No-Bull Book Review: Knitting with the Color Guys, by Kaffe Fassett & Brandon Mably

While I was at VK Live, I picked up a couple of books simply because I couldn't help myself.  One of them was the brand-new knitting book by Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably.  Knitting with The Color Guys: Inspiration, Ideas, and Projects from the Kaffe Fassett Studio (Sixth and Spring 2012; MSRP $24.95, available for $15.80 through the link above as of the time of this writing), is a lush, gorgeous book full of, well, color.  From the endpapers featuring a knitted motif to the gorgeous photographs throughout to the projects inside, Fassett and Mably live up to their billing as "the color guys" (although shouldn't it be the "colour guys"?).  Let's take a closer look.

KWTCG is a hardback book, about 9 x 10.5 inches, with about 176 pages. From the very beginning, you know what this book is about: indeed, in his introduction, Kaffe Fassett characterizes his style as "full-on color."  The approach is intuitive, focusing on experimenting and playing with color, rather than giving the knitters a set of hard-and-fast rules. For example, Fassett urges knitters to be bold and try things, reminding them "don't judge too harshly till you have at least ten inches of knitting on those needles." To make it easier to customize projects and color combinations, Fassett notes that many of the book's motifs are done in different colorways, making it easier for a knitter to pick one that suits her taste or home decor. (A special note of commendation must be given to photographer Debbie Patterson both for the lovely photography and for including a nice shot of Mr. Fassett's well-turned leg in her portrait of him.)

Mably's introduction tells a bit more about the duo's design process.  "I was intrigued to see Kaffe using a bright palette in bold contrasts, as oposed to his more usual tone on tone palettes -- usually I am the one to reach for bolder colors and be more graphic with my design work."  Mably notes that he and Fassett design "directly on the needles from simple charts" but echoes Fassett's direction to put the work up and stand back to view it before deciding whether one likes it.  Interestingly, he reveals that the collection grew without "an ordered plan," as the pair would begin by casting on, then pin up a piece of work before deciding, based on factors like the weight of the yarn or the nature of the pattern, whether a given piece of knitting wanted to be a pillow or a scarf or a throw.

Multistripe Stole (KF)

One aspect of this book (and something that I've noticed in other Fassett books) is the inclusion of photographs showing various sources of design inspiration. Before we even get to a single pattern, we see a close-up of paintings, cushions, pottery, sources of the shape and color and texture that end up in the knitting.  It's fun to page through the book, paying special attention to things other than the knitting -- the circular weaving of a chain seat, the geometric wooden inlays of a desk, brightly colored pieces of tile in a mosaic.

Half-Circle Throw (KF)

Ah yes, there I go, getting lost in the color and pattern and texture.

Dark Dot Scarf (KF)

Let's get back to the nuts and bolts:  The heart of the book is divided into four sections:  "Soft Tones," "Singing Color," "Moody Hues" and "Rich Shades." As you can tell from the headings, each section revolves around a general color scheme.

Trapezoid Throw (KF)

"Soft Tones" is inspired by "the delicate, restrained end of the color palette," items like spring flowers, beach pebbles, all-white or all-gray outfits, weathered wood.  There are six patterns:  a striped stole, a baby blanket featuring a triangular motif, fingerless gloves with a zigzag pattern, a second stole knit in Rowan Kidsilk Haze for a "mossy" texture, a scarf with a very easy but effective dot fair isle pattern, and a checkerboard hat, fingerless gloves and legwarmer ensemble.

Checkerboard Ensemble (BM)

"Singing Color" features the vivid hues of crayons, party balloons, carnivals, fresh fruit and vegetables. Nine patterns use bold, bright color: from a zigzag throw to a shadowbox cushion and throw, a pineapple blanket, a zigzag cushion, a triangular cushion, a throw featuring a half-circle motif, a wide scarf with broken stripes and a cushion with all sorts of striped patterns and an hourglass shape in the middle.

