Book Review: Wool Studio

I’m in the process of moving my office to another room in my house, and while I’ve been cleaning and clearing I found some long-neglected knitting books that are in need of reviewing. So hopefully this will bring back more regular book reviews over here, at least until I run out of books!

First up, Wool Studio: The knit.wear Capsule Collection. knit.wear is an Interweave publication that launched in 2011. Wool Studio is a pattern collection developed by the knit.wear editors for digital download, and the book includes the patterns from the first two pattern collections (because some people still really like printed books).

The patterns aim to be classic and modern, things you can knit now and feel good in but that won’y look dated next season. Most of the patterns are for sweaters and tops, but there’s also a cowl, a scarf and a wrap.

The projects are named after beach towns, and many of them have a laid-back, casual feel. There are more than a few oversized project (check out all the patterns on Ravelry).

Kate Gagnon Osborn shares a fun, rectangular lace tank in her Monterrey Tee, while Sarah Solomon’s Pacific Grove Tee is a simple, oversized, off-the-shoulder garment worked in a luscious blend of cashmere, silk and wool. I also like the Topanga Canyon Cardigan (OK, I guess they’re not all beaches) from Veronik Avery, with pretty Moss Stitch panels that cascade into super long fronts you can leave open or snuggle up in.

Bristol Ivy’s Hyannis Port Pullover is also fun, with a combo of short rows and colorwork that makes for shifting stripes on the back.

About the book: 144 pages, hardcover, 21 patterns. Published April 2018 by Interweave Press. Suggested retail $27.99

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

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 Yarn online? Check out Lionbrand our preferred source for purchasing yarn online.

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?