Member Reviews
Beautiful patterns. Like that there are a range of styles/shapes. The organization by type is useful. Would prefer that there was schematics for each item for blocking purposes. Isn't as critical with many of the items but anything with a slightly unique shape, it would be helpful.
A colourful book of handmade accessories. A lot of these aren't intended for the cold, but for something closer to spring weather. These are lacy and quite delicate, so if you're looking for an accessory to get you through the winter, look elsewhere. The pictures are quite flattering to the pieces and easy to see the work involved in making them. I tend to dislike lace knitting, so I'm not sure what I would want to take on from this book, but I would gladly wear something pictured if someone else made it for me. This is probably out of reach for the beginner knitter.
Louisa Harding designs absolutely beautiful knitting patterns, and this is a stunning collection of her work. If you're the sort who love to flip through a beautiful knitting book and not actually make anything from it, this is a great book for you (I do the same with cookbooks!). I love reading Harding's descriptions of her inspiration and design process - her narrative is quite instructive. This book would be enchanced by charts and more detailed photos.
Prominent knitwear designer Louise Harding, who also makes lovely yarn, has a new book of shawls and neckwear, and I love it. There are at least 5 shawls and 3 scarves that I want to make from this lovely compilation of new patterns. Well illustrated with dreamy photos, I will admit I was surprised that no charts were included. I can only follow simple charts myself, so I was pleased that the patterns were written out, but I would have expected to see both. Lovers of knit shawls and laceweight yarn, who dream of wafting through a beautiful countryside (yup, I live in a dry, brown desert, really) will enjoy the book. Recommended.
I love to knit and hope I can find something new to knit up. These are all quite attractive, and because most of the pieces which use finer/fingering yarns only call for 2-3 skeins, readers can use the most luxurious yarns out there without breaking the bank. There are also no charts for these patterns, which would make it much easier to knit these.
This book has shawls, scarves and wraps a plenty. Most of the are definitely intermediate/advanced knitting level. Lots of beautiful lace and beading. Most of the patterns are written out and not charted which is fine for me as I am not comfortable with charts. The photography is stunning and patterns well laid out. Most of the wording seem fairly straight forward for me as an advanced beginner/intermediate knitter just starting to do some lace.
A gorgeous book with an array of scarves, shawls and wraps for the hand-knitter. From simple to challenging, these patterns are presented in an easy-to-understand format and will form essential parts of your wardrobe. The Olena beaded branches shawl is on my needles as I am typing this. Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC.
This is a gorgeous knitting book - I wanted to start most of the projects immediately! The photography is beautiful and the patterns seem doable.
I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I need to buy this book when it comes out! "Shawls, Wraps, and Scarves" by Louisa Harding is chock full of wonderful patterns. I looked through them more than once to see if I could pick one pattern that I would want to knit first and I couldn't decide! The pictures are beautiful and the patterns look to be very well written and easy to understand. There are some easy patterns and some more detailed. She explains the difference in the various types in the beginning of the book. Before every pattern there is a little write up of the pattern with the inspiration of the pattern. This book should be in every knitter's library!
Shawls, Wraps, and Scarves 21 Elegant and Graceful Hand-Knit Patterns by Louisa Harding
Was so happy to get a review copy as I love to knit and hope I can find some combinations of patterns to use for charity knitting.
Book starts with table of contents of the items for shawls, wraps and scarves. Love the names given to the items.
Very many high intensity photographs throughout the book.
Starts with an introduction where the author talks a few particular items and how she was inspired to make them and why.
Love that she gives you the inspiration for your own knitting journey.
Each item starts with a title, a summary of the item and inspired for other articles of clothing.
Has size and dimensions, yarn used, needles and notions and gauge along with notes.
Only a few are charted designs so most start with row by row instructions. At the end of the book it shows you the diagrams of each item and how it was constructed and what point it starts at.
Abbreviations are also explained in further detail at the end of the book. Very specific ones so be sure to get the right directions.
