tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post115938330644775496..comments2023-10-19T03:40:40.815-04:00Comments on Go Knit In Your Hat: No-Bull Book Review: Romantic StyleCarolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-63637023830189308342007-06-19T13:29:00.000-04:002007-06-19T13:29:00.000-04:00Thanks for the heads up - I've been keeping an eye...Thanks for the heads up - I've been keeping an eye on the local Borders for this one, but will stop now. Mainly due to the repetitive patterns. I was already down to 2/3 of the book being useless to me - knowing that some of the patterns are reprints cut it back even more...not worth the $$.<BR/>Thanks again!<BR/>-CaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-59559021981691926112007-04-22T00:59:00.000-04:002007-04-22T00:59:00.000-04:00Thanks for the review. I am so tempted to buy thi...Thanks for the review. I am so tempted to buy this book... but I think I'll hold off once again. I'd fit most of the patterns, but as you said, practicality. If only I could buy just one or two of the patterns for less...<BR/><BR/>As for Interweave, I notice that a bunch of their patterns are all over the place. I bought the Gift Ideas 2006 Mag, and was VERY disappointed to find that I already had a lot of those patterns(from older magazines or books). In addition, I've found that a lot of the contributors will submit a pattern to the magazine, then reuse it in their own books. Wenlan Chia did so in her Twinkle's Big City Knits, Scarf Style has a number of scarfs finding their way into recent magazines when they need to fill a space, etc. So, it does happen, and I think it's always a good idea to check a book out before you buy. <BR/><BR/>Thanks again tho for reminding me to not splurge on things that I won't really use. :o)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1162001996244383972006-10-27T22:19:00.000-04:002006-10-27T22:19:00.000-04:00thanks for the review; it's nice to see a book tha...thanks for the review; it's nice to see a book that isn't for beginning knitters. and maybe i can finally master crocheting.<BR/><BR/>however, the sizing is a little inconvienient, if the smallest size is a 32/34. it means getting tricky and resizing as i go it will most likely hang on my small frame. (then again, i'm from the midwest.) :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1160854672937208722006-10-14T15:37:00.000-04:002006-10-14T15:37:00.000-04:00Thanks for the review. I don't have any Rowan mag...Thanks for the review. I don't have any Rowan mags and am a small girl, so I was really thinking about getting this book. But it was good of you to point out that it really isn't all that practical.<BR/><BR/>Jen, I want to live in your world, where eating a lot makes only your boobs get bigger. That would be SWEET! I think I'd be eating Twinkies (blech!) right now, but unfortunately, seems when folks around me gain weight, it goes to more than just the titties. Curse you, titty gods!Nikkihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05458324941217103720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159544359681380482006-09-29T11:39:00.000-04:002006-09-29T11:39:00.000-04:00Ok, there are several misconceptions floating arou...Ok, there are several misconceptions floating around here that "Anonymous" needs to let go of - that Midwesterners are...what, exactly? I'm from the Midwest and I'm flattered that you'd say we look like Miss America. Two, that all Americans are fat. I'm not overweight, but I have a 36-inch bust and I usually wear a 41" finished size. Blame my Swiss and Norwegian ancestors for that bone structure. Third, that women get big on top from overeating (because honestly, a skinny woman with a 40" bust isn't going to fit these sweaters either). Apparently British women haven't learnt this trick (in his/her mind), or don't have big chests. Eat more, get well-endowed! Why are we bothering with cosmetic surgery when you can get the same result from a box of Twinkies?<BR/><BR/>Carol, THANKS for a great book review, and for saying exactly what people are really interested in - practicality, originality and fit. You rock.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01261534633129812423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159543799883542402006-09-29T11:29:00.000-04:002006-09-29T11:29:00.000-04:00Carol,I think Anon is referring to the Gift issue ...Carol,<BR/><BR/>I think Anon is referring to the Gift issue of Interweave Knits. They just posted their preview, and it's a lot of recycled patterns. It's a magazine though.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15452687167914301833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159538166283531602006-09-29T09:56:00.000-04:002006-09-29T09:56:00.000-04:00Anonymous Dude, British women aren't exactly all T...Anonymous Dude, British women aren't exactly all Twiggy either, and this tiny little expat American also says bugger off for assuming that a request for US sizing comes from snarfing fries...