Book Description
Each of the extraordinary hand-crocheted afghans displayed here in magnificent photos is a blue-ribbon winner. They've all taken the top prize at one of America's state fairs-the prime public venue for showing off the best of our nation's traditional crafts. The styles, colors, and patterns are as varied as the folks who fashioned them, ranging from an afghan with an elegant white-on-white country design to one that has a wildly kaleidoscopic motif. Crocheters can recreate these wonderful items at home, thanks to patterns, detail shots, and instructions, and experience the charm that makes the state fair such a special part of American culture. Scattered throughout the text are fun facts about the fairs, along with new and vintage photos.
Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous Afghans!.......2007-05-16
I ordered this book only after looking though it throughly. It does repeat the directions for a couple of afghans, however they look different because they are in different configurations. If you are an adventurous beginner, then it's very possible that seeing there are different methods of doing the same thing and getting very different results will encourage you to try branching out on your own. Personally I love it! I love the cowboy afghan, I made it for my grandson and he loves it too. I'm working on the Sunbonnet Sue, which is the real reason I purchased it. I love to sew as well as crochet but quilting is an entirely different matter so to be able to make one of my favorite quilting patterns in crochet was wonderful for me.
The pictures and the state fair information took me back to my years in high school when I and the entire home ec class had to entire our projects in the fair. It's a lovely book, I have enjoyed it very much and I'm even thinking of entering my work in the fair again. :) I would love to get a blue ribbon!
Awesome book!.......2007-04-11
This book is really one of the best i have seen on afghans! Great pictures and clear instructions. So many great patterns to choose from. Tons of great info on state fairs and rural life. I just love this one. I bought one for my sister and am buying one for myself. A must see!
IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH CREATIVITY TO WIN A BLUE RIBBON.......2007-02-22
I haven't made any of the afghans in this book yet, but I've read through most of the patterns pretty thouroughly, and I'm an experienced crocheter, so I think I can review it without having actually made an afghan from it.
First off, it's a very pretty book - heavy stock paper, afghans photographed very nicely, lots of State Fair pictures sprinkled throughout the pattern section. The first 21 pages of the book is a historical write-up of State Fairs in general. I only bought the book for the afghan patterns, and I don't have much interest in State Fairs, so I haven't read that section. Other reviewers have said it's nice, so I'll take their word for it.
So.... on to the patterns themselves. In a very generous count, there are 45 patterns in the book. But actually, it's less than that because some patterns are repeated. For instance, on pages 48-49 we have the South Carolina blue ribbon winner, a baby-blue afghan titled "Sweet Hearts". Then the next afghan on pages 50-51 is the Florida winner, a peach-colored version of the exact same afghan, again titled "Sweet Hearts". Here's the author's comment at the top of page 50, above the verbatim repeat of the instructions from the previous afghan - "Some designs are so wonderful that they deserve more than one blue ribbon". Maybe the design deserves more than one blue ribbon, but it doesn't deserve to be shown twice in the same pattern book with a repeat of the instructions. Another example is pages 58-59, which shows the Arkansas winner "Baby ABC's Afghan", followed pages 60-61, the South Carolina winner of the exact same pattern. Different colors again, but the exact instructions printed/reprinted for each one.
While there are some interesting designs in the book, there are also a number of very basic afghans - several very similar versions of granny squares, several versions of just the standard ripple stitch. There must not have been a lot of competition in Nebraska, because the blue ribbon winner was a simple, single crochet ripple stitch, all in one color. And this simplest of simple afghans is labeled "Original Design", as if this were a brand new thing that someone just thought up. I'm sure it was made really well, but it hardly qualifies as "Original".
Which brings me to another disappointment - There are a few afghans labeled "Original Design" (some that deserve it, some that don't), but most of the patterns are from previously published sources, and are labeled "Pattern courtesy of ....." (fill in the blank with Coats&Clark, Leisure Arts, Annie's Attic, etc.), which means that if you have a good collection of afghan patterns already, you won't see much in this book that's new. I'll admit that I have a LOT of afghan books, more than what we might call "normal people", so maybe this bothers me more than it would others.
I suppose this has to do with copyright issues, but the "courtesy of" patterns are printed exactly as they were originally published, with no alterations for how the pictured afghan was actually made. At the end of the pattern, there might be something like this from p.79 - "She used an original edging rather than the fringe called for in the instructions" - but there aren't any instructions for the edging she actually used. Or this from p. 84 - "She altered some of the cross-stitch blocks" - but no charts for the designs in the picture.