Ends with blocking instructions and pointing to a page in the back for further instructions on how to block.
Each of the items are shown in at least one view, some have 2-3 different views of the item.
In this book the shawls are triangular, wraps are rectangles, scarves are oblong shaped so if you are looking for a specific shape got to that section.
Like the frost flower lace scarf but also like beaded scarves for that extra special event.
Most of the items I felt were for medium to advanced knitting level but if a beginner takes their time they could also complete the knitting.
Like use of multi colors in some of the scarves also.
Abbreviations with explanations on how to make the abbreviated initials and glossary are included at the end of the book.
General information is also included with useful information that you should at least glance at once if not more.
Love the use of lifelines especially with lacy yarns. Yarn information is also included along with other resources.
Washing after assembling the item is crucial. Make sure to use the right techniques given.
Project illustrations are also included along with an index.
Author Bio and acknowledgements are listed at the end of this book.
I received this review copy from Dover Publications via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ShawlsWrapsandScarves #NetGalley
This is a great resource for beginner to advanced knitters. Louisa Harding provides easy to follow instructions. I enjoyed the description and beautiful photographs for each project.
I love Louisa Harding, and credit many of her designs for getting me deeper into the art and craft of knitting. At this stage in my knitting journey however, this wasn't the book for me.
I look at a few things with a knitting book to see if it's something I would purchase, recommend for purchase, or suggest for library additions. Most importantly? "Would I make anything in this?" Next up: "Does it teach me something new, or, show me a different way?" Finally, Iook at things like, "do I like these techniques," "am I moved to buy yarn for any of the projects", and most importantly, "can I see myself or someone I love wearing this?"
Would I make anything in this book? No. I'm a huge fan of lace and beading, and there's lots of the former and some latter in this tome. I'm not a fan of color work, although I will pick it up if I love the project. Nothing here (colorwork) spoke to me, it was merely stripes or color changes over larger patches of knitting. The only piece I *might* attempt is Ginerva, but only if I had nothing else to work on.
The feel I got from this book (and the introduction) was that this is a book for designers. Not necessarily to learn how to design, but rather to see how the outside world impacts and inspires a designer to create a canvas of yarn and pattern. In this regard, it's a beautiful book, and I'd use it exactly as such. But as a knitter looking for her next piece of art to create, I wouldn't recommend or purchase this book -- especially if you've already got other Louisa Harding books in your collection or library.
One pet peeve to mention: I don't feel the photos do the work justice, and oddly there's one photo BEFORE and AFTER each instruction section. So, you've got to flip around to see two photos (and only two photos) to decide if the finished piece is something you'd like to make. My (sample, thank you) copy was delivered in Adobe format, so perhaps it's messed up with the order and works beautifully in print, I can't tell. Regardless, there were more than a few designs I wanted less "fashion" photography and more imagery that showed me the final product, up close, and from far away.
A pretty, varied collection sure to please exacting knitters. The patterns range in difficulty, techniques, and styles, with a keen collective sense bringing them together. There are several patterns that knitters will likely bookmark, returning to them again and again.
This is an amazing and very beautiful book on knitting patterns for delicate shawls, wraps and scarves ( just as the title says). Mostly knitted in cashmere with beautiful stitch patterns, making them soft, floating and very wearable for all occasions. The patterns are very well written each row has its own line and the two patterns with fair isle have charts. the stitches are not difficult, but some may find the many rows to follow a challenge, but then once one gets a method of keeping track of the rows, the knitting is fast. and well worth the effort.
I really love this book, with many patterns, beautiful designs and photographs
Louise Harding is a well known name in knitting circles, and I was so thrilled to get my hands on this rather sumptuous book. The photos are gorgeous, but I did wish I could see more of the garments when they were on the models, to get an idea of the shape and fittings, as there weren't many diagrams to help with the make up of some of the asymmetrical shawls.
