Easy Knits for Beautiful Yarns: 21 Shawls, Hats, Sweaters & More Designed to Showcase Special Yarns

by Toby Roxane Barna

Overview

Drawn to a beautiful, unique yarn, but not sure what to do with it? Look no further. Gorgeous hand-dyed, variegated, self-striping, speckled, and other fun yarns abound for the knitter today, but sometimes the color variations and changes can make it difficult to find patterns that allow the yarn to shine. Oftentimes, the simpler the pattern, the more the yarn gets to take center stage. With this in mind, Toby designed all of the pieces in this book—hats, shawls, mittens, sweaters, and more—to let the yarn be the main feature. The 21 designs are written at a level for the motivated knitter who has made a scarf or two and is ready to move on to something a little more interesting and unique. Sidebars with photos and notes explain techniques that may be unfamiliar to beginners so that you can fearlessly make any piece. More experienced knitters can relax into these patterns and enjoy their showcase yarn as it slides along their needles and becomes a masterpiece of color.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811738590
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	02/01/2021
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	1,126,851
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Toby Roxane Barna is an independent knitwear designer in the Hudson Valley of upstate New York and author of Design Doubles. She studied knitwear design at the London College of Fashion, where she learned how to conceptualize, curate, and produce a collection of knitwear. Since 2012, she has published over 60 patterns in publications such as I Like Knitting and Knit Edge.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

How to Use This Book ix

A Note on Choosing Colors ix

Abbreviations x

Patterns

Technicolor Dream Cowl 1

Lilac Leg Warmers 5

Pistachio Baby Blanket 9

Kate's Moss Hat 13

Blue Jay Mitts 17

Summer Storm Shawl 21

Tutorial: Garter Tab Cast-On 24

Kaaterskill Shawl 26

A Note on Blocking 30

Abigail Shawl 31

Moonlight Hat 35

Baby Moonlight Hat 39

Hothouse Shawl 43

Tutorial: Picot Bind-Off 46

Mountain Time Mitts 48

Aquarius Cowl 52

Tutorial: Picot Cast-On 55

Garlic Clove Hat 57

Flint Corn Hat 61

Tutorial: Picking Up Stitches on Inside of Hat 64

Scrap Blanket 65

Tutorial: Picking Up Stitches along a Garter Stitch Edge 69

Psychic Rainbow Mittens 70

Treehouse Socks 73

Tutorial: Grafting 77

A Pointy Reckoning Pullover 79

Tutorial: Short Rows 84

Bluebird Cardigan 86

Enchanted Wood Cardigan 91

Tutorial: Picking Up Stitches along a Stockinette Edge 96

Acknowledgments 97

Visual Index 99

Editorial Reviews

02/15/2021

In this colorful guide, designer Barna (Design Doubles) offers 21 patterns that take the guesswork out of using rare or hand-painted yarns. Barna organizes her projects—most of them are accessory items—from easiest to most difficult, beginning with a “Technicolor Dream Cowl” and “Lilac Leg Warmers” for beginners. Intermediate projects include several shawls, while a “Bluebird Cardigan” is for experienced knitters. Along with listing the specific type of yarn she uses for each project, Barna also covers common knitting abbreviations, and illustrated step-by-step directions for more complicated stitches appear throughout. (For those times crafters find themselves stuck, Barna advises watching YouTube tutorials, as “You can pause them whenever you want and you can watch them over and over again without the teacher ever losing patience.”) Knitters of all skill levels will thank Barna for her ability to make “luxurious yarns” exciting and accessible. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly