When Martin Storey and Wendy Baker were approached to design a book of men’s patterns for Rowan, they “realized that most men prefer garments that are comfortable, and prefer colors that are not too ‘gaudy’.” Yet the knitters making these sweaters want a project full of interesting stitches rather than miles of plain stockinette stitch in brown. Storey and Baker found the middle ground in their new book Knitting for Him: 27 Classic Projects to Keep Him Warm – garments knitters are happy to undertake and ones the man in your life will be happy to wear. This volume contains have many of the “standard” garments knit for men: the argyle cardigan, the fisherman’s guernsey, the tennis sweater and the classic ribbed cardigan. But this isn’t Dick van Dyke’s argyle sweater – the silhouette is elongated and relaxed, featuring a single panel of argyle on each side of the front and a single diamond on each sleeve. Edgings are in moss stitch and, rather than the standard deep v-neck, the sweater buttons all the way up and has a small, stand-up collar.
Storey’s attention to detail is most clearly illustrated in the “Plain Guernsey.” At first glance, this appears to be a very basic stockinette sweater; however, on closer inspection the interesting construction elements become clear. The front and back are basic squares with a garter stitch edging on three sides. Shaping is provided for the armhole and neck by using traditional gussets and sleeves have ribbing at top and bottom. Knit in a luxurious blend of cashmere and wool, the result is a garment that is fun to knit and a pleasure to wear.
All the sweaters in Knitting for Him are designed to fit chest sizes 40” to 48” (102 – 122 cm) and there are projects here for ever skill level. Patterns are also included for hats, scarves, mitts and socks, ensuring the man in your life is covered head-to-toe in hand-knitting.
Read the review at Armchair Interviews.
ISBN10: 1561589926
ISBN13: 9781561589920
Trade Paperback
128 Pages
Publisher: The Taunton Press
Publication Date: September 25, 2007
tags: books book reviews knitting Martin Storey Wendy Baker
1 comment:
Hi, I was just looking at the pattern for the guernsey sweater and am completely puzzled by the k5p5 part for the top of the back and front pieces. The picture doesn't look like the pattern changes and how does this work with 146 stitches? Am I missing something? I know you wrote this a while ago but can you help?
Thanks, Karin Roscoe
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