns that appeared in Interweave Knits (IK) from 2001 to present. If you subscribe to this magazine, chances are you have most of these patterns. I was had again, buying the book without seeing the tiny secondary title that makes clear there is no original content in this book. One of the patterns (Forest Path Stole) has been reprinted in a similar best-off of IK before, even as it is again reprinted here. They may be goodies, but they're oldies too.

There are three "lessons" taken from previous articles from IK: A primer to lace knitting, a guide on how to cast-on and cast-off, and how to shape lace garments, ie how to work in decreases and increases on the sides of lace stitch patterns.

The section are nice with illustrations, but they are oddly matched. I don't think this book is great for beginners, so the primer is hit and miss. On the other hand, most of the knitters who enjoy lace knitting have probably figured out how to avoid partial pattern repetitions on the side of the knit to maintain stitch count.

The editing of the patterns is exactly like in IK, I'm not sure the forewords to each pattern are new. Still there is a fairly good amount of patterns and even though there is no theme aside from lace knitting, they are as a whole relatively good designs. There are: 3 Shawls, 4 Scarves, 5 Stoles, 3 Socks, 2 Hats, 1 Wrap, 2 Skirt, 6 Tops (1 tank, 1 hoodie, 1 tunic, etc..). This is a bit too eclectic for my tastes, but it might prove a tempting sampler for other knitters.

On the technical front, most of the patterns are not crazy involved, with most of the patterns with relatively simple lace stitches. Two of the patterns (Forest Path Stole and Luminarie Skirt combine a lace stitch with the entrelac technique for a bigger challenge). Also, the book focuses on more traditional shapes for the shawls and stoles, there are no shawlettes or the crescent shawls that are now very popular. Most of the patterns are knitted with finer gauge yarns, with a few notable exceptions consisting of a handful of patterns written for sportweight, worsted, aran and chunky.

This is a book that disappointed me, but the patterns are nice, well edited, it would be perfect for someone who wants to try lace knitting but wonders which project to pick first.

Les fans de "lace knitting" francophones se sont longtemps demandé si un jour il y aurait des ouvrages en Français. Et il semblerait que c'est enfin le cas. Dans le livre de Deroover, il y a châles et écharpes faits de laines fines, (grosseur fingering en descendant) et bien sûr ce sont les points ajourés qui sont à l'honneur.

Je ne m'attendais pas nécessairement à un chef d'oeuvre vu le manque de compétition francophone dans ce domaine, (soulignons-le les anglophones et les allemandes ont une grande longueur d'avance), mais les patrons sont assez nombreux et surtout ils sont beaux. La plupart des ouvrages sont faits en fil très fin, genre "laceweight" et kidmohair.

C'est un bon livre et très intéressant pour le prix.

I must confess that Shinn is a guilty pleasure, because even though the books I've read from her often have what seems to me relatively limited plots, I enjoy the amount of reflection and humanism she inflects in the text.

This one, ostensibly geared towards young adults, is the story of Eleda, whose main talent in life is telling the truth. Eleda also has a twin sister, Adele who is a study in symetry of herself, as she is similar but the mirror image of Eleda. Adele's main talent is keeping secrets for others. Eleda expects others to be as forthcoming as she is, and sometimes struggles to understand her twin's own talent, keeping secrets. But when the twins turn 17, their best friend is fated to marry far away, and it will require both their talents and their hearts to reach a happy conclusion.

It is hard not to spoil the book, but this is a somewhat moderm fairytale, in which the girls are rewarded for their persistence and their good natures, with an emphasis on Eleda's perspective. The relationship between the girls is intriguing and well portrayed by the characters. And it is all in all a really sweet novel.

The men of the English Chattan family are cursed to fall in love and die as a result. Harry Chattan knows he can never fall in love because it would mean his death, but he is willing to search Scotland to find a way to lift the curse so his brother who recently fell in love can be saved. Portia Maclean on the other hand, knows very well that at age 27 and without a dowry, she is very much on the shelf. That would not be so bad, but she is struggling to keep a roof over her family's head. To save her mother and sister from destitution, she is willing to disguise as a witch and and pretend lift the curse from the Chattan family. She doesn't expect to be attracted to Harry Chattan, and she certainly doesn't expect for him to be attracted to her, but as their feelings grow so do the stakes, for a Chattan man who loves will certainly meet his end.

