If you were to look at my knitting book shelves it would be easy to spot that I am a bit of a fan of Alice Starmore.

I have been since my mum bought me a copy of The Celtic Collection for Christmas many moons ago.

Mum had an ulterior motive, she wanted her own Donegal jumper (it was her home county). So among other patterns from the book did make this almost infamous piece of colourwork (long before I learn two handed stranded knitting making it even more of an achievement). And I still have my Armagh jumper which is coming up on 25 years old. I was a poor student when I made it but it looked great in poundshop acrylic and is a great reminder of my first goes at "fair isle".

Over the years I have gathered a little collection of Starmore works - some bought new, some second-hand - but there is a notable gap. I don't have a copy of Tudor Roses. Copies of the original tended to be as rare as solid gold hen's teeth, then when Starmore released the updated version in a sumptuous hardback in 2014 I was mid shift to freelancing and couldn't justify buying it. So it has been on my to buy list ever since.

Now the updated version is being released in paperback (Feb 2017) and thanks to Netgalley and Dover Publications I have a review copy in e-book.

The book contains 14 patterns inspired by the women of the Tudor dynasty accompanied by an explanation of their influence.

For a knitter who is interested in history, this is a perfect addition to my collection. Starmore and her daughter Jade have researched each of the 14 Tudor women in terms of their life, knowledge and influence presenting us with a pen portrait and later an explanation of how the research influenced the designs. So we see the plain beginning of Elizabeth Woodvile (a founder of the dynasty) in her simple sweater, the sumptuous colours of Spanish embroidery in Katherine of Aragon's coat and regal colours in the garments of some of the queen's garments. The shaping of the period reflected in many of the sweaters.

The photography and styling by Jade Starmore creates "portraits" of each woman, emphasising the art of these pieces.

I can imagine gaining a lot of pleasure from knitting many of these pieces, but there is also much joy in reading the patterns and enjoying the clever use of colour, stitches and construction to create a stunning collection.

This book definitely shows the art and artifice of knitting and what can be achieved by simply looping yarn round needles one stitch at a time.

I will be adding a physical copy of this book to my shelves before long and hope it will inspire me for many years to come.

Wow, I am so excited by this book.. I love history, I knit. weave and spin yarn so this was on my to read list.. Alice Starmore and her daughter Jade collaborated in producing the book. Jade even models in it. Based on the Tudor women in history, the models were carefully chosen, as was hair, make up, wonderful jewellery from the City of Glasgow College. talented students make this a book to devour in term of pictures alone. You do not have to be a knitter to enjoy it, in fact I would not attempt most of the challenging patterns. I wish I could! Clever thoughtful words preface each Tudor lady before the pattern, explaining why it's considered suitable for them, their taste, colouring etc.

Somehow the modern hair styles work beautifully with the knitting designs, rich colours, shapes, cables, bodices. It's an amazing book on several levels. It's a modern day look at the Tudors but with much consideration for the people who make that period so wonderful. A lot of research must have gone into the period, I suspect Alice and Jade both love history.

I have order my copy, be sure to do the same.

This a truly beautiful book. It takes the strong female characters from the Tudor period, and translates them in to the most exquisite knitting patterns with a historical twist.

These patterns are not simple- so I wouldn't think them suitable for a beginner. There is an extensive use of charts, which I always find helpful, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow, so they are patterns that I would tackle, and I think would be suitable for an intermediate knitter.

I also thought that giving the overall measurements for the garments was extremely useful.

I wasn't familiar with Alice Starmore before this book, but I am now on the lookout for more of her books..

A unique and glorious book of knitting inspiration, Tudor Roses by Alice Starmore is a work of love. Each original item of clothing was designed to reflect a historical female from the Tudor period. Scholarship and thought went into the research, which is shared in a relatable fashion.
The designs are breathtaking, and should inspire clothing makers and designers of all sorts, in addition to the knitting audience the detailed instructions address. Each named pattern translates historical design, reflecting Starmore's interpretation of the personality and circumstances of the Tudor women.
Highly recommend having a look at this beautiful book, and I envy you if you are wearing a completed design from Tudor Roses

More than a knitting book, Tudor Roses combines a unique variety of knitting designs and fascinating information about the Tudor women. The photos are beautiful and I really liked the way the models were chosen so carefully.
This is a good crossover title that people who enjoy reading historical fiction will like and confident knitters will find plenty of projects to please.

Full of beautiful and intricate patterns that knitters have come to expect from designer Alice Starmore, "Tudor Roses" does not disappoint. The rich colors and the detailed patterns will make these patterns easier to read, though the skill to complete them is up to the readers. It isn’t simply a pattern book, each pattern is based off one of the Tudor women who formed that part of English history. Starmore has added diary entries to each pattern to give a bit of a personal attachment to each historical character. She also has included not only her personal decisions for each piece but a bit of history, should the knitters wish to know more. I also enjoyed the use of modern day jewelry designed by students of design to bring what may be seen as costumey pieces into a more modern feel.

This would not be a book for beginners. The patterns themselves are intense and time consuming. While they leave you with an absolutely beautiful finished project, I fear that anyone who attempts one of these as a first project may feel a bit burned out. The book also would make a wonderful coffee table book, though for that I would recommend the hardback version. All together a wonderful achievement by Alice Starmore.

*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and Dover Publications in exchange for honest feedback.*

This is a very beautiful and interesting book of knitting patterns. These patterns match historical people and what they might have worn modernized for today’s woman. The patterns look gorgeous, and the layout of the book is fantastic. Overall I want to give this book 4 stars, but I have to knock it down to 3.

Dover Publications is probably ready to revoke my galley privileges because I tend to harp on the same problems I see throughout their books. The pictures in this book are gorgeous, and I would love them, if I was reading Vogue. They are high quality artistic pictures. That being said they are too dark to show off the sweaters well. Let me pick on specific pages. Pages 27, 33, 34, 36, and 37 the reader has no idea of what that sweater looks like. The sweater is either black or dark blue and you see nothing. On page 37 you can almost see a row of buttons down the back which makes me really want to see what this sweater looks like. If you like floating heads behind a bright blue fence, check out pages 119, 128, 129. I bet this is an awesome sweater, but the black yarn mixes with the black background. Lastly, I love the sweater on pages 149-159. Or at least I think I do. But I can barely see it. Plus I would have loved to see the entire look that was created. I was just as interested in what appears to be a blue plaid lined skirt as I was in the sweater.

This book is just a little bit away from dynamite. I love that Dover had fancy photos done, but they are too artistic and make the projects invisible. Like Goldilocks, I am looking for something that is just right.

Added Goodreads
Added Listy

This is stunningly beautiful and clever. The patterns are all carefully researched and are a magnificent way of representing theese strong women. The photographs are beautiful and I love the addition of the fictional diary extracts.