Scottish Knits: Colorwork & Cables with a Twist

It's a good book to get. I liked at least two patterns that I would love to knit, several more are interesting. I good value for the money. Straight-forward instructions, too.

I just received this lovely book, and haven't knit anything as yet...but I know it won't be long before my first project!There are 24 patterns in this book, in colourwork, texture, cables and lace. With the exception of a single jacket with lace trim, the colourwork designs are definitely not subdued, but are shot through with wonderfully unexpected colour, as well as pattern, combinations. And to tease the eye further, throughout the book are scattered many stunning photographs of the varied scenery in and around Scotland.Colourwork:..a cushion..a knee rug which can be enlarged to become a bed cover..a pair of socks..3 pair of mittens..a houndstooth hat..2 scarves..a bag..a jacketColourwork and lace:..a lovely jacket with lace edgingTexture:..a beautiful textured stole which is very elegant in its simplicity..7 sweaters and jackets (pullover and cardigan)in colourwork, cables and/or lace..a textured throw or bed coverCables:..a cardigan..a poncho..a tunicDon't be put off by the fact that the patterns are designed around the beautiful Rowan yarns, mostly tweeds, because there is absolutely no reason why a knitter could not substitute similar weight yarns.My one complaint about this book, and it is a big one, is that while there is a chart for the textured bed throw, as well as charts for all of the colourwork, there are no charts for the other cabled, nor lace, projects. In one project alone, a tunic, there are five cabled panels, and the written instructions are located on three different pages ~ now this means that the knitter will have to flip back and forth through each of these pages just to knit one row, and that is plain ridiculous.Okay, I can spend the time to chart the projects I really want to knit, but why could not the editors have included charts for all of the projects, and make the book more user-friendly? Because of this serious flaw, I can only give this book 4 stars, while the designs are definitely worth a 5.All in all, it is definitely worth every penny, and I'm glad to have it in my library.

I am keeping this book for 3 reasons: the Mackintosh Rose chart, the Thistle chart, and the Tay Tarten color story. The first two would serve better as needlepoint or cross-stitch patterns due to the awkward distribution of 3-color stranding and the third item is an excellent example of the poor quality of the knit examples in this book. I hate to slam on test knitters, especially in a book of harder knits like this one, because I think it is usually the result of design decisions and production problems with the publisher, but . . . the sleeve cap on Tay Tarten is a hot mess, the back of the Mackintosh cardigan looks like they put it through a wringer, and could they not clip in those mitts so they at least looked like they fit an arm instead of a leg? I feel strongly that these problems are the direct result of design decisions and not the knitters' fault.Highlights:Do you like making swatches? boy do I have some blankets you will like! You make 40 swatches and then sew them together! Yay, you will look like you have no imagination!That leaf garland sweater from the cover: did you know that there are random, kind of ugly argyle stripes on it? No, because the model is cleverly hiding them with her hair and her awkwardly placed arms! Not an accident!NOT all the color work has charts. The houndstooth accessories have no chart even though they stretched that out for three whole projects. In three separate projects they couldn't find the space for an itty chart. Not to worry, there is: a half-page of tree, a quarter-page of flower, and they have a full-page, full length back view of a hat and mittens on a person in a wood, but not a back or side view of a cabled cardigan later! None of the cabling has charts.The fair isle cardigan on the cover is a strange beast. It almost echoes the bold harsh colors of early f.i. (which can have a charming effect) but the pattern is too broken up by odd color choices and pattern to a point that registers as ugly speckles. This was one of my big disappointments. I looked at this book on different monitors and the sweater looked subtle and nice, but when I got the book the colors were awful. At least the sleeve cap is tidy.Scottish Knits is a classic example of "hard" hand knits that are not shown to be worth the trouble. And certainly the production of the samples and the book proves that they don't think knitters are worthy of excellent directions and well-executed charts, photos, and examples. If I'm going to knit the hard way, the backwards way, the poorly engineered way, the results better be drop-dead breath-taking. This book is far from that ideal.

If you're a fan of Scottish Cables, this is the book for you. It is filled with wonderful patterns, useful information, resources, and beautiful patterns. There are mittens, cables, pull-overs, mittens without fingers, Argyll Sweaters, Shetland Cushions, knee rugs and throws. There are ponchos, a lovely tea jacket, a Caithness Bag with matching Caithness socks. There is a Ross Cardiga, in a lovely choice of colors and the photography is all spectacular. I want to jump in and never come out. The Portree Sweater is my favorite pattern in the book, hued with reds, greens, beiges, blacks and logans. The balancing page is a photograph is isa wonderful waterfall in the fall colorways. A tweed hat, mittens all go together. I also love the Fyfe Cardigan. It is aran and in a deep luscious red.The Orknew Throw already has me me sleep dreaming. It is "created from large alternating rectangular patches of a geometric textured pattern and seed stitch. The throw is designed to be reversible, as the rasied seams create an interesting texture of their own.The patterns are designed by Martin Storey and the book is published by Interpress, one of their most beautiful publications. I can't wait to get started on the patterns so here I go! And please, let there be time!!!!!!

I received the book in almost perfect condition. It is full of beautiful patterns and I am looking forward to making some of the easier ones!

This pattern book is going to given to my mother as it is more for her generation than mine. I must say like others I saw a few photos of the knits in Rowan Magazine and thought it was a good book to invest in, I was disappointed. There's no way I am going to invest time and effort for such uninspiring knits.

Lovely book, great ideas and patterns

Very nice patterns

Good patterns, got this knitting book for my mum and she really likes it :)