Review: Magical Shetland Lace Shawls to Knit

Sometimes books fall through the cracks for me a little bit and it takes me longer than it should to review them. I might lose the book somewhere in my office (happens more than I’d like to admit) or I may hesitate because it’s about a style of knitting that I don’t do myself.

That’s probably why it’s taken me so long to get to Magical Shetland Lace Shawls to Knit by Elizabeth Lovick. I’m not into big lace knitting projects, though I can definitely see the appeal for people who are.

And if you are, you’ll probably want to check out this book.

In includes a look at the history of Shetland knitting and is great for knitters without a lot of intricate lace experience because it includes five “apprentice” projects, mini shawls that help you learn the basic shapes and techniques before you tackle a full-sized shawl.

The 15 other patterns are ranked on a skill level of one to three and there are five of each, so you have some choices right away no matter what level you are on. Most of the projects (see them all on Ravelry) are large shawls, but there are also some baby things, a couple of smaller shawls and a scarf.

There’s also a section on core techniques covering tools, yarn, chart reading, keeping your place, adding in yarn, adding borders, fixing mistakes and dressing (aka blocking) your project.

There are also a lot of examples for different ways to wear a shawl, which is helpful.

If you’re into the classic look of Shetland lace projects, you’ll want to give this book a peek. If you’ve knit something from it or have it on your shelf, I’d love to know what you think.

About the book: 144 pages, paperback, 15 patterns. Published September 2105, St. Martin’s Griffin. Suggested retail $24.99.

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I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks.

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks.

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more.

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel.

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options.

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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