• Home
  • Suggest A Craft
  • DIY Newsletter

Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Card Making
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Store
  • Search

Book Review: 50 Knitted Wraps and Shawls

March 8, 2023 by Sarah White

Some people are just shawl people. They love to knit them and wear them and give them as gifts (it is a project you can make for anyone and know it will fit, after all).

If you’re one of those people who can’t get enough shawls, you’ll love 50 Knitted Wraps and Shawls by Marisa Nöldeke.

I will say from the start that I’m not that much of a shawl person. I’ve knit a few and I wear them sometimes but I don’t feel a burning need for more of them. And I felt a little overwhelmed by this book because there are just so many options.

It feels like Nöldeke tried to come up with as many different variations as she could in terms of construction, techniques, use of color, size and shape. Which is of course a great thing, because it gives the knitter lots of options. But it’s also hard to summarize a book like that because there are so many different options.

The “knitting basics” section at the beginning of the books shows a bit of what readers can expect. Where a lot of knitting books cover the basics like how to cast on and bind off, knit and purl and perform basic increases and decreases in this sort of section, this book’s basics section starts with a lesson in provisional cast on and goes on to include things like how to increase and decrease in brioche, double knitting and three different bind offs, among other things.

It’s great to have a reference for all these things but I don’t know if I’d call them basic.

After that, the book delves into the 50 patterns, with no organization in terms of construction, techniques used or skill level, which encourages you to flip through to see what you like. Patterns are rated on a scale of one to three, and by my count there are 15 rated one, 19 rated two, and 16 rated three.

About half of the patterns are shown on the original German book’s Ravelry page, which will give you some idea of the range and style of the patterns. There are stripes, cables, double knitting, mosaic, brioche, dropped stitches, lace and textured stitches. Many of the patterns are triangles of various shapes, as well as rectangles and part circles.

The project on the cover is worked in two colors of mohair yarn, with slipped stitches to form the colorwork. It’s a triangular shawl made of striped triangles.

There are a lot of really pretty shawls here, and if shawls are a genre you like to work in you will definitely find lots of fun stuff to try here. Even as a knitter who doesn’t make a lot of shawls, I’m a little tempted to relearn double knitting to make one of the two-color diamond triangular shawls found here.

About the book: 168 pages, hardcover, 50 patterns. Published 2020 by Stackpole Books. Suggested retail 29.95.

 

 

Next Pattern:

  • Everyday Wraps: Colorful Knitted Shawls
  • Book Review - Dreamy Baby Wraps
  • Book Review: Knitted Baby Blankets and Cuddle Bags
«
»

Have you read?

Felted Bag Knitting Patterns

I feel like felting is a knitting genre that deserves a resurgence. My first knitting book (which came out in 2008, eek!) was all about felting, but I don’t feel like there are a lot of felting knitting projects out there these days. I really like the technique as an easy way to make a thicker, more durable knit fabric, and it’s actually perfect for knitting bags.

The ZZ Bag from yamagara recently caught my eye and got me thinking about felted bags, and maybe remaking one of the bags that was in that book. This one has a fun zigzag pattern and is worked in worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

A lot of the other knit and felted bag patterns I could find were older, but that doesn’t make them bad patterns. I’ve always loved the booga bag from Black Sheep Bags (the pattern is on their website but the photo is broken so you can also check it out on Ravelry). This is a fun one because you can use all your leftovers or a self-striping yarn (the original was made with Noro) to give it a colorful look that’s super easy to knit. 

An envelope purse is another easy shape to knit, and this version from Lavender Hill Knits on Etsy comes in different sizes for younger girls and teens or adults. The small version is worked with one strand of worsted weight yarn, while the larger uses two held together.

The Japanese knot bag is a classic, and a felted version is a lot of fun. You can find this pattern from Cindy Pilon on Ravelry and knit one for yourself using bulky yarn. I also love her bag The Curve, which is also on Ravelry and has a fun rounded shape and contrasting handles.

And there’s also the amazing stained glass bag from Knitting Dream, which also uses a Noro yarn, but you could use wool scraps on the different fans to give it a unique look. There are two size options to choose from and it’s not as tricky as it looks.

 

Categories

baby hat Baby Patterns Beginner Book Reviews cardigan Christmas CraftGossip Giveaways Craft News and Events Free Kntting Patterns Giveaways! Hats Knitting Articles Of Interest Knitting Patterns Knitting Technique & Ideas mittens Quick scarf shawl patterns socks Sweaters

RSS More Articles

  • A Cross Stitch I Spy at the Beach
  • This Artist’s Breathtaking Embroidery Paintings Will Make You Rethink Needlework Forever
  • How Much Is Too Much Fabric?
  • Andrew Whitehead: Turning Rust into Regional Icons
  • Finding the Perfect Yarn for Shed-Free Crochet Blankets
  • Product Review: COLOP Stamps and Ink Pads
  • Scrap Fabric Sunflower Decoration
  • Monday Musings: Why I Still Can’t Sew a Perfect Buttonhole (And Why That’s Okay)
  • Felted Bag Knitting Patterns
  • Book Review: Diary of a Bee

Pick Your Blog

  • Sewing
  • Knitting
  • Quilting
  • Crochet
  • Home & Garden
  • Recycled Crafts
  • Scrapbooking
  • Card Making
  • Polymer Clay
  • Cross-Stitch
  • Edible Crafts
  • Felting
  • Glass Art
  • Indie Crafts
  • Kids Crafts
  • Jewelry Making
  • Lesson Plans
  • Needlework
  • Bath & Body
  • Party Ideas
  • Candle Making
  • DIY Weddings
  • Not Craft
  • Free Craft Projects

Copyright © 2025 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy