Book Review: Only Yoking

Yoked sweaters are a great entry-level sweater for knitters learning to work garments in the round. Because they are worked from the top down, you’re starting with the smallest (and most fun!) part, and you can try on your sweater as you go to make sure all the pieces are just the size and length you want.

And circular yokes are a lot of fun to knit because they usually are covered with colorwork or textured stitches that make the sweater interesting.

Olga Putano, a knitwear designer originally from Ukraine, designed three basic sweater bodies worked in superfine, DK and worsted weight yarn, and four yokes each that work within that basic pattern, to make up her book Only Yoking.

Each pattern has 10 sizes available, ranging from a 32 inch to a 68 inch chest measurement. In each section there’s an overview of the yokes along with the yarn information needed to make that particular version and the charts for that design. The section ends with the general sweater pattern, so you can work from those instructions and flip back to the chart you need when you get to that section.

My favorite patterns are Sienna, a worsted weight pattern with a sort of leaf design on the yoke; Audrie, a two-color sweater with a tulip-like, floral motif using DK weight yarn; and Mila, pictured on the cover, which the designer says was inspired by stained glass windows and has a pretty, painterly look. This one is a little trickier because you have to work with three colors in a round, but it’s well worth it for the pretty result.

The projects aren’t all shown on Ravelry or the publisher’s website, though you can see a few there. This quick flip through gives you an idea of what the sweaters look like.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EzY3HiFx28?si=yO8HIW20JWgWfrWI]

In addition to the patterns, the book includes information on how to work cables for the textured yoke patterns that use them, as well as an overview of basic knitting skills.

Only Yoking is a fun and colorful book that’s great for knitters getting into sweater knitting with colorwork or cables, or for those with a few patterns under their belt who want to try something new. The patterns give you a lot of encouragement to make it your own and the tools you need to stitch a sweater just the way you want it.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 12 patterns. Published 2023 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

I happen to live in the Northern Hemisphere, but I know we have a lot of Southern Hemisphere friends, too, who are heading into the cooler months as we are warming up. Whichever one of the seasons you’re in, you might want to stitch up this sweet little hood.

This pattern by saskie&co is called snug hood and it uses two colors of yarn to make a close-fitting pixie style hood (almost a balaclava but it doesn’t cover your face, though there is a neck covering portion to keep you a little warmer). You can use the fingering weight wool and mohair held together that are called for in the pattern, or use a single strand of DK weight yarn.

The neck portion and the edging around the face are worked in ribbing in a single color, while the body of the hat includes an allover colorwork flower pattern. The project is worked both flat and in the round and there is colorwork that is knit flat, which means you’ll have to purl in colorwork (which some people don’t like; also, you can’t see what you’re doing as well on the back of the work).

The pattern comes in one size and the colorwork is charted. Testers noted this is a quick and easy project and a great way to learn some new skills (chart reading, working stranded colorwork flat) if you’ve never tried those things before. They noted the hood is cute, comfortable and warm, and a few said it didn’t take as much yarn as the pattern suggests, so bear that in mind if you’re trying to use stash.

Speaking of the pattern notes, check out all the cute color variations in the projects on Ravelry. From pink and red to blue and white to gray and cream, there are lots of great options to think about.

You can buy this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: saskie&co]

Next Pattern:

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