So overall, if you're looking for a beautifully designed book as a gift for someone, or if you don't already have a collection of afghan patterns, this might be a good choice for you. But if you're looking for something new and interesting, you won't find much of it here.
Most Beautiful Afghans.......2006-11-10
I have made almost every afghan in this book and I will continue using these patterns w/different colors and yarns to repeat their beauty throughout my life. I believe they will be airlooms that will be cherished always. Liz Anderson
Varied and creative designs.......2006-11-04
One of the best books I have ever seen. A bargain for your money. There are 40 designs, and each is better than the last.
Book Description
This collection of 33 patterns chosen from hundreds of entries submitted by yarn shops across the country is full of personal stories, knitting wisdom, and favorite tips from the people who have helped fuel today's knitting revolution. The patterns range from designer sweaters and knits for kids to small take-along projects. More than a pattern book, this delightful collection is like a trip to the yarn shop, a private session with the best knitters around, and a friendly chat with the country's most passionate knitters all rolled into one.
Amazon.com
Knitters, traditionally women, share a genius for design and construction with architects and engineers, but these skills haven't afforded them the kind of respect they deserve; they've been considered little more than draftspeople who create basic patterns and a working model. Finally knitters are coming into their own.
No one who opens Knitting in America will mistake the knitters depicted here (many of whom also produce wool, spin, and dye) for anything other than artists. The sweaters are beautifully conceived and executed, and each looks wonderfully wearable.
Book Description
Author Melanie Falick traveled thousands of miles to create Knitting in America, an inspiring and revealing portrait of knitters, spinners, dyers, and breeders of fiber-producing animals. The most complete survey yet published on the scope and influence of this vital art form in America, the book profiles many of this country's most fascinating artisans and farmers, and features more than thirty original patterns for adult and child-sized garments designed especially for Knitting in America.
In addition to the designer profiles, the book includes special features on locations such as a musk-oxen farm in Montana, a school in Detroit where children learn to knit before they learn to read, and a New Mexico yarn shop that supplies many of this country's top gallery artists with handspun, naturally dyed fibers.
The thirty-plus patterns in the book range in difficulty from basic to advanced and in style from traditional to contemporary. The patterns are clear, the charts easy to read, and a complete listing of mail-order sources ensures that the patterns can be executed to perfection.
Customer Reviews:
beautiful pictures. Very waspy styling........2006-02-04
From this book you would think that only white Waspy people knit in America. Pictures are absolutely beautiful. There are interesting articles about Meg Swansen, Barbara Walker, but many more important American knitters are left out (like where is Lily Chin?) It is an enjoyable coffee table book, with some worthwhile designs. Wonderful to recieve as a gift, but given a choice between a 2 skeins of Koigu and this book, I'd choose the Koigu.
For knitters who like inspiration and challenge.......2004-10-25
Melanie Falick takes us on an amazing tour of some of the most influential people and places involved in American knitting. Melanie's wonderful profiles of knitwear designers, spinners, dyers, and breeders of fiber-producing animals and plants are accompanied by Chris Hartlove's spectacular photography. The photos are in natural settings, natural lighting and of natural people - mainly the designers themselves or their family and friends.
The patterns go from slightly challenging to extremely challenging. But they will be worth the time and effort spent making them -- they are either so classic that they will never go out of style or so artful that they transcend fashion trends. They are mainly for women, but some are unisex and a few are for children. They are also mainly sweaters, but there are a couple shawls and handful of mittens.
The lives and accomplishments of those profiled are truly inspiring. You will want to knit, spin, dye, design, or even raise some sheep!
pretty pictures, not very useful.......2004-02-15
This book has beautiful pictures. Its emphasis is mainly on knitting artists in America. It tells their stories, and showcases some beautiful work. BUT... it is not a very useful book. I would say that patterns only take up about a quarter of this book. There are some very special patterns, but I would rather take this one out of the library. If you want to pay for inspiration, this is the book for you. If you want to get busy and knit, this is not a necessary purchase.
A TREAT!!!.......2001-09-08
Go ahead. You deserve it. Give yourself a treat. The pictures! The stories! The inspiration! The patterns! A book to cherish AND to use.
Great Coffee Table Book, Some nice patterns.......2001-02-01
This is a nice book--not for beginners, but for those who love to see nice knitting designs, and read about the designers. Excellent bargain right now if you can still get it--full price was a tad steep.
