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Book Review: Texture by Erika Knight

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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

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Stacking Stars Knitting Pattern

There are so many things I love about the Stacking Stars pattern from Frankie Brown.

First, it looks like a kid’s toy, which it totally could be, though the intent is to stack the stars into a Christmas tree bit of decor.

I love the rainbow gradient, which makes it all the more cheerful, and serves as a reminder that, while you can plan out your colors beautifully, you can also use your stash for your own brilliant hodgepodge of a star tree.

It includes patterns for nine different sizes of stars, from 2 inch to 6 inch, which makes the perfect pile to look like a tree. What’s more, these stars are worked in garter stitch, so it’s a pretty easy pattern, even if you’re new to knitting. And the stars are solid, so not only can you use them to make your own amazing stack of a tree, you can make more to decorate packages, use as Christmas tree ornaments, make a darling garland, or all of the above.

The pattern calls for DK weight yarn but of course you could play with the yarn weight, too, to make stars that are even larger or smaller than the ones shown. And the bigger ones are made by just working more repeats, so you could continue to work as established to make larger ones to suit all your crafty purposes if you like.

Frankie’s patterns are free on Ravelry, but they ask that people who enjoy their patterns send a donation to the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation. Through the years they have raised more that £26,000 for the charity, which helps families of kids with liver disease. You can donate to Frankie’s fundraiser here. They have tons of great holiday projects and other designs you can check out on their designer page on Ravelry.

[Photo: Frankie Brown]

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