Book Review: One Piece Knits

I know I’m not the only knitter who prefers a seamless project. Sure, there are great reasons to sometimes have seams in projects for structure, but a lot of the time projects are just fine worked in one piece without any seams.

That’s particularly the case when it comes to hats, mitts and bags, but even sweaters can be worked in this way, which is great, because I can’t tell you how many times I fizzle before I get through (or even to!) the finishing in a sweater that has to be seamed.

Tine Tara has a nice collection of hats, cowls, bags, sweaters and other accessories that can be worked without seams in her book One Piece Knits: 25 Seamless Patterns Knitted in the Round.

(It’s not completely true that they are all knitted in the round, by the way. The very first project is a Garter Stitch triangle shawl, which is worked flat, though a long circular needle is used to hold all the stitches.)

The book begins with a quick overview of some of the skills needed to complete the patterns and a look at different ways to knit in the round with different kinds of knitting needles. There’s also a little collection of pattern shapes (circle, square, pentagon, octagon) worked in the round, which you could use to develop your own patterns. (I have no idea why, but there’s also a basic pattern for gloves here.)

In addition to the aforementioned triangular scarf, there is a faux-mobius scarf, a small ribbed cowl, a funky cowl with I-cord tentacles, a cabled shawl, four hats, two pairs of fingerless gloves, one mitten and two pairs of fingered gloves, six sweaters and three bags. Most are worked in one piece or joined with grafting or knitting edges together. The sweaters have either two or three sizes

Skill levels aren’t given but most are suited to beginners with a few patterns under their belts to intermediate knitters. There are no really tricky stitch patterns here, but some of the projects are quite large, and the modular design of others might intimidate newer knitters.

Some of my favorites include the Mobius scarf, worked in an easy rib pattern; the openwork wrist warmers, worked in a spiral for a fun look; the tank top with square neck, with its bold ribbed body and cap sleeves, though I am extremely skeptical of garments that are not shown on people; the Long Pinwheel Cardigan, basically a circle shawl with sleeves and a shawl collar; and the two little bags, one with a square bototm and one with a circle bottom, either of which would be great as a project bag.

If you like to knit seamless projects, particularly accessories, this is a fun little book. Nothing jumps out at me as a must knit, but there are a lot of projects I’d be happy to have in my collection.

Book specifications: 78 pages, hardcover, 25 patterns. Trafalgar Square Books, published November 2015. Suggested retail price $19.99

Looking for more knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

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