Book Description
“Not only are the stories a great read, but the photos are so full of color and texture they’ll make your fingers itch to start your own scarf or afghan.”—
Glamour
“With a passion for textiles and a love of travel, Melanie Falick is the perfect writer for [America Knits].”—
Vogue Knitting
Acclaimed knitting author Melanie Falick traveled thousands of miles and interviewed dozens of knitters, spinners, dyers, and sheep breeders to create this inspiring and revealing collection of portraits and patterns. With profiles of 38 artisans and farmers,175 beautiful color photographs, and 30 original patterns whose difficulty ranges from basic to advanced, from traditional to contemporary,
America Knits is the most complete survey yet published on this highly popular and vital art form in America.
First published in hardcover as Knitting in America (Artisan, 1996)
Customer Reviews:
Really amazing pictures.......2007-04-17
I agree with Lois, this is not a pattern book, although there are patterns in it.
The book is divided up into regions, such as Southwest, Northwest, etc. and each shows locale-themed knitwear and outdoorsy knitters/spinners doing their thing outside in the fresh air... usually with some sort of pet or livestock in the back/foreground. There are lots of full-page, color, glossy pic sthat are very beautiful. Oh, and what patterns there are are tucked in the back.
Primarily this book is a dialog on various artists around the country and their work. I haven't examined every picture, but it looks like not a single one was taken indoors. And that's the feel for the patterns as well. Lots of sweaters and wraps and jackets and blankets, all brightly colored and intricately designed. No easy stuff in this book, it all appears to be fairly challenging.
beauty.......2006-10-04
A beautiful book. But why buy it? The information about people is just enough to wet one's interest. The patterns aren't anything special. It is simply a beautiful book to look at and dream.
For Serious Collectors Only.......2006-09-08
After hearing Falick on a podcast and hearing the "story behind the book," I picked this up at the local yarn store to leaf through it -- and quickly remembered why I hand't bought it the first five times I'd looked at it.
I find the concept of this book somewhat garbled -- is it a pattern book? If so, there aren't enough interesting patterns to make it worth the investment (most are very dated). Is it a profile book? If so, there really isn't enough in-depth info about either the yarn stores or the store owners to make it entertaining.
The photography, however, is gorgeous. So I've finally categorized this book as a "collectible." If you're looking for knitting patterns, don't bother. But if you want something pretty to set on your coffee table -- or if you own every other knitting book out there and need this one to complete your library -- then go for it. Otherwise, leaf through it at the store, admire the pictures, then put it gently back on the shelf and walk away.
America Knits.......2006-07-10
Melanie Falick has once again created an amazing knitting book! This one differs from some of her previous titles in that it focuses on many of the talented knitters in America. When I ran across this book, I knew it was something I must have. The patterns are very inspiring, and the techniques outlined will prove to be a good learning tool for even the most skilled knitter.
38 Artists 26 Patterns.......2005-11-28
This is an entertaining and beautiful book, featuring the work and stories of 38 artists. Each artist is given 2 to 6 pages of pictures and write up. In my oppinion only 6 or 7 artists are showing innovative work and they are deffinetly worth seeing. The rest is bulky sweaters and shawls and a few children's designs. If you love oversized sweaters, this is the book for you. A few of the photos are "artfully out of focus" not good for seeing the work. Check it out at the library first or buy a used copy if this interests you. 26 Patterns are at the rear of the book. The patterns are for advanced knitters.
Book Description
Join classic silhouettes with contemporary style in this collection of beautiful designs! Rich colors and textures are created from a range of fibers, from wool and mohair to fine alpaca.
• Twelve projects feature fun-to-make pullovers, vests, and cardigans
• Includes a beginner-friendly stitch primer, row-by-row pattern guidance, and blocking tips
• Patterns specify generic yarns for easy substitution; true-to-size photos of yarn strands will help you choose the right yarn every time
Customer Reviews:
Making Today's Crochet.......2005-08-05
I often tell people that creating a book is like having a baby: there's initial excitement, followed by a roller coaster of emotions that culminates in elation when the published product is in your hands.
Today's Crochet was extra-special because it gave me the opportunity to work with the Crochet Guild of America and its superb designers. When I sent out a call for proposals, little did I know that over 200 would cross the transom of my studio! It was very, very hard to pick the best for publication.
The garments in this book were selected to offer a variety of shapes, fit, and yarn types. Since making a sweater is a labor of love, as well as expressing our passion to stitch, I steered toward garments that wouldn't be out of style in a year or two. It was also important to offer something for every season and every skill level. After all, we don't all live in cold climates or were born with hook in hand.