First off, this is the middle part of a series, I jumped in not knowing and it didn't matter, it did not deter from my enjoyment of the book. I was surprised that the author eschewed to play certain romance tropes and it kept the plot fresh, certainly I expected a cheesier ending, but I was surprised to find a certain depth of realistic sentiment. I thought it was heartfelt enough, and the interaction between the two protagonists was really good. I also liked the characters who felt sufficently fleshed out to provide a good set of circumstances for the hero and heroine to react to.

I liked this a lot and will check out the earlier entry in the series and will look forward to the next entry.

Maggie is a young woman from Boston, whose father is found guilty of embezzlement. Before that Maggie had met a handsome English Earl whose dim view of matrimony Maggie shared before she fell in love with him. When he left without a backward glance, Maggie was heartbroken, and decided to marry another. Because of the scandal caused by her father's indictment, neither Maggie, nor her family are welcome in high society and eventually, even her betrothed breaks it off with her. That is when Maggie receives an invitation to come cheer up her friend Elizabeth, newly married to a English Duke, during her confinement. Maggie, and especially her mother, know that in England Maggie might still have her chance for a good marriage. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's husband and the Earl are friends, and Maggie and Edward are set on a collision course, especially when neither of them realizes the other is not indifferent.

I'm a Goodger fan, I appreciate her knack of making each character's plight poignant, particularly the heroine's. That being said, I think this is not her best. It's not hard to feel for Maggie, but it seems as though she could handle things better. There are plot points that don't seem to serve a real purpose in the story. The tension in the plot ratchets up but the tension is uneven. I would have liked more attention on the hero, by this I mean, a deeper characterisation. He pines after Maggie, but it's his own prejudice against marriage that loses him the girl, then his wishy washy indecisiveness is not very attractive. He is described as a bookworm, but he doesn't seem to get a big heroic moment, though he does something that relieves Maggie's fear that he won't be able to accept her. But the way Maggie resolved her emotional conflict makes for an awkward conclusion for the novel, and it lessens the romance a bit, though it is a rather empowering moment for Maggie.

I enjoyed the book, especially as there are witty dialogues, and the pretend animosity between the hero and heroines is at times funny. Unfortunately the ending is a bit weak.

Serena had been ruined by her lover's snub. Jonathan Dane had turned on her, and disgrace was added to heartbreak. Her whole family had to leave England and on the trip, Serena's sister Margaret died. Serena's mother decided that since Margaret had not been dishonored, Serena would then pretend to be Margaret and return to England to be married with Meg's fiancé who doesn't know Meg died.

Jonathan Dane regretted his actions almost instantly, but tried to forget with the company of loose women and too much alcohol. When he meets "Meg" again at a party, he is told Serena is dead, but his attraction to Meg is palpable. Soon he wonders what it is about Meg's proper behaviour that seems wrong, and he can't to let go of the idea that he, of all people, recognises Serena. This time, he vows, he won't lose her again. But to win her back, he must first convince her to trust him, and then to imperil her family's future.

First of all, if this sounded confusion, don't worry, it's not the plot that's complex, but the premise of the book. Haymore does a good job of explaining and motivating this set-up and then provides the emotional conflict that goes with it. I didn't think that the plot was too original, because mistaken identity plots are not rare, but the romance part is well handled. The pacing and the hero's reaction are a bit more original than the plot, because the reveal is gradual, and what the hero does when he does find out is a little bit unexpected.

I thought it would be a hard sell to make me believe in the hero, and actually I wasn't too sure about the heroine either, but despite a shaky start, I thought that the characterisation worked for the romance much more than first impressions. Eventually the whole novel grew much more from the skill of the writer in the dialogues and character interactions, than they did from the plotting. Still, I liked that the author made this plot her own by having certain plot elements happen in a different timing or a way that suited the characters better.

A good romance, but also a series beginning, as Serena has a few sisters that will no doubt also find their way to the man of their hearts. An author to watch if this book is to be seen as a precursor.

