Book Review: Texture by Erika Knight

There are a lot of different textures available to knitters through combinations of knit and purl stitches, cables, lace and more. But it seems like a lot of the time we stick to the basics: Stockinette, Garter and ribbing.

Inspired by the textures found in the repeating patterns of city buildings and the more organic designs found in the country and near the ocean, Erika Knight’s Texture: 20 Timeless Garments Exploring Knit, Yarn, and Stitch offers patterns that are often asymmetrical, oversized, choppy or designed in a way to look unfinished, worn or weathered.

These kinds of patterns are not for everyone, and I definitely found myself wondering at some of the design choices. But just because they’re not for me doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting. (You can check out all the patterns on Ravelry.)

Some of my favorites are the more straightforward ones, like Thatch, a Garter Stitch jacket; and Rutt, a striped and textured bulky tee.

If you’re looking for something adventurous and outside the ordinary, Texture has a lot of interesting options and a handful of classic pieces you’ll want to add to your wardrobe.

About the book: 192 pages, hardcover, 20 pages, published by Roost Books, retail price $27.95.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Looking for more Cable-styled knitting patterns? Check out these Cable Knit Patterns on Etsy

Next Pattern:

Using your yarn stash is important to me throughout the year, but as I start to feel the end of the year coming on I get more excited about using things I already have in the house. Maybe that’s because I don’t want to go to a store in the thick of holiday shopping times, or I like the idea of having a little space in my stash when the new year rolls around.

It’s super satisfying to use up all the little odd balls you’ve made over the year (or years), and I have several stash busting blankets I work on when it’s cold and will maybe finish someday.

If you’d like to start a stash busting project that’s perfect for using up odd balls, check out the Soukish pattern from Neisha Abdulla. This pattern is made for fingering weight/sock yarn, and it’s worked in a tube with allover color work.

This is great for a couple of reasons. You don’t really have to weave in your ends when you can hide them in a tube (this is one time you might even get by just tying a knot when you change colors!) and you can change colors whenever you run out of yarn and it will look good.

Of course the pattern is made with blocks where the designer changed colors, but you can change yours more or less often as you need to make it work for your stash. You can use blank charts to design your own color combinations, or even your own stitch patterns if you like. You can also adjust the length of the scarf as needed or turn it into a cowl based on the amount of yarn you have.

This project looks like a lot of fun and would be a great thing to have on hand to stitch up and then to wear during the cold, gloomy months.

You can get a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Neisha Abdulla]

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