Multistripe Cushion (KF)

"Moody Hues" emphasizes faded, stonewashed textures, "the colors of old tapestries or ethnic wraps that have seen a lot of wear." A cleverly-designed blanket featuring diagonal stripes that form blocks, dotted cushions, a blanket knit in striped blocks, a softly striping scarf, variations on the triangle cushion and zigzag cushion, a throw and cushion with trapezoidal pattern, a diagonal garter stitch scarf typify the moody, chalky hues of this section.

X-Factor Blanket (KF)

Last is "Rich Shades," obviously using deeper, darker, more dramatic shades. The red circle stole is a good example; the relatively simple shapes gain drama and depth when knit in ruby red and navy blue. A variation of the dot scarf, diagonal scarves knit in the rich hues of a color-changing yarn, a stole with accordion-style pattern, a ridged scarf, a scarf featuring the half-circle design, and scarf and legwarmers with a "wiggle" pattern use these rich shades to perfection.

Red Circle Stole (KF)

The "Useful Information" section gives some directions on color knitting techniques (like one- and two-handed stranded knitting, how to weave and twist strands, intarsia, duplicate stitch, and information on yarn categories and substitution.

The numbers are as follows:  a total of 31 patterns (although some are variations on each other, I counted each separate pattern entry in the table of contents), of which 4 are stoles; 8 are blankets or throws; 2 pair of fingerless gloves; one hat; 9 are scarves; 8 are cushion covers; plus two pairs of legwarmers.

Accordion Stole (BM)

I know that some knitters will take a quick look at the patterns in this book and say something like "The patterns are all so simple; why should I buy the book?"  But really, this book isn't about patterns per se. The patterns are on the basic side because the focus is on the color -- combinations of color, unexpected pairings, bursts of hue that can rev you up or relax you.  And an equally important part of the book is encouraging knitters to play with color; not to simply copy the combinations that Fassett and Mably have created, as fabulous as they are, but to find something that inspires you, colors that make you happy, to play with shape, to go out on a limb a little and add colors spontaneously and see what you get.

Opal Dot Scarf (KF)

Likewise, I am sure that some knitters will look at the patterns, see that they call for numerous skeins of yarn and freak out.  But I don't think that the point is necessarily to have you run out and buy every single color of every yarn used in a given pattern. Yes, if you have the money you could, and more power to you, but you could just as easily pull together a bunch of leftover balls, single skeins and other odds and ends in about the same weight or category, and use them to craft your own color combinations. Each pattern includes several paragraphs discussing how the colors interact, with suggestions for additional palettes.  Knowing, say, that a pillow requires a lighter and darker shade of the same color, plus a border color, makes it easier to play around with one's own favorites, with some assurance of getting a pleasing result.

Zigzag Fingerless Gloves (KF)

The yarns used in the book all come from Rowan, and range from Kidsilk Haze (airy baby mohair with silk), fingering weight sock yarn, dk-weight cotton, heavy worsted Summer Tweed, chunky color-shading wool, bulky-weight Big Wool and more -- just about every category of yarn is used somewhere. The patterns are for items other than sweaters -- stoles, throws, pillows, scarves, and a few pairs of fingerless gloves and a hat -- and are one size.  You'll find thorough directions if you want to duplicate the colors shown in the sample patterns, and the patterns feature charts (mostly in color) and diagrams to help with color layouts.

Trapezoid Cushion (KF)

There are all different kinds of knitting books, and I value them all. This is a book that I will turn to over and over again when I need a jolt of color, when I'm looking for inspiration, or when I need my spirits lifted by gorgeous photos of pretty things. Of course, the lovely projects packed with color will also provide many hours of knitting enjoyment, especially if one follows the Color Guys' advice to "play with these ideas in any way that occurs to you as you sit down with your own yarn stash."