Sometimes I wish there were half stars to give to a book like this because I would definitely stretch that 4 stars to a 4+ stars.

There is much to like about this book. First off some of the designs are just really, really nice. The shawl on the cover is just beautiful, and so are the marilyn shorts and the everyday cardigan. These three on their own would justify the price of the book for me, and the family hood (a hood pattern in woman/man/child sizes) is a welcome bonus. The pair of woolen tights is something I would have been looking for if I thought it was possible to find it in a knitting book. So the question of whether I am happy with my purchase doesn't even need to arise. I am very pleased.

On the other hand, some of the patterns I don't care for. I'm not a great arbiter of what should and shouldn't be published, but some of the designs aren't on par with the really good ones. The croissant bag, (a bag shaped like a croissant, with pie share looking segments of decreases) was not a hit for me. The slippers, are very generic, not very good looking (IMHO) and mainly distinguish themselves solely by the application of leather soles. There's a pair of very generic looking (though there is a k-p stitch pattern) socks. Another instance that annoyed me was that there is a gorgeous hood, (Heroine hood) in the book, but it has an annoying collar that stops right at the base of the neck and will leave the rest of the gap between your coat and your headwear uncovered, unless you add a scarf under. I thought this was really clumsy, when are you going to wear a hood but no scarf? And it's not like the scarf will fit in nicely under the hood either.

But keeping in mind that not only my personal taste matters, I wonder what is the target readership for this book, because a lot of the patterns demand quite a bit of technical accomplishment but there is a pattern (paisley cuffs) designed to ease the knitter into beginning intarsia. Also apparently dressing up means putting a buttoned vest on a man in your life (for whom you will be knitting) and knitting a pure wool (of course you could knit it in whatever you want) a dachshund pencil case. What I suspect is the truth, is that there is no theme other than the patterns all came from the author. So my reccommendation is look up the author's designs and buy the book if you like them.

Most of the patterns are accessories, there is a cowl, a hood/scarf combo, 3 bags, a tam, 2 hoods, mittens, a beret, a hat/scarf set for him, a double hat, cuffs, a hair band, mitts, gloves, a scarf, a shawl (on the cover), slippers, shorts, a cardigan, a man's vest, a pencil case, two pairs of socks, and of course the great woolen tights pattern. So there is a lot of contents, here, and again, a lot of these patterns are really nice, some are fine, and a few I didn't care for. Most of the patterns are geared towards the intermediary, with some that have a little more assembly (finishing) than your average pattern, some have colourwork, some have k-p basic stitch work, some have a bit of laceknitting, some are basic enough for an enterprising beginner.

There isn't much to say about the editing of this book other than it doesn't call much attention to itself. Most of the patterns are presented in at least 3 sizes (S-M-L) or even 5 sizes (32"-46") when appropriate. The man's vest is written for 36"-54". There are st diagrams, and assembly diagrams for most patterns. The explanations are clear. And overall the editing is fine.

So this is a book that has quite a few good patterns, and not too many bad ones. I enjoyed it a lot, and I think many knitters will.

If you want a romance, set on a Navy ship set during the Napoleonic war, that doesn't hold the realism back, this would be it.

In this, Sally Kent does the Mulan gambit, and takes her brother's place to serve on board the Audacious. Richard, her brother has run away, and the family name needs to be preserved at all costs. Also, it is no hardship for Sally who wishes she was allowed to serve and become a midshipman herself, though she is forbidden by her sex. Sally loves everything about the sea life, but soon it is her admiration for First Lieutenant Colyear, Col, to his friends, that takes precedence. And when the inevitable happens, Col faces a dilemma. To tell or not, a decision complicated by his friendship with the Kent family, by the war time need to have all useful hands on board, and last but not least, by his growing feelings for Sally.

First off, the author knows her stuff. I'm not a navy buff, but the amount of detail is incredible. It makes one feel as though one was there. At times, there is so much information as to almost require outside information to picture exactly what is happening. Still one can skip the more technical moments and still get a good sense of what is happening.

