Classic Elite Quick Knits: 100 Fabulous Patterns for Wraps, Socks, Hats, and More [Anglais] [Broché]

I used to live quite near the Classic Elite mill and it was a treat to visit with some of the wonderful designers that worked there. I'm still a fan of Classic Elite designs and yarns--and this book is one I think you SHOULD NOT PASS UP. Here is why:

1. There are LOTS of patterns. Yes. 100 of them. It would be a very hard-to-please person indeed who could not find something they absolutely want to knit from this book. I found, in two minutes, about ten things I decided I just had to knit.

2. There are all kinds of projects, from shrugs, scarves, hats, mittens, wraps. Yes, socks too. And fingerless mitts. Kids' patterns --yes, and even a few toys. Definitely something for EVERYONE.

3. These projects are mostly quick ones, which makes them great for gifts or take-along projects. But the patterns include lacy stuff (my fave) as well as textured knitting and colorwork as well as plain-Jane.

4. The projects are designated by difficulty--there are easy ones all the way up to intermediate-advanced (not so many advanced, do not worry.) Most are relatively do-able for the average knitter. Take heart.

It seems these patterns are a compilation of previous patterns from Classic Elite leaflets or other publications, from what I can glean by doing a search on the pattern names. But that's not really a problem because it's wonderful to have an anthology of patterns all in one book. There you are, looking at your (embarrassing) stash of yarn and if you grab this book, you can probably find something to knit that will be just right for those skeins you love but don't know how to use up.

What do I want to knit right away? The Button-Up Shrug. This is a lacy kind of hybrid between a cardigan and a shawl, has sleeves, but is not so difficult and time consuming to knit and fit as a true cardigan. These are great to throw over a turtleneck or blouse and a skirt.

This is a terrific book. Don't miss it.

I received my copy of Norwegian Mittens and Gloves by Annemor Sundbo today and am very excited about it. The book is filled with traditional Norwegian glove and mitten patterns along with a forward about how Ms. Sundbo came to be the owner of a "Shoddy mill with almost 1000 different mittens". She was a weaver by training and had to be trained to knit the gloves and mittens that are in this book. She found the storeroom of the mill to be a "treasure chest full of knitting traditions from ordinary life in our folk culture". She discusses why repetitions and mirror imaging are so important to Norwegian knitting as "in folk beliefs, reverse imaging and repetition are ways to imbue symbols with increased strength and divine power." Additionally, many of the patterns come from a time when most people were not literate and so the language of pictures was very important. Figures have appeared in Norwegian knitting for the past 200 years although they originated in Europe. She discusses how Norwegians are not unique for picking up other country's patterns and adapting them as their own. This was common throughout the Baltic.

She has picked patterns for this book that have appeared in magazines, leaflets, or from mittens she has found that have been darned and re-worked. There is a very educational section on Basic Techniques. It covers the anatomy of mittens and gloves, cuffs, ribbings for cuffs, pattern knitting, thumb gussets, and shaping mittens and gloves. She also discusses how to design gloves unique to fit your own hands.

The patterns in this book are what we traditionally think of when someone says 'Norwegian' mittens or gloves. There are no fancy nuanced and contemporary patterns. These patterns comprise true folk art and are the real stuff of Norwegian lore. The pictures are in color and the patterns are clear and easy to read. Some struck me more than others. I loved the 'Mittens with a Red Thread', all brown and white except for two red lines in the cuff. Even though I'm not a fan of bugs, I loved the "Spider Mittens', blue and white with a spider-like pattern on one side. The "Olive MIttens" are lovely. The "olive branch or twig conveys messages about benedictions and peace". These mittens have olives on one side and a repetitive, small pattern on the reverse side (as do most of the mittens). As a dog lover, I was attracted to the "Flornes Dog" mittens in black and white with a big dog on the back and snow flakes on the thumb. The "Starfish" mittens may be my favorite. They are knit in rose and white. The "Star pattern on these mittens are often found on Norwegian Fana sweaters."

There are many more mitten than glove patterns in the book. The book ends with a section called "One Mitten is a Pattern Treasure Trove" and this section is "for anyone who wants to follow their own imagination and creativity." This is a wonderful resource for those of us who want to learn about the Norwegian knitting heritage and who would like to incorporate Norwegian mitten and glove knitting into our repertoire.

As in all my knitting reviews, I asked myself three questions:

Will I knit the patterns from this book?

Are the patterns clear and easy to read?

Will the book be a good resource?

The answer is a resounding 'YES'.

Recently I was able to acquire a review copy of one of Classic Elite's new book, Quick Knits.

Let me start by saying, I love Classic Elite, I love their patterns & yarn, & I love the fact that they are out of Lowell, MA, which is a couple of hours away from me & is the classic, New England, fiber town. The book has several catagories, such as hats, gloves, mittens, & socks. Most are very basic patterns, like the striped hat or the garter stitch hat, but there are also pretty patterns such as the Child's Fair Isle hat, using Wool Bam Boo. There's a very beautiful crochet hat (called Crochet Hat; you'd think they'd come up with a name a little nicer). The knitted patterns all are charted, though the crochet patterns are not, and most of the patterns I'd rate at easy/beginner level. There's a ton of lace hats that I really want to knit up, & a beautiful fair isle hat I'd love to make called Fresco Beaumont. I'm not a fan of cabled work, but there are several very nice cabled hats in the mix.

There's a cute fair isle mitten pattern called Fluffy Mitts that I think would make for an excellent scrap project, as would the Veritas Fair Isle Mitts, a pair of fingerless gloves in two sizes. The book also includes 8 patterns for socks, all of them very nice but nothing that screamed "knit me".

My favorite section should be no surprise to anyone who reads this blog or is friends with me on ravelry: the scarves, shawls, capelet & cowl section. There's a good mix here, from the super cute "Little Leaf Scarf" to great looking but still functional shawls.

My only negative is I wish there were more crochet patterns in the book, but for knitters, this book is worth adding to your library.