Book review: Alice Starmore’s Aran Knitting

Aran Knitting, by Alice Starmore
Dover Publications, 2010 (224 pages)
ISBN 978-0486478425
$29.95 US
Buy from amazon.com    Ravelry link

This book is the long-awaited new edition of Starmore’s 1997 book of the same name, originally published by Interweave Press. Since used copies of the original edition were fetching in the hundreds of dollars, this paperbound reprint is welcome and a bargain.

There are four parts to the book – an introductory 50 pages of historical background on Aran Isle and Aran knitting; a 50-page stitch dictionary of cable patterns;  the pattern collection; and a concise but thorough guide to designing a traditional saddle-shoulder Aran sweater yourself. All