I included lots of information to help people choose alternate yarns, if they so desire. There are full-size photos of yarn strands, detailed descriptions of each yarn, information about the yardage on a ball, and even some suggestions for alternative yarns. Ounces per ball were intentionally excluded. Ounces aren't an accurate way to substitute yarns. You can have the same amount of different yarns, yet they'll be different weights!
The only time that weight is important is if you're trying to figure out the yardage used in a finished sweater. (As a technical editor, I do this all the time, to make sure that a sweater actually uses the amount of yarn specified in the instructions.) In this case, I weigh the sweater, then divide the total by the weight of one skein of THE SAME YARN. Now that I know the number of balls used to make the sweater, I can multiply the number of balls by the yardage per ball, which is on the wrapper. Now I can swap in any suitable yarn because I know the yardage.
In addition to the excitment of working with the great group of people who are members of the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA), I was lucky enough to book one of my favorite models, Zora, for the photo shoot. At that time, the hit TV show Joe Millionaire, which she won, wasn't on anyone's radar. Zora is just as sweet, kind, and lady-like as she was on that show.
My favorite sweater in Today's Crochet is a black, Orient-inspired cardigan designed by the founder of the CGOA. There's a lot of stitching in the piece, but it's simple work and the result is a classic garment that you can wear for years. The chrysanthemum motif is great fun to make.
I'm also crazy about the dimensional flowers found on a vest in the book. I've made these--without the vest--and attached them to other garments! The leaves are easy, yet look really cool.
Elsewhere in the book, there's a long-sleeve, fluffy sweater called Casual Chic. It was designed by Nancy Brown. She's a CGOA past president, and an incredibly talented woman. What I like about Nancy's sweater is the way that she has combined two yarns: one offers volume and visual texture, the other helps the sweater hold its shape and lend strength to the more fragile fiber.
Thank you for taking the time to read my comments and look at Today's Crochet.
Crocheting in Chicago.......2004-08-13
Although the sweaters are easy to make I feel that many of them have a dated look. The yarn suggestions for these sweaters are those sold by CGOA. All yarn requirements are given in yardage with no ounce equivalent so it makes it a little more difficult for you to use other yarns than those sold by CGOA. For one of the sweaters I did want to make I checked the cost of the CGOA yarn and the yarn for this simple tunic would cost $120. I suggest Melissa Leapman's Crochet with Style as the patterns are modern and the yarn is readily available in many craft stores.
Basic designs.......2003-11-05
I wanted to describe the projects in this book for those who are ordering online, sight unseen:
1. feminine filet vest with crocheted flowers on it
2. longsleeve summer filet cardigan
3. summer shell with a big opening in the back
4. waist-length, longsleeve fitted sweater
5. shortsleeve "overblouse" with a plunging neckline
6. shortsleeve casual top
7. longsleeve bolero jacket
8. baggy longsleeve tunic
9. cap
10. another longsleeve tunic
11. another longsleeve tunic
12. longsleeve sweater with an oriental motif
13. baggy longsleeve pullover
Only a couple of the designs have buttons, most are pullovers or are meant to hang open. I think these sweaters could probably be done by beginning crocheters, because they are not terribly elaborate or fussy. The pictures & illustrations are in color.
The back matter includes how to do the stitches used to make the sweaters, guide to abbreviations, profiles of the designers, and other etc.
Great first book from Crochet Guild of America.......2003-05-05
This book is in the newer vein of crochet books - cool, easy to make wearables that do't look like you flung an afghan on your back. Yes, that is a style, but not one everybody would like to emulate.
This book is terrific - the patterns are lear and concise. When a stitch is referenced, the page that explains how to do the stitch is given. The book is a way of advertising Crochet Guild of America's new yarn line, _BUT_ they also give the description of the yarn and offer other suggestions of brands to use. There is also photos of the featured yarn in the back just in case you have yarn in your stash and you are not sure if it is suitable for the project you picked.
I especially liked the section on the crochet hooks. This isn't "oh, here's a size H hook, this shows you various hooks, old as well as new. And there is a conversion chart giving you the European sizes that correspond to the American sizes, a handy reference in and of itself.
There's also information on joining the Crochet Guild of America*, which does its best to promote the art of crochet. The benefits and costs are explained completely.
I recommend this book highly for all crocheters who would like to make memorable wearables. With the combinations of illustrations and instructions , a relatively new crocheter could still create an eye- catching sweater.
