Book Review: Knitting Van Gogh

If you’re a fan of the artist Vincent Van Gogh and of knitting patterns inspired by art, Knitting Van Gogh by Krista Ann is the book for you. The book includes 20 patterns inspired by artwork, as well as the pictures that inspired them and a little information about them.

Patterns are divided into two sections, apparel and decor, and include wraps, scarves, gloves, nesting baskets, a journal cover, a sunflower pillow cover and more.

For some the influence is obvious, such as the red hat inspired by the painting Head of a Woman, or the sunflower cushion inspired by Sunflowers. Sometimes it’s not as obvious, such as the Peach Tree Wrap inspired by the colors of the painting The Peach Tree, or the journal cover that pulls colors from Self-Portrait with Straw Hat.

Some of my favorites include the Wheatfield Brioche Cowl, with colors from the painting Wheatfield and brioche designs that look a bit like grass; Vincent’s Blanket, made from log cabin squares in shades of red based on the blanket in The Bedroom; and of course the Vincent doll.

Four patterns are rated the easiest skill level, with eight each at levels 2 and 3. You can see a few of the patterns on the publisher’s website (as of this writing they are not on Ravelry with photos).

The book includes a glossary and some tips for finishing at the back, as well as a key for abbreviations and a guide to the artworks featured. The book was produced in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and purchasing the book also supports the work of the museum, which is pretty cool.

This would be a fun book to knit from for an art lover, or if you just want to enjoy the hidden meaning in your projects if you knit some where the influence isn’t as obvious.

About the book: 144 pages, hardcover, 20 patterns. Published 2024 by Weldon Owen, suggested retail price $29.99.

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

Have you read?