Book Review: 60 Quick Cotton Knits

For those of us who are heading into summer, 60 Quick Cotton Knits is a super-tempting book. The book is another of those “60 Quick” books that all use Cascade yarns, in this case Ultra Pima, a cotton yarn that comes in two weights, a wide variety of colors, including some hand-painted options, and is easy to care for.

The book is heavy on summer projects like little airy shawls and scarves, tank tops and shrugs. There’s not a sweater in the collection, though there are some hats, larger shawls and cowls, as well as a couple of pairs of wrist warmers.

There are a lot of projects that use stripes and other colorwork to make the items more playful, and there are even a few that you could use some of your stash on — cotton or not — to add little pops of color.

Everyone is going to like something different in any given knitting book, but it’s likely, with 60 patterns to choose from, that you’ll find a few things you like. Check out all 60 projects on Ravelry.

A few of my favorites include Yoko Hatta’s Chevron Scarf, pictured on the cover; the funky, youthful Woven Back Tank by Nicole Feller Johnson; Wei Wilkins’ openwork Asymmetrical Shawl; the woven-look Slipped Stitch Bag from Suzanne Allen; the Color Swing Tank by Mari Lynn Patrick, a simple shape with just a hint of contrasting color on the edges; Hatta’s Slouchy Striped Hat, perfect in nautical shades; Anna Davis’ Running Chain Cowl, which uses one of my favorite simple slip stitch patterns; Patrick’s Diagonal Lace Hat, which uses a really easy stitch pattern and is worked flat; and the Drop Stitch Tank from Audrey Drysdale, where open stitches make the project light but not scandalous.

This is a great book if you live in a warm climate or a place with a serious summer, though there are some year-round projects and things that aren’t too large to knit for use only a couple months of the year. There are plenty of accessories here that would make great gifts, too.

About the book: 168 pages, paperback with interior flaps, 60 patterns (16 rated easy, 38 intermediate and 6 advanced). Published by Sterling Publishing, March 2016. Suggested retail $17.95.

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There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background.

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design.

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs.

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs.

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.

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