Lynne Watterson

I love lace, both knitting lace & crocheting lace. I'm a big fan of bright, bold, color, too, but there's just something about lace that makes my heart beat a little faster.

This was a new to me book, that I randomly found searching through the online interlibrary loan system. Having never heard of it, I immediately had to request it. Apparantly I'm not alone in this; this book or any projects found in it are not to be found on Ravelry.

If you've never knit lace before, there's a good primer in the beginning. Having knit some lace, other than flipping through & looking at the clear, close up photos, I skipped that section & got right to the meat of the book - various lace stitches, with some projects thrown in for good measure. There's a plain, short sleeved lace tee that I liked, using an arrowhead design, but it's not anything any good knitter couldn't figure out on his or her own.

There's a few edging patterns at the end of the book, but they aren't anything new to me or terribly exciting.

All in all... I give the book 3 stars because it's laid out very well, the photos are great, the instructions look very clear, but there's nothing very new here. Of course, it is called the Very Easy Guide to Lace Knitting, and that's exactly what's here.… (más)

The book is organised into lessons, starting off with simple illustrations of the basics of how to cast on and knit and ending with casting off and finishing. After the basics, Watterson starts off with mock cables that don’t require a cable needle. There are clear photographs with labels for which stitch corresponds to which stitch in the instructions, which enabled me to follow along effectively. There are lots of variations to try, which all have a photograph, pattern instructions, and chart. Close-ups at the top of the page let you see the details of the pattern. The size of needles and the yarn used are also given, which is useful to know if you’re looking to reproduce the same effect. After the section on mock cables, different projects are given to allow the patterns to be put to use. The patterns requiring a cable needle are similar in format to the first section and they make it look very easy to achieve, which is the aim of the book. Whether or not this would be true in practice, I’m not sure as I found it difficult to use a cable needle when I tried it. The photographs imply that the cable needle hangs down sensibly without pulling on the work, which isn’t what I found. However, I would recommend it on the grounds that it concentrates on cables rather than all the other techniques which tended to distract me, and there’s plenty to get stuck into here with thirteen projects and numerous samples to attempt to reproduce.… (más)

This is a great book for those who are looking to get into knitting, which I myself have been.

"Knitting Fair Isle isn't as difficult as it looks and with this book I will guide you through the techniques so that you can enjoy knitting beautiful Fair Isle patterns as much as I do."
p.8, The Very Easy Guide to Fair Isle Knitting

I didn't even know what Fair Isle Knitting was until now and what it is is a traditional knitting technique that is used to create patterns with multiple colors. "Fair Isle" is actually a small island in the north of Scotland. You learn something new everyday!

This pattern book guides the crafter through the process of Fair Isle Knitting from start to finish. Twenty-eight lessons are included with step by step instructions to help the knitter master this technique. There are clear diagrams and photographs for reference. Patterns are included as well to put the techniques to good use.

Designer Lynne Watterson discusses different yarns types, how to read the labels, choosing colors, basic knitting stitches and gauge among other things that you will need to know while knitting.
"Shetland Wool is spun from the fleece of the native Shetland breed of sheep and is perfect for Fair Isle knitting. The fleece is soft and well crimped-the natural crimp helps the floats say in place."
p.10, The Very Easy Guide to Fair Isle Knitting

A Stitch Guide is included, with photos of all the swatches and the page you can find the patterns on for easy reference. There's also a lesson called Aftercare Essentials where Lynne Watterson discusses how to best care for you finished knitted items so that they will last for years.

I always say this, but I love the look of knitted items. Knitting does have that unique style about it. The patterns in this book all look great and I like the variety. Some of the patterns included are Child's Cardigan, Fingerless Mitts, Hot Water Bottle Cover, Leg Warmers and Hat and Scarf Set among others.

I like that designer Lynne Watterson guides the knitter step by step. Since I myself am new to knitting, this type of instructional pattern books is perfect for someone like me.

I found The Very Easy Guide to Fair Isle Knitting: Step-by-Step Techniques, Easy-to-Follow Stitch Patterns, and Projects to Get You Started to be a nice instructional knitting pattern book with well written instructions, clear photos and great project ideas. Very nice knitting guide for beginners!

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any type of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers and designers, such as this one, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I received my free copy of this pattern book courtesy of St. Martin's Press for possible review.… (más)