No-Bull Book Review: Color by Kristin, by Kristin Nicholas

We just had a weekend full of snow, and more is forecasted for mid-week. So while everything is white outside, it is the perfect time to drown oneself inside with color. In other words, it's the perfect day to review Kristin Nicholas's new book.


Whenever I run into Kristin Nicholas, I always get a huge smile on my face. She is one of the most genuine and nicest people you'll ever find in the knitting world, and she is incredibly talented. Kristin paints, she designs embroidery as well as knitwear, illustrates, is a photographer, has a great kid and raises sheep and cats on her farm. (I suspect she's one of those people who would excel at anything she tried her hand at, whether an artistic endeavor, construction work, neurosurgery, macrame...) So when I heard Kristin had a new book out, I was all over it like a donkey on a waffle. (I regret to confess that I've been meaning to do this book review for weeks -- weeks, I tell you! -- but, sigh, you know how it goes with me.)

Color by Kristin: How to Design Your Own Beautiful Knits (Sixth & Spring 2009; MSRP $24.95, available at the time of this writing for $16.47 via the link), was released this November, and it is a feast for the eyes, teeming with color and inspiration. It's a hardback book, about 172 pages long, and (obvy, as the young kids say) full-color. One thing that I do love about the book is how very jam-packed with color it is: the end papers are photographs of swatches, there are close-ups of knitwear all over the place, there are lots of photographs of colorful yarn and nature and collages and all sorts of pretty things, many of them taken on Kristin's farm.

Cuffed Mittens & Socks

The book begins with Kristin's introduction, called "A Life in Color." In it, she describes her fascination with color, tracing her involvement with textiles beginning with sewing, progressing through studying textile design, serving as Creative Director of Classic Elite Yarns, and currently running a sheep farm in Western Massachusetts. Kristin describes how she likes to mix up colors "with wild abandon," as she puts in, adding embroidery to the stranded designs she favors.

Child's Zip-Up Cardigan

Chapter 1 is a brief introduction to Kristin's interpretation of color theory. I say "Kristen's interpretation" because I think that different people like to work with color in different ways. For example, Kristin tends not to work with white or black, even as accents, because she feels "they make things stagnant." She presents, instead, a loosely-structured color wheel (with yarn pompoms instead of swatches or chips) and explains the difference between complementary, analogous and tertiary color combinations. If you are looking for traditional color theory, this isn't the place for you; what makes Kristin's style unique is that she is guided not by strict principles but by intuition and inspiration. Her approach to color "theory" is more an attempt to give the reader a very basic understanding of the general rules, and let the reader play with color herself. Accordingly, she includes a page showing the importance of swatching, with five swatches of the same motif knit in different color combinations. I love illustrations like this, that bring home in a visually arresting way how the same motif or stitch pattern can look vastly different depending on color choice. (Swatches are also included for alternate colorways in some of the patterns, a great way for a timid knitter to envision different color combinations.) Kristin ends this chapter by urging the reader to explore color, keeping track of color combinations that appeal and working with color on a regular basis.

On-the-Go Knitter's Tote

Chapter 2 contains general instructions for two-color stranded knitting. This chapter discusses a little about the background of stranded knitting; emphasizes the importance of gauge; gives tips on how to knit with two yarns, floats, and so on; discusses working in the round, including steeking, following charts, increasing while keeping the pattern correct, and centering a pattern repeat; and ends with an explanation of working duplicate stitch. The chapter concludes with two projects allowing the knitter to practice two-stranded color knitting; the projects are simple and involve no shaping, but will enable the knitter to practice reading charts, working with two strands of yarn, and other helpful skills.

Chapter 3 is devoted to designing with stranded knitting, using charts to ease the knitter into creating her own designs. This is a brief section, intended for an adventurous knitter who wants to plunge in and experiment with her own designs and motifs.

The book then turns to Kristin's patterns, well over twenty of them. The patterns consist of a combination of items for kids, women and the home. They're presented sequentially, rather than broken down into chapters, so I've grouped them myself.

