Book Review: Knit Wild

Some knitting projects are meant to be worn and enjoyed at home, while others are designed for keeping us warm and comfortable in the great outdoors. Knit Wild by Anna-Sofia Vintersol includes 21 sweater patterns made for outdoor exploration, with colorwork motifs that speak to outdoor adventures.

The book opens by talking about the different kinds of wool yarns that are best for keeping you warm outdoors, then dives into the patterns. They are all given in nine sizes but the actual measurements of the sweaters vary depending on the ease built into the design. They are meant to be suitable for both men and women.

The patterns themselves don’t include a lot of details because these sweaters are boxy and worked mostly in stockinette stitch. They indicate how much knitting you should do before working particular charts, which assumes that your row/round gauge is the same as suggested in the pattern, which isn’t always the case (knitters would do well to monitor their row gauge and determine how long each chart will take in their own gauge and adjust as needed).

There are lots on animal motifs in the patterns, including dogs, foxes, bears, turtles and orcas. One pattern, Kitulo, features allover colorwork in a mix and match style of motifs that include birds, alpaca, hearts, crosses and many other options. Check out all the patterns on Ravelry.

Several of the sweaters are shown in varying sizes and colorways so you can see how changing the colors changes the look. There are also sometimes different neckline options, and some patterns give you the option of working pieces flat or in the round with steeks (how to deal with steeks is described in words but there are no tutorials for any knitting techniques in the book).

Some knitters won’t mind this kind of hands off, go your own way approach to sweater knitting, but for those with less confidence these instructions might be intimidating. For those who are comfortable without a ton of hand-holding, these colorful designs should be fun to knit and great to wear on outdoor winter outings.

About the book: 232 pages, hardcover, 21 patterns. Published 2024 by Stackpole Books. Suggested retail price $34.95.

This free knitting pattern falls in the category of cute but maybe not essential, as well as a nice way to use some yarn left over from another project.

The Briggs St. Fruit Hammock from Mycah Knits is beginner friendly because it’s a big rectangle worked in stockinette stitch on larger needles than the yarn would usually call for (size 11 US/8 mm for DK weight/weight 3 yarn) to provide more air flow around the fruit.

The idea behind a fruit hammock like this is both that it saves you counter space since it’s meant to be mounted under a cabinet and that air flow around the fruit helps prevent moisture from getting trapped below the fruit, which should keep it fresh longer. They’re also just cute and keep your fruits or veg accessible so hopefully you will eat more of them.

This pattern also includes I-cord handles, which is how you hang the hammock, and you’ll need to be able to pick up stitches for them, but that’s the only beyond beginner skill required in this project.

It only uses about 25 grams of yarn, so this is a perfect project for using a little something left over from another project. It would also be cute with stripes, so you can use odd balls from several projects. Or make the I-cord with a contrasting color to add a bit more fun if you like.

The designer does recommend using acrylic yarn for this project because it shouldn’t stretch out of shape with use and is easy to wash should your aspirations for eating fruit outstrip your reality. But they also provide tips for testing the stretch in a yarn you want to use and adjusting the pattern to account for that.

I don’t have a space in my place for this but it is super cute and a fun way to add knitting to the home, which I’m always a fan of.

You can grab the free pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Mycah Knits]

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