A Time to Knit

Book excerpt: English designer Ann Kingstone has created a beautiful collection of 12 patterns themed for the seasons of the year. A wonderful variety of garments and accessories is shown to perfection in the stunning photography by Verity Britton. The designs include 3 tops and a coat which have been sized for 32-58 inch chests. A remarkable size range! Shawl lovers have 3 to choose from, while socks, gloves and slippers provide plenty to delight gift knitters. Ann is justifiably known as 'a knitter's designer', creating patterns incorporating up-to-date knitting techniques and construction methods. Thus the patterns in this book are all entirely seamless, and the sweaters and coat are knitted top-down with integrally knitted sleevecaps. As is typical for Ann's work, the collection includes extraordinary lace, cable, colourwork, icord, and feather and fan details. Though Ann's work is generally regarded as best suited to intermediate to advanced knitters, her pattern writing style is so clear that even inexperienced knitters have found themselves able to undertake new techniques following her straightforward, succinct instructions. Japanese short rows, applied icord, and one-row buttonholes are made easy with brief yet careful directions where they occur. The book also contains some musings about appropriate fibre and projects for each of the four seasons. Though Ann is an English designer, the patterns all include imperial as well as metric measurements, and American as well as English knitting terms and needle sizes. However, British spelling is used throughout, and Ann is culturally unable to call a jumper a sweater! If you can forgive her for this you will love this book.