Review: Cozy Knits

Knitting has long been a textile art in use in most of the world, with different traditions, techniques and colors used in different places. The book Cozy Knits: 30 Hat, Mitten, Scarf, and Sock Patterns from Around the World (edited by Kari Cornell) aims to gather together as many of these styles as possible in little projects sure to inspire.

The book draws inspiration from knits and other objects from around the world, including the knitwear traditions of Iceland, Scandinavia and Peru; one designer’s wedding ring; Chinese characters for good luck; Maori symbols; and a barbed wire collection from a cowboy museum in Wyoming. There’s lots of colorwork and some cables and lace as well. The patterns don’t indicate skill levels but I would say more are for intermediate and beyond knitters because of the techniques used and the heavy reliance on charts.

Some of my favorite scarves include the Icelandic Yoke Scarf by Gretchen Funk, which has flared ends to mimic the decreasing size of a yoke sweater’s motifs as you work toward the neck; the European Cowl by Donna Druchunas, a big, rectangular loop featuring an Estonian-inspired leaf lace motif; and Lucy Neatby’s Pendleton Scarf, inspired by Native American blankets and stained glass.

In the hat and mitten category, I like the Icelandic Leaf Pattern Tam and Mittens from Helene Magnusson, which features colorful, traditional leaf colorwork motifs and Janel Laidman’s Japanese Sashiko Hat and Mittens, inspired by the embroidery technique of the same name and worked in classic blue and white.

For socks, I like the Uppsala Socks by Chrissy Garner, which use traditional Bohus methods including purling as a design element and Anna Zilboorg’s Poppy Socks: Turkish Socks, which have a traditional Turkish hook design commonly found on rugs and other Turkish textiles.

You can see a few of the patterns on the publisher’s website, but the book doesn’t appear to be on Ravelry.

Cozy Knits is a fun book if you like to think about how knitting has been a part of the textile tradition around the world and if you want to play with different motifs and techniques on a relatively small project. It might inspire you to delve deeper into a knitting tradition that you didn’t know much about or might not have known existed.

About the book: 192 pages, originally issued in paperback, now available as an ebook, 30 patterns, published 2021 by Voyageur Press. Suggested retail for the ebook is $24.99.

Next Pattern:

Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.

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