<BR/><BR/>Carol, I think the thing that would completely put me off buying this book is the fact that I have a copy of Rowan 37. Man, that drives me batty when publishers throw a bunch of patterns from previous publications into a book and call it new. They could have at least said it was a "best of the Rowan magazine romantics" book or something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159529142679236992006-09-29T07:25:00.000-04:002006-09-29T07:25:00.000-04:00Anonymous, Rowan makes gobs and gobs of money from...Anonymous, Rowan makes gobs and gobs of money from its "huge" "overeating" American knitters (and hey -- thanks for the ugly American stereotype! every tall woman in the US with a large frame or big tits says bugger off). This book was published in the US, by a US publisher, so I think US purchasers have every right to beef if it doesn't contain US sizing. <BR/><BR/>I've said before, one reason I write book reviews is to give people information I think they'll use. Knowing that the patterns are drawn from previous magazines may be an important reason for someone with a limited budget not to buy this book.<BR/><BR/>And I'm wondering what Interweave publication you're referring to?<BR/><BR/>P.S. I love the way all the critics are "Anonymous."Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159527190581587462006-09-29T06:53:00.000-04:002006-09-29T06:53:00.000-04:00I saw sample photos from this book earlier in the ...I saw sample photos from this book earlier in the week and since then have been trying to find out what the sizing would be like, so thank you so much for your review! I admit I fell in love with the bathrobe, but would have worn it over an evening dress rather than after a splash in the bath! <BR/><BR/>But yet again, I was going to be disappointed. Rowan seem to thaink that by having 50% of the patterns in the latest magazine in larger sizes it means they can sit back and not worry about any of their other publications. Well knickers to you, Rowan. I'll design my own fancy bathrobe!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10150551108900107972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159513169838825252006-09-29T02:59:00.000-04:002006-09-29T02:59:00.000-04:00Well, Rowan is British and British sizing is diffe...Well, Rowan is British and British sizing is different to USer sizing. USer women are, in general, huge. Why should Rowan cater to the fast food generation of the US? Designers shouldn't have to compromise their vision just because some knitters eat more than they should. Rowan isn't alone in recycling - Interweave's latest special looks to be all recycled patterns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159475071517778372006-09-28T16:24:00.000-04:002006-09-28T16:24:00.000-04:00Oh, my quibble isn't with the lack of inspiration....Oh, my quibble isn't with the lack of inspiration. It's just that I could find the same exact inspiration in several of the Rowan Magazines I already own. And I do love the fact that these are designs which are not chunky rectangles in garter stitch - they have lace, edging, shaping, etc. These designers are very talented -- I'd just like to see some new material, that goes one or two sizes larger.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159469510527741472006-09-28T14:51:00.000-04:002006-09-28T14:51:00.000-04:00I am such a sucker for a well-printed book, and no...I am such a sucker for a well-printed book, and no one does it better than Rowan and their ilk.<BR/><BR/>Aren't there at least ideas that inspire in this book, even if you couldn't make a garment as directed except for your 13 year old niece or cancer-ridden grandmother?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17367675557386034708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159464598295351332006-09-28T13:29:00.000-04:002006-09-28T13:29:00.000-04:00It's funny, I looked through this book the exact d...It's funny, I looked through this book the exact day you posted this!<BR/><BR/>The photos are gorgeous, but I agree that the designs are not practical. Under the description of the cover dress it says something to the effect of "wear it over a sexy silk slip and go out on the town!" Well, I don't know about you, but I don't really go out in public in lacy shifts over slips and pantaloons. Like you said, more appropriate for a tea party in a boudoir.<BR/><BR/>I think the range of sizes is less of an issue than the actual practicality of the designs. I mean, it says that the designs are 1930s inspired, so naturally only boyish straight figures will look good in them, regardless of actual size. The book is nice eye candy though.