"Knitting is very conducive to thought. It is nice to knit a while, put down the needles, write a while, then take up the sock again." - Dorothy Day
My wife and girls love knitting. There is a certain peace and joy to the whole experience that I have been missing out on. So it occurred to me that I should take a class, read, and learn more about this neat craft.
Knitted fabric consists of a number of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them. This process eventually results in a fabric, often used for garments.
Knitting may be done by hand or by machine, and numerous styles and methods of hand knitting grace this art form. Different types of yarns and needles may be used to achieve a plethora of knitted materials. These tools give the final piece a different colour, texture, weight, and/or integrity.
Other factors that affect the end result include the needle's shape, thickness and malleability, as well as the yarn's fibre type, texture and twist.
Barbara Walker’s
Knitting from the Top, originally published in 1972, is a treasure trove of inspiration about the technique of knitting garments from the top down (for example, knitting a sweater from the neck down to the hem or a hat from the crown down to the brim). In 2010, STC Craft published
Kristina McGowan’s successful Modern Top-Down Knitting, a collection of fashion-conscious top-down designs inspired by Walker’s book. Knitters not only loved the technique, which allows for easy, try-on-as-you-go custom fitting, but also applauded McGowan’s modern sense of style.
For More Modern Top-Down Knitting, McGowan has dug even deeper into Walker’s iconic work—this time challenging herself to design two garments based on each of Walker’s 12 basic top-down templates. The results come together to form a fresh, stylish wardrobe that includes everything from sweaters and dresses to capes, skirts, hats, and even pants and shorts.
Young knitters, old knitters, hip knitters, traditional knitters: they all enjoy different styles. But every knitter needs a a variety of instructions, charts, and new stitch patterns. This guide invites knitters to experiment with a variety of new stitch combinations. The book is conveniently divided into helpful categories: from a raglan sweater with a colorful Palestinian twin-lion design; to an inarsia fox sweater.
“More Modern Top-Down Knitting is a beautiful book, featuring exciting and eminently wearable designs for knitters who enjoy self-expression in their craft. The directions are precise but flexible; the garments are highly fashionable; and the pictures are glorious. I am especially delighted to be honored as an ‘inspiration’ for Ms. McGowan; but indeed her own creativity is very much on display here. The book is a great gift for any knitter.” —Barbara G. Walker, author of Knitting from the Top, the Knitting Treasuries, et al.
“Lovers of top-down knitting—and those who have yet to learn! wrote Deborah Newton, author of
Designing Knitwear and Finishing School: A Master Class for Knitters— will find a wide range of lovely stylish projects in Kristina McGowan’s second homage collection, inspired by Barbara Walker’s classic book
Knitting from the Top. The designs in
More Modern Top-Down Knitting are wearable and intriguing, with delightful pattern stitches and simple, yet couture-like touches. A warm and beckoning book, suffused with McGowan’s enthusiasm and her elegant approach to knitwear.”
This is a great book with projects my wife and girls and I can't wait to knit. It is beautiful form cover to cover. The photographs are excellent because they show from alternate angles and actually giving an idea of how the item looks on actual people. They are not just artsy pics. My girls said that they love the the oak coat sweater and lace cashmere cap, as well as a couple of arans. The book quality is great, the patterns are very versatile, for age taste and season -- 24 modern designs that are feminine with classic embellishments and minimal finishing.
"Knitters use knitting to value-add to the world." - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Sun Jan 19, 2014 at 10:27 PM PT: Thank you all for your feedback and responses.