Norwegian Dreams Pullover

We'll start with women's sweaters; you'll find the Hen Party Pullover, a yoke-sweater with colorwork around hem and cuffs; and the Norwegian Dreams pullover (above), both highly-patterned and very colorful. You'll also find the wild "Over the top Shawl," featuring lots of color and pattern; and the Southwest-Style Sleeved Wrap, a kind of ruana with sleeves sewn in (the boxy shape is a great palette for color design, while the sleeves enable the garment to stay on better than a wrap would).

Southwest-Style Sleeved Wrap

Women's accessories are a great place to experiment with bright colors and wild combinations, and those with more conservative style might feel more comfortable starting with smaller objects before plunging into a full-size garment. Great starting points are the charming Bloomsbury Gauntlets, the Mad For Plaid Mittens (sized for the whole family); the Extra-Long Scarf (designed for using up yarn odds and ends); the Last-Minute Mittens and Hat combo; and a cute set of cuffed mittens with matching socks (shown near the top of this post).

Best Friends Pullovers

Using bright color combinations is a perfect way to design for kids. For babies, there is the Many Hearts Baby Afghan, consisting of blocks which are then joined so that a border can be knit on; Kristin suggests that several knitters can each knit a block and then present the blanket as a joint gift; the Child's Zip-up Cardigan (shown toward the top of this post); the Scrap-Yarn Scarf; and the charming Best Friends Pullovers, two coordinating sweaters using different designs to reflect the differing personalities of best friends. In adult and child's sizes are the Greek-antique-inspired Family of Slipper Socks; and the Mother-Daughter Mittens,

Mother-Daughter Mittens

as well as the Mad for Plaid mittens mentioned above.

Rounding out the patterns are the home dec and bags: the On-the-Go Knitter's Tote, with lining and leather handles (above); a cover for a French press; a felted laptop cozy; a cylinder-shaped bolster;

Pompom Bolster

the Marrakesh Market Pillows, a set of four pillow covers in different sizes (some of them are shown with the bolster, above); a huge ottoman cover; and a sweet teapot cozy.

Lazy Daisy Tea Pot Cozy

When it comes to yarn and gauge, all the projects are knit in Julia, the worsted-weight, wool/mohair/alpaca yarn that Kristin created and which is produced by Nashua Handknits. (You can see that Kristin designed the palette, as it is full of the vivid colors she favors.) Sizing for most of the items isn't a big deal; all the home dec-type items and many of the accessories, like the scarves, are not dependent on the knitter's size. The women's sweaters run from the smallest size of around 36-inch finished bust to the largest size of a 52-inch finished bust -- generous sizing. The child's sizes run from around a 24-inch finished chest to a 36-inch finished chest. The handgear varies; some are sized, others are one-size-fits most.

After the pattern section, there are more goodies: a series of different edgings with directions; a set of colorwork charts with repeats of different stitch numbers, which allows the knitter both to substitute different motifs into the existing patterns, and to experiment with her own designs; and instructions on a few basic skills (like Kitchener stitch) and embroidery stitches.

I really enjoyed looking through this book, and not just because I adore Kristin Nicholas as a person. Of course, I love the use of color and the way that sources of inspiration -- flowers, swatches, color combinations -- are placed throughout. I like the way that alternate color palettes and charts are provided to let the knitter riff on the designs, making them her own. I like the way that the stranded knitting projects in this book will help introduce knitters scared of super-skinny yarns to experience the pleasure of making colorful stranded projects.

But what struck me the most about the book was how unique, and uniquely American, Kristin's style is. She uses a fresh and bright color palette based in large part on the countryside of her New England farm; she takes Scandinavian-style stranded knitting and gives it her own spin, using thicker yarns and different color combinations, and adding embroidery; she is inspired by all sorts of ethnic textiles and traditions -- you can see the influence of Greek and Turkish textiles in some of her patterns, the bold color combinations are reminiscent of African and Carribean cloth, the symmetry and borders and two-color motifs of Fair Isle knitting -- and like the proverbial melting pot, she mixes them all together and creates something new and striking.

