Now that my Amanda is finally finished, I was about to put the book, “Essentially Feminine Knits,” back on the shelf. But the problem with patterns in books is it’s easy to forget you have them. So I wanted to put a pin in a couple of them by posting them here—
TOP: Nikita is a much girlier sweater than I am typically drawn to, but I have a soft spot for cable-and-lace combos and I’m intrigued by the counterpane construction of this one.
BOTTOM: Lana is the cover sweater, more of a sweater coat, and though I think I would change all of the edging, I too would like to have that to wear with my sweatpants on a lazy Sunday someday.
There are three or four others under consideration as well, but these are the ones I have stared at the most.
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IN HOT SHOP NEWS: A lot of sold-out favorites have been restocked in the past few days (bonsai scissors, bone crochet hooks, rosewood crochet hooks, bone DPNs …) but I specifically wanted to note, because so many have asked, that I got another small batch of Knit Wit magazine in last night. Get ’em while they’re hot!
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Karen, will you be changing your mind about the paperweight???? I have some Maine ocean rocks I could bring to you to make me the paperweights……. just in case…..
I love the bottom Lana more and agree that this could be a great “wear with sweats or yoga pants” sweater. I have a LYS Owner who taught me to mix garter borders with a cable and/or lace combo body years ago.
Quick question: since this is a dress-down garment, do you choose an applicable dress down yarn? You usually choose absolutely stunning and homespun yarns – not usually commercial in nature. I’d be interested in hearing your take. Thanks. :)
I’m sorry — change my mind about the paperweight? Not sure what that means.
Re yarn for Lana, I always think everything would look better in a more rustic yarn. Dyed greys tend to look fake to me in some weird way, so I’d look for a natural grey.
I love both of these and they’ve been on my list forever! Finishing the cable sleeve vest now and hope to do Nikita soon.
Nikita is on my future to-knit list. I love the unusual construction and it looks like a fun knit. I agree that there are lots of other beautiful patterns in this book. Well worth the price.
Nikita is gorgeous – I just love her designs! She’s realeased a book called ‘Suveræn Strik’ that’s amazing but I don’t think it’s available in English yet (you can see some of the models here: http://sommerfuglen.dk/shop/suveraen-strik-15947p.html?gclid=CLupw7e3pcMCFeHVcgodZTsA3A). Though you can probably find some of the models on ravelry as well :)
That’s really funny about the plain garter cardigan. I almost included the one from Essentially in this post with a note that I’d do it without the leaf motifs. And there it is!
Hi,
Just wanted to share…I took a class with Susan B Anderson at VKLive. Before class started she pulled out her Bento Bag and did some personal knitting. I thought, ah…you shop at Fringe too!
Take care,
Barbara
She wrote a very nice blog post about her bento after she first bought it. She seems very sweet!
I’ve knitted Lana in Alpaca Baby Grande. I have to say, I love it! Yes, it is more of a sweater coat. Each year I look forward to getting it out. I too was not too keen on the button band & garter stitch collar, but knit it to pattern, now I think it’s one of the features I love most about it! I’d link to my Ravelry page, but it’s sadly out of date-one of my few New Year’s resolutions along with yoga practice. ;-)
I agree about books … it is a great idea to “pin” your favourite ! :)
Lovely choices!
You probably know already that Lene has published a new book? It’s called Kofteboken and currently only available in Norwegian. All the sweaters & cardigans are with classic Norwegian style patterns, but the cuts are adjusted to modern fashion (a bit more feminine). I have seldomly seen a book with so many beautiful pieces and understandibly Scandinavia is going nuts about the book at the moment. I was at a workshop with her a couple of days ago and she said the book might also be published in English at one point, so you truly have something to look forward to! :)
Love your Amanda and love this book! I’ve knitted Lana in Jaeger Chamonix and it is the snuggliest, cosiest cardigan ever – I have to admit that in this yarn it’s so comfy that I never leave the house in it !
Lana is high on my list of things I’d love to knit. This is a great book, for sure.
Love these both, and also many of the others in the book. Reading through, so many of the designs rely on knitting two or three strands of yarn together. I find this a bit frustrating (although I understand the effect of mixed media like a wool with a mohair like in Nikita) because it requires a greater number of skeins to purchase. I may try a few with one yarn at the given gauge (e.g., a bulky instead of three strands of dk and lace) to see if I can get a fabric I like.
Yep. You can also look for yarns that have a similar blend of fibers in order to get a similar effect. Like if she’s holding wool with mohair, look for a wool-mohair blend.
Despite enjoying the knit-along from the beginning, I’ve only just realized that Amanda is a Lena Holme Samsoe design! I have Feminine Knits, and made the Lace Tiered Skirt in a lovely yellow cotton. I wore it all summer, and with thick black tights and boots, it works for winter, too. I’m intrigued by her new book that others have mentioned. Fingers crossed for an English release soon!
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