Fresh Designs Series: Sweaters + Men

I wanted to take a few weeks before revisiting the two Fresh Designs Series books I have yet to review (Fresh Designs: Sweaters and Fresh Designs: Men). For those of you who missed last month's review of Fresh Designs: Scarves and Fresh Designs: Shawls, you can click here to get up to speed. There are also a lot of general notes about the book series as a whole, which I'll summarize in the following bullet points before we move on to the task at hand:

Graphics: A clean, modern aesthetic. Patterns are clearly written and laid out in a way that's easy to follow and include well-shot photos of each design. Bonus points for non-conventional models!
Stitch patterns are written out and charted when necessary. Charts are readable and easy-to-follow (only one lace design has an unavoidably small chart)
Patterns have all the information you need right there - no rifling through the book to find the symbol or abbreviation key.
Each garment has at least 4 size options, sometimes more. In general, sizing begins at Small and works up to XL or XXL.
The series features a diverse crowd of designers, including several who are up-and-coming.
There is an impressive range of indie dyers used throughout the book (and even a few commercial brands, too): The Sanguine Gryphon (now Cepahlopod Yarns and The Verdant Gryphon, of course), Yarn Love, Kangaroo Dyer, Three Irish Girls, Berocco, Rowan, Blue Sky Alpacas, and Debbie Bliss...to name a few!

Ziggy Cardigan by Pamela Wynne

Now that you have the general overview, let's get to the good stuff! Fresh Designs: Sweaters features 10 women's sweater designs - pullovers, hoodies, cardigans, and even a few camisoles to round out the mix. One of my favorites is a ballet-wrap cardigan by Alexandra Virgiel called Claire M, so named for the designer's inspiration, the work of an American fashion designer in the '30's, '40's and '50s, Claire McCardell. Other highlights include Pamela Wynne's colorwork cardigan Ziggy, the stylish Sophia Goes to Houdan jacket with twisted-stitch details, and the Lacy Summer Camisole. For those who are more into the bohemian look, Crescent and Anina are sure to become wardrobe staples. Rounding out the collection are a few more timeless pieces such as the Classic Cabled Crew, the Knots and Cables Vest, and the Everything Nice Hoody. Oh, and the Beach Vines Pullover wins the prize for best photo, hands down!

Claire M by Alexandra Virgiel

However, I was most intrigued by Fresh Designs: Men. I find it's pretty difficult to find truly great (not to mention wearable) men's designs, so whenever I see a book or collection that is dedicated to solving this problem, I take note. I was certainly impressed with the ten designs offered by the series. Truth be told, there were several that I'd like to make for myself!

Cooper Scarf
by Amy Duncan Lingo

In the accessories department, Amy Duncan's Cooper Scarf can be worn several different ways; the Brick Stitch Scarf features clever slip-stitch colorwork; the quick-knitting cabled Baume Socks use just 460 yards of worsted-weight yarn; and two textured hats round out the mix (the Abalone Cove Hat and Rhythm Maker's Hat). I could envision knitting any of these accessories for my husband, dad, or even my nephews.

Brian Cardigan
by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud

The ultimate test comes with the five sweater designs - it's so hard to find a good men's sweater pattern! Of course, the only person I'd knit a sweater for, other than myself, prefers a plain stockinette v-neck knit in my choice of black yarn - my husband is very much a "basic" kind of guy. In a perfect world, I could make Ruth Garcia Alcantud's Brian Cardigan (in black yarn, of course) for Tyler. Or perhaps myself - I love those cables!

The other design that really grabbed me was the Riga Sweater by Susi Ferguson. The entire sweater is knit in the round with a simple slipstitch stripe pattern. It's a little tough to see in the photo, but the hem and cuffs feature a Latvian braid detail. It's pretty stunning!

The Stairway Sweater is a basic garter rib crewneck that sneaks in a little bit of colorwork to keep the knitter interested. It might a bit flashy for the average guy, but with the right colors, you can probably get away with it. If you're in need of a few safer options, the Gone Fishin' sweater and the Sartor Vest are nice, classic designs that would appeal to just about any guy; knit one in their favorite color and I'm sure they'd never take it off.

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

handmade by stefanie

Search This Blog