Maybe Kristin's bold color combinations aren't for you, or maybe you prefer to work with skinnier yarns or make more tailored garments, or maybe muted colors and lots of neutrals are your thing. That's great. But there is certainly something for you to take from Kristin's work no matter what you prefer to knit for yourself: her sense of adventure, her willingness to play with color to see where it takes you, the boldness of unexpected combinations, and in the most general sense, the courage to trust one's own instincts when it comes to artistic pursuits.

No-Bull Book Review: Kristin Knits, by Kristin Nicholas

It’s a real pleasure to see a new book from Kristin Nicholas. In case you've never heard of her (bwah, ha, ha), Kristin is a knitting designer and artist who lives in the hills of western Massachusetts. She has had numerous designs in all the major knitting magazines; has worked with yarn companies like Classic Elite and Nashua Handknits; has written several knitting books, including Knitting the New Classics: 60 Exquisite Sweaters from Classic Elite Yarns; and designed those colorful mugs with knitting-themed motifs that you may have seen. (They sold in a heartbeat when they were in stock at Rosie’s.) Kristin is one of those people who seems to be talented at everything she turns her hand to; she’s done wonderful work in embroidery (check out Colorful Stitchery: 65 Hot Embroidery Projects to Personalize Your Home, for example), painting, sewing and ceramics as well as knitting. When someone with her distinctive eye for color puts out a knitting book, it’s a happy day for us knit-heads.

Kristin Knits is hot off the press from Storey Publishing. It’s a lovely book, hardcover, about 208 pages, and just bursting with color. The dust jacket features a montage of close-ups from the various designs; the cover of the book itself is a motif from one of the projects; and nearly every page has some photograph or motif or even a heading that incorporates color. The pages are sturdy and the book is laid out nicely, with clear type and enough white space on the page to balance all the color. MSRP is $24.95; it hasn’t been officially released on the on-line outlets yet, although you can pre-order it for $ 16.47 by following the link above. The book was at Stitches East last weekend, and Kristen was doing some book-signing there. (She’s as charming in real life as you might imagine from her work.)

The focus of the book, as you may have already surmised, is color. In the preface, Kristen notes: “What I hope to help you learn on the pages of this book is how to combine colors in a creative way to make a piece of knitwear that is more a piece of color art than anything else.” To that end, she begins with a few pages discussing color as it relates to knitting, including some ideas for stimulating one’s own color sense. I actually wish she had written a bit more about the subject (wouldn't you love to Vulcan-mind-meld her? I would.) but it’s a good introduction and motivator to get you playing around with color and observing different uses of color in daily life.

On to the patterns. There are five pattern sections, organized by type of garment: first scarves and an afghan; then hats; then socks; next, gloves and mittens; and finally, sweaters. The pattern section is followed by about fifteen pages of how-to information aimed at helping with the particular skills required for working with color in knitting: fair isle, embellishment (including duplicate stitch, embroidery and pompoms), mitered corners, and so on. Some helpful technical information that the experienced knitter won’t need but the newer knitter might is also included in this section, such as how to sew in a zipper, how to graft, turning a sock heel and a few more. This section seems to me to strike a good compromise between avoiding thirty pages of how-to-knit instruction, while including some specific techniques that are incorporated in the book’s patterns.