*Yes, I am a member, too - but I do not receive any special considerations or kickback for this review - just so you know where I stand on the CGOA.
Book Description
The patterns and fabrics of American knitting are an intricate, and intimate, part of the nation’s history, reflecting the styles and the interests, the concerns and the comforts that touched every homebody, every newborn and newlywed, every homesick patriot in the field. This is the history that Knitting America celebrates. The first fully detailed, full-color, comprehensive history of knitting in America from colonial times to the present, the book conveys the social and historical realities that the craft embodied as well as the emotional narrative that unfolded at the hands of the nation’s knitters. With vintage patterns and designs typical of each era, Knitting America comprises a knitted history of American society. Here are the trends and the shortages, the historical happenings and the social movements, the advertising and economic developments that affected knitting and style. Also included are twelve historic knitting patterns for today’s knitters.
Beautifully illustrated with vintage pattern booklets, posters, postcards, black-and-white historical photographs, and contemporary color photographs of knitted pieces in private collections and in museums, this book is a treasure of history and craft, an exquisite view of America through the handiwork of its knitters.
Customer Reviews:
OUTSTANDING SURPRISE!!.......2007-10-05
I bought "Knitting America" after reading a brief description of the book. Thinking that this would be "interesting" I ordered it. It arrived yesterday and the minute I opened the box I was struck by the weight and size of the book. I instantly knew this was not just "another book on knitting". THEN I opened the book!!!
This book is RICH in history with stories, illustrations and vintage patterns. The details held in this book exceeds anything I could have imagined. I have read the first half of this book and I am finding that the outstanding writing literally takes you back in time. In today's world where we live such a considerable easy, soft life then to be taken back and live the colonial and pioneer days on these pages and imagine how exhausting and trying the men and women of that era had it. The strength and stamina being able to knit for family and friends for the need of warmth and the giving selflessly of their time. Bartering their knitted wares for food and supplies after knitting what the family would need to get them through winter.
The story of the elderly knitter that knitted over 300 pairs of socks for soldiers during the Civil War.....
This book will warm your heart, give you a sense of intense pride in the knitters before you who through their stories and craft give you a stronger tie to your own family heritage. The stories on these pages will surely feed your soul.
You will not just be happy in having this book as part of your collection, you'll TREASURE it.
Awesome knitting book!!.......2007-10-04
I just received my copy of KNITTING AMERICA today. I can't wait to read it from cover to cover, uninterrupted. The author has created a piece that is of the caliber of an artful coffee table book or collectable. She's included hundreds of historic pictures of women, men and children knitting with interesting details throughout. I'm fortunate to have seen the author's black and white hard copy around the time the book went to print. It was stunning then and is much more so bound and in color.
This book would make an excellent Christmas or Hanukkah gift for any knitter.
Average customer rating:
|
America's Knitting Book
Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FENCB0 |
Product Description
Here is the knitting book for everyone...
Product Description
6 patriotic afghan designs.
Book Description
Embellishment is a basic human desire. Why was it banished from modern architecture? Architectural Ornament reveals the fascinating interplay of art, society, politics, and commerce from antiquity through modernism and explains ornament's near demise and recent revival. It is a stunningly documented argument against artistic chauvinism and a lively survey of modern architecture.
Customer Reviews:
Provocative & sensible.......2002-10-05
The first reviewer has snippily dismissed Brolin as "delusional," apparently assuming that a one-sentence, ad-hominem swipe qualifies as an intellectually honest review. I'd love that reviewer to return to his or her pulpit and cite us chapter & verse. Maybe then we'd all have a chance to see just who is being delusional here. I confess that I haven't yet read Brolin's book, but I have just read a meaty excerpt from it, published in the magazine "Old-House Interiors" (Nov. 2002 issue). I found Brolin highly informed and wonderfully articulate, and I thought he made terrific sense. So, apparently, did the magazine's editor, who chose the excerpt for her lead article. And so, surely, did the tough-minded editorial staff at W.W. Norton, who published the book in 2002.
Misguided Delusional Writer.......2002-08-02
For any educated thinker who may be contemplating the buying of this book; DON'T waste your money or your time.
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Crocheting
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Herrschner's Blue-Ribbon Afghans (Crochet Treasury)
Donna Kooler's Crocheted Afghans
Afghans for All Seasons (Crochet Treasury Series)
Crochet With Heart Best-Loved Afghans (Crochet Treasury)
Join-As-You-Go Afghans
