Zippers, Rods, Loops and Lamb's Tails Explode Amidst More Traditionally Knitted Blocks

Nicky Epstein's books range from Knitted Hats back in 1996 (with Marcus Tullis) to felted projects, doll clothes, flowers (both crocheted and knitted) and of course her series of edging books. She has also published geographically-themed knitting books (Knitting on Top of the World and Knitting from Tuscany) and last year (2014)brought an intriguing book called Knitting Reimagined where whimsical shapes and details add extra punch to garment patterns.  In 2010, she published KNITTING BLOCK BY BLOCK where some of those intriguing details are introduced, and some of the sculptural details from the edging books gain another stage on which to shine.

KNITTING BLOCK BY BLOCK has a fairly simple premise: 150 different blocks can form the basis of projects ranging from the expected afghans or bags to shawls, simply constructed garments and even toys.  There are a plethora of stitch dictionaries and block-based knitting books out there; what makes Nicky Epstein's different is the deeply dimensional nature of some of the blocks she presents. This is most often accomplished by knitting embellishments (sometimes as simple as a length of i-cord or as complex as nested curving ruffles) and fastening them to a basic knitted block. She also has a number of more traditionally created blocks using intarsia, stranded knitting or textured stitch patterns.  Although she has traditionally-knitted cable blocks, the blocks with cable effects created by interweaving i-cord into stitch-defying shapes are stunning, and pretty much impossible to achieve by standard cabling methods.

If you are a comfortably prosaic knitter you will find plenty of delightful ideas without unduly challenging your skills  (the Sanquahar block for example is a deliciously stranded expansion of very traditional techniques) but if you seek an edgier knitting experience you will be enthralled by KNITTING BLOCK BY BLOCK.  Nicky Epstein's squares explode with corkscrews, dots and three-dimensional stuffed cherry blossom shapes; zippers rods, loops and lamb's tails.  A quick flip through the book had my fingers itching to pull out my scrap bag and start working some of the embellishments while a more thorough read has ideas for projects of my own based on her seminal patterns cascading through my mind.

Title: Knitting Block by Block: 50 Blocks for Sweaters, Scarves, Bags, Toys, Afghans, and More
Author: Nicky Epstein
Publication Date: 2010
Publisher: Potter House
Format: Hardcover, Paperback and Ebook
Available From: Publisher,
Price: $29.99 USD
Pages: 240
Genre: Crafts, Knitting
Details: Indexed, with basic skill tutorial.

(Blogging for Books has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.)

Elementary Hats by Leslie Gordon

Leslie Gordon's new collection of hats is charming. The collection as a whole is just shy of quirky but with a timeless fashion sense that never loses the element of fun. It is a difficult balance to create, but one well-achieved by Leslie.

The hats are sophisticated, but with touches of fun and flair.

Even the Pre-K bobble hat could be done with an edge of grown-up style through color choice, but the others are fashionable rather than precious making this a collection you can use for years to come.

Each of the hat patterns is in worsted weight yarn (Craft Yarn Council weight 4/medium), knitted in the round and bottom up. They lend themselves well to being stash busters, using at least two colors with possibilities in two of the patterns of using even very small amounts of yarn for accent.

 The styles are gender-neutral, but could be tailored with color use to either girls or boys. Each of the seven patterns has appropriate sizing for its titular grade level, but guidelines are included for sizing any of the designs up or down.

I like that Leslie has structured her ebook in a way that an individual pattern can be printed off complete with abbreviations to carry with you wherever you knit.

When I tried to pick a favorite, I found myself with a bit of a quandary. I like the possibilities of personalization hinted at with the Kindergarten ABC123 hat (just substitute a readily available chart and spell out a child's name, team name etc), but the Second Grade thinking cap would suit my own personality well with it's combination of subtle striping topped with optional triple pom-poms.

The simple weaving technique (done after completion of the rest of the hat) in the Fourth Grade leaves lots of room for color play. If you don't like your first choices, it is not difficult to change out colors until the hat is perfect for it's intended participant.

Given the knowledge of working in the round, the hat patterns are suitable for intermediate knitters but have a sprinkling of interesting techniques throughout to keep even an advanced knitter happily stitching. The skills used are the bobbles in the Pre-K hat, the First Grade and Third Grade with their simple stranded color work, the Kindergarten with its duplicate stitchery and corrugated rib, and the sophisticated Fifth Grade hat with it's disappearing cables and reverse stockinette. Beginners would be pleased with the simple and effective technique of weaving in the Fourth Grade hat and the varied stripes found in the Second Grade hat pattern.

With a price point of just under $1.30 a pattern, ELEMENTARY HATS is a bargain and a good investment in future gift knitting whether you have children or not.

Title: Elementary Hats
Author: Leslie Gordon

Publication Date: 2013

Publisher: Self

Format: Ebook

Available From: Ravelry Link, Craftsy Link

Price: $9 USD

Pages: 22

Genre: Crafts, Knitting

Seven hat patterns, includes charts

Blurb: 

"These seven hats will keep your child warm and stylish from pre-K all

the way to middle school! The designs are gender-neutral and feature

easy-to-execute techniques like simple cables, colorwork and duplicate

stitch. In the spirit of the school theme, all charts are created with

crayons, markers and highlighters!"

Leslie Gordon has published a number of patterns, many of them hats available HERE (Ravelry Link) and HERE (Craftsy link). She also published her first novel, Cheer (link to Goodreads) in August 2012 under the name Leslie A. Gordon. Her blog is More With Les