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15452687167914301833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159456206311283072006-09-28T11:10:00.000-04:002006-09-28T11:10:00.000-04:00Aren't there "romantic" Rowan patterns from that a...Aren't there "romantic" Rowan patterns from that are like 10 years old instead of only a few months. I know as a fairly newish knitter, I buy the Rowan books now, but would love to recycle some old things I have not seen previously.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159416007807262342006-09-28T00:00:00.000-04:002006-09-28T00:00:00.000-04:00Hey, I'm a size 10 and 38-inch bust ain't gonna cu...Hey, I'm a size 10 and 38-inch bust ain't gonna cut it! Urgh! I agree with Kathy not every pattern sizes to the extreme. However, the last I checked I was a 'medium'.<BR/><BR/>Will someone please tell Rowan it's one thing to have ideas for the runway and then expect people to *knit* them?! That bathrobe sounds as bad as the mohair prom dress. Crazy concepts are fine, but they should inspire patterns people can use.Sherry Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02103490521732524156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159410277845859782006-09-27T22:24:00.000-04:002006-09-27T22:24:00.000-04:00Oh, and cool Flickr thingie. I'm up way past my be...Oh, and cool Flickr thingie. I'm up way past my bedtime, and am finding it mesmorizing...mindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15981340071876565395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159410140586384562006-09-27T22:22:00.000-04:002006-09-27T22:22:00.000-04:00Thanks for the once-again honest review. At first ...Thanks for the once-again honest review. At first I was thinking "Wow, a pretty Rowan-like book to look at" but that quickly dwindled to "eh, I'll flip through it in the store, then come up with my own freakin' ruffly patterns."mindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15981340071876565395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159408941328276472006-09-27T22:02:00.000-04:002006-09-27T22:02:00.000-04:00I'm from the Midwest and I was a little, er, taken...I'm from the Midwest and I was a little, er, taken aback by that part of the review. But I got over it by the next sentence or so. There's a lot that is good with midwestern *style*, but contemporary/with-it/cutting edge it isn't.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the objective review. I'll stick with my Ann Budd books and design my own (midwestern, of course) sweaters. ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159405718929658162006-09-27T21:08:00.000-04:002006-09-27T21:08:00.000-04:00Carol, that past paragraph is priceless.Carol, that past paragraph is priceless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159404145608702342006-09-27T20:42:00.000-04:002006-09-27T20:42:00.000-04:00Well, I guess that begs the question as to what th...Well, I guess that begs the question as to what the "general range" is. If, as the statistics say, the average American woman wears a size 14, then 38-inch busts ain't gonna cut it in a lot of cases. In any event, I think it's important for people to know before they buy a book whether they're going to be able to wear anything from it without revision.<BR/><BR/>And I didn't mean to suggest that there's anything wrong with the midwest -- just statin', not hatin'.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07651035210994960810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159402635284102632006-09-27T20:17:00.000-04:002006-09-27T20:17:00.000-04:00Yikes, anonymous, you get offended awfully easily....Yikes, anonymous, you get offended awfully easily.<BR/>So offended you have to hide behind "anonymous"?<BR/>It's hard, I think, to take anonymous commenters seriously. <BR/><BR/>Oh, and Carol, just as I don't think every knitting book has to include a how-to-knit section, I don't think every book has to accomodate out of the general range sizes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159400585756359332006-09-27T19:43:00.000-04:002006-09-27T19:43:00.000-04:00I don't think she meant offense to Midwesterners. ...I don't think she meant offense to Midwesterners. <BR/><BR/>I'd like to thank you for your review, actually. I'm one of the countless suckers who gets drawn in a bit by pretty pictures and lovely, romantic ideas, and I'd like to be, like you, a little more level-headed about these things!<BR/><BR/>--Shana in MissouriAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18710479.post-1159398077287044422006-09-27T19:01:00.000-04:002006-09-27T19:01:00.000-04:00OK - I live in the Mid-West and I am not as young,...OK - I live in the Mid-West and I am not as young, thin, blond, or as pretty as model; but still I am offended :-(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com