I prefer working lace designs from the written instructions, so I was a happy bunny with this book!! I am a moderately experienced knitter with lacework, but had to take this book to my knitting group for some help and advice, but all fell in love with the garments. We all agreed that;
A knitter with an advanced knowledge would benefit most from this book.
The yarns used are luxurious and should be considered as a special treat, they are not everyday prices!.
Most knitters prefer charts for lacework, I'm in a minority in that respect, but we all wanted more schematics to help us visualise the make up of some of the patterns.
We would get this book from our local library, and we all love the work of Louisa Harding!!
Thank you so much for letting us dream of our next make/ project! We loved this book.
I will post a review to Goodreads .
The book has several very nice shawls, wraps and scarves to knit. Many of them are lace, and there are some with colorwork. Only couple of the projects have any kind of a chart, so there are written row by row directions. I do prefer having a chart for lace, it just makes more sense to me. But some people work better with written instructions, so they will get lucky here.
I received a free digital copy of the book from NetGalley
Visually stunning photography will have you leaving this book on the coffee table . Laid out beautifully it will inspire you to take a walk on a wind blown moor wearing your freshly knit wrap. Louisa Harding is one of the designers I would categorize as the epitome of the knitting gurus. I have followed her work since I began knitting in 1998. She has put together another must have pattern collection in Shawls, Wraps, and Scarves.
Lacy knits won't keep you warm
The designs in this book are for lacy summer knits that might handle a light evening chill, but won't do much against arctic winter blasts. Look at the pictures and see if these are the kinds of projects you want.
The book:
• For an advanced to expert knitter who is comfortable handling large numbers of stitches on a single needle
• The yarns shown are expensive but you don't use much, only a ball or two for most items
• Patterns are written, not charted, and as with all laces knitting test swatches will help reveal how the pattern works
• There are no diagrams of the projects. While it is true that the basic triangle, rectangular, and oblong shapes are easy, a couple of the projects are asymmetrical and might be a bit hard to visualize.
• All of the projects are shown on models and many of them are wrapped and coiled so that only a bit of the designs show
I love looking through books of knitting patterns and I did find several patterns here I could see myself making. The patterns are divided by type (shawl, wrap, scarf) and the variety of shapes and skills provide something for all skill levels. Photos are beautifully shot in amazing landscapes.
The book does have some shortcomings, however. Very few patterns are charted - I'm hoping these will be included in the final version (I am reviewing an advanced reader copy). If having only written patterns with no charts will bother you, you might want to check this one out at your local library before handing over your cash. I also wish the author had included a more inclusive range of models. One model is a person of color, the rest are caucasian, all are very thin. The knitting community has been making more effort as a whole to be more inclusive so I was a little surprised to see minimal representation here.
Thank you to Dover Publications and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Shawls, Wraps, and Scarves is a well curated collection of 21 patterns designed by Louisa Harding. Due out 15th Jan 2020 from Dover, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
These are all quite attractive, and because most of the pieces which use finer/fingering yarns only call for 2-3 skeins, readers can use the most luxurious yarns out there without breaking the bank. The designs are grouped thematically: shawls (6), wraps (7), and scarves (8). They are all feminine, most include lace patterning.
Each of the designs includes a color photo, along with blocking dimensions, materials (yarn & needles/notions), gauge and construction notes. These patterns include step by step written directions, in abbreviated form. The lace patterns do not include 'Japanese' style charts, only the written directions. I would definitely recommend printing out a working copy and marking with a pen or using a magnet board to keep track until the repeats are memorized. My other (slight) quibble with the book is that although the garments are really stylish and well modeled, it's difficult to see the shaping on a lot of them since they're wrapped and tied tightly around the models' neck/shoulders.
Despite the small drawbacks, there are quite a number of these which I really would love to make. Cristana is a phenomenally pretty wrap with lace detailing and beautiful interlocking colorwork cables. I would say that the majority of the patterns are intermediate to advanced. If/when I'm knitting any of these, I will graph the lace patterns to make them easier to read. Most of these could be used for everyday or fancy dress use. I like the versatility.
Four stars.