Also, the author has stepped aside from a great many stereotypes. The hero is not the alpha male captain, his caracterisation is interesting and rather well done. The reader gets a sense of his own motivations, and the way he works through issues is consistent with the information provided. So when he does something unexpected, to the reader's delight, it doesn't feel as though it came from the left field, instead it makes a certain sort of logic.

The heroine, is not quite as nicely characterised. In fact, she is a bit too good at what she does, though the author explains much during the plot, but still it's a bit surprising, and it makes her less relatable maybe. I thought her character arc was surprising. And the end of her emotional plot, maybe a little abrupt?

Though that brings me to another strength of the novel. Usually, if you've read a great many of these romances, you get a feeling where the book is headed by the first two chapters and can predict the major three plot points defining the three main parts of the book. But the author kept surprising me and kept me guessing, not about the end result, but how it would happen, almost to the end. I can forgive a lot in a romance that takes the pains to do this. It's not a lazy book.

I enjoyed the book a great deal and I think we'll keep hearing about Elizabeth Essex.

Sometimes you feel like a designer tried to design pieces exlusively catered to your taste, and this book game me exactly that impression. Of course, it would take a picky knitter to find that these designs are not honestly beautiful. The design elements have a way of fitting together, to the point where you wonder why every knitter has not thought these combinations natural and self evident and it took the author to reveal them.

Chinchio has a great sense of what works in knitwear, and a lot of her designs have different elements that seem to flow into one another, for a design that feels almost organic. I'm trying not to hype this or use buzz words, but it would be difficult to describe how smart the details actually are, just like the sub-title of the book implies.

The book contains patterns for a cabled scarf, four cardigans, a wrap, a headband, two pairs of gloves, a hat and mittens set, another hat, a hoodie, a tunic, a shell, a henley (on the front cover), a pullover, another henley, a jacket, and a lovely textured shawl.

Most of the patterns I would say are about intermediate in ability level, the knitter should be comfortable with seaming and different types of stitch manipulations like cabling, twisted stitches, minor uses of yarn overs, nupps and wrapped stitches and a pleat technique that comes up in one design.

Most of the larger designs are with done with DK yarns, and sometimes smaller gauge. Almost nothing is knitted in worsted or bigger.

The edition is good with photos of the projects from different angles and usually at least a close up photo. The use of diagrams in the more complex stitches helps understand the stitch work, though a few of the "more simple" ones were omitted and they might have helped. The technical section is brief and to the point. So the editing of the book is correct. As a plus, the author includes a few tips about gloves in the first glove pattern, and they are quite good, just the thing to help with a garment that is often the knitter's pet peeve.

A very good book, beautiful wearable designs, and a lot of "I would make this for myself" patterns.

To my knowledge there is not another book about knitting pleats in English. So this gives Pobedinskaya the merit of being original to say the least. The concept is not difficult to grasp, and is described with enough illustrations and explanations to be rather easy to understand, even for an intermediary knitter, maybe even an enterprising beginner, although almost all of them require seaming up.

The patterns are as follows: a beaded top (that looks a bit like a cross between a bolero and a shrug, but looks cuter than what that sounds), a hat with puffy pleats, a puffy pleats scarf, a pleated beret, two types of pleated bags, a pleated collar (it looks like a bow tie!), a pleated t-shirt, a pleated neck bolero, a pleated shawl that looks a little like a sideways obi, the three-fan shawl (on the cover), a pleated trim jacket, an horizontally pleated pullover, an elongated back pullover (it looks like there is a cut-off scoop section in front), a top with vertical pleats, a short row pleats pullover, a pleated back vest. Some of the designs are very attractive, but on the other hand some I found, personal taste, to not be nice at all, and I thought some would be really unflattering on a real person, not a model striking the best possible pose.

All of the designs are clever, but in some places it's as though the cleverness of the pattern is not in synch with the use of the garment. I'm thinking of a sweater that has great pleat work, and the idea is quite interesting, unfortunately the pleats don't work well on the figure of the model. (Also, they don't look all that great in a clashing shade of variegated yarn). It's just too bad the good in book makes you disappointed for what isn't so good.

Still even the less attractive designs serve a purpose as inspiration as to what one can do with the technique, without attempting to replicate, kind of as a starting point. As such the book is great, because it has ideas that I'm sure will inspire other designers.