The first chapter is called “Sensational Scarves and One Afghan.” Although the first four scarves are pretty basic from a structure standpoint (garter stitch knit vertically), what makes them interesting is the way Nicholas uses them as a jumping-off point for exploring color. The first pattern gives the knitter three different options for adding polka dots to the solid-colored scarf: pompoms, bobbles and embroidered dots. The second and third scarves use stripes, embroidery, stranded knitting and other embellishments to add color and the fourth has a mitered edging all the way around in contrasting colors, along with tassels and an embroidered motif. The last scarf has a colorwork motif running vertically through the center, with stripes and tassels. These scarves are definitely meant to inspire the knitter to play with color, rather than to make a cookie-cutter copy of them, and they are simple enough so that even a knitter who isn’t entirely confident selecting color can play around with comfort. (Knit the lengthways scarf in a solid color and then you can easily lay strands of contrast-color yarn across it to see what colors work for you.) The last pattern is a striking afghan in six colors, with a Navajo-inspired motif, bold stripes and a fringed edge. Interestingly, the afghan is worked in the round and cut open, with stitches raveled to create the fringe.

The second chapter is hats. Again, the structure of the hats is secondary to the colors. You’ll find stripes, contrast edging, tassels and pompoms, embroidery and stripes, lots of options to give you plenty of practice in using and enjoying color. The most challenging pattern is the Kaleidoscope cap, which includes bobble edging, a multicolored garter-stitch brim and a charted diamond motif on the crown.

It occurs to me while looking at these hats, which would be perfect for using odds and ends of leftover yarn (eating up the stash while playing with color: that’s my kind of multitasking) that they would be wonderful choices if you enjoy contributing knitted hats to any of the charity knitting projects that look for colorful headgear (Afghans for Afghans, Warm Up America, Dulaan Project, the Ship’s Project, and so on). You’d have so much fun making them, you’d whip a bunch out without even knowing it.

The remaining chapters are laid out on similar lines. The sock chapter contains “boot toppers” (tubes that are worn at the top edge of boots to add color and keep the legs warm, as well as socks (all knitted from the top-down on double-points, in a worsted-weight yarn) – all of which continue the emphasis on playing with color rather than exploring, say, texture or structure.


Likewise, the handgear in the fourth chapter (fingerless gloves, mittens and gloves) are very similar in construction and feel, differing primarily in the ways in which the color is used.


I like these Nordic-inspired mittens.

The sweater chapter contains 3 pullovers, each knit in pieces and seamed, drop shoulders, with turtlenecks, but which use various motifs and embellishment (one of which is shown near the top of the review). There’s also a yoked turtleneck knit in the round from the neck down, and last, a wild cardigan with tons of colorwork and patterning.

To sum up, we’ve got 27 patterns, mostly for women (although some would work as unisex patterns with other color choices and/or embellishment) and a few child’s patterns, broken down as follows:

• 5 scarves


• 1 afghan


• 5 hats


• 1 pair of "boot toppers"


• 5 pair of socks


• 3 pair of mittens


• 1 pair of fingerless gloves


• 1 pair of gloves


• 4 pullovers and


• 1 cardigan
  

Color charts are included for the patterning where appropriate, and there are some schematics, although schematics are not included for every project. (I suspect this is because some of the projects are very similar to each other in structure, making them seem duplicative.) Sizing is one-size-fits-all for the scarves, boot toppers and afghan; small/medium/large for the hats and socks; what is essentially XS/S/M/L for the hats (small would fit a child, while the large would fit an average man’s head). The sweaters generally come in four sizes, with the smallest ranging from around 34 to 38 inches finished chest and the largest ranging from 49 to 54 inches finished chest. The child’s sweater runs S/M/L/XL, with finished chest sizes of 26.5/28.5/30/32 inches. The patterns are written in a sort of chart style, rather than laid out all in text, which should be make them easier for newbies to follow, although they aren’t terribly complex.

As someone who is spending an increasing amount of time working with color, I really enjoyed this book. It is beautifully presented and full of bright colors, interesting embellishment and great ideas for playing with design elements. It’s not so much a book for those interested in garment construction or technique but rather a wonderful tool for developing one’s own sense of color and for overcoming any reluctance a knitter may have about her ability to work with vivid color. You could sit down with this book and some yarns from your stash pile, and end up producing half a dozen lovely, fun holiday gifts while gaining confidence and experience with colorwork. For that reason alone, it’s well worth the price.