Book Review – 280 Japanese Lace Stitches

Embrace the Japanese concept of ma (negative space) with these delicate lace stitches.

280 Japanese Lace Stitches is a fun and informative resource for experienced knitters. This book is filled with a wonderful variety of beautiful, openwork stitch patterns, including leaf patterns, diamonds, circles and waves—perennial favorites that can be applied to every type of project, from sweaters to blankets. With full-color photos and expert explanations of the symbols and patterns, knitters can expand their knowledge of this elegant and classic style.

11 basic projects give you a chance to try some of these patterns right away. These gentle introductions include such accessories as:

A stripe-textured shawl
A short cowl
Handwarmers with a circle pattern
A versatile winter hat
And more!

Japanese knitting guru Gayle Roehm introduces the patterns and explains the ins and outs of Japanese knitting. A handy index allows you to search for patterns by number of steps and stitches required, so you can shop from the intricacy side of the menu. A section on how to knit the symbols takes you step-by-step through the stitches used in this book.

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Knitwear designers can get inspiration from almost anything when it comes to re-creating a color scheme, an image or a texture in stitches. Sometimes the inspiration isn’t always obvious in the finished project, but sometimes it’s more literal.

That’s the way it is with the Tin Ceiling Blanket from Purl Soho. Not just because the inspiration is in the name, but if you’ve ever seen one of these old ceilings you can see that the design of the blanket is quite similar to the pattern of the tin tiles.

This is also a good example of the idea that you don’t have to use fancy stitch patterns or lots of color to make a big impact with your knits. This single-color blanket (designed by Gianna Mueller and inspired by a washcloth and towel set designed by Sandi Rosner) is made completely with knits and purls, other than slipped stitches at the beginning of rows to make neater edges.

The pattern is written out row by row, but there’s also a chart, which means this project is a great opportunity to practice reading a chart where you can check your work against the written pattern if you need to.

It comes in two sizes, a crib blanket and a throw. The yarn used in the sample is an organic cotton sold by the cone, which is a great way to get a large quantity of yarn and have fewer ends to weave in. In fact, you can knit either size of the blanket with just one cone of yarn, which isn’t inexpensive but makes you a great, sturdy, heirloom quality but still washable blanket you’ll use for years to come. (Of course you can use any sport weight yarn you like to make this blanket.)

Check out all the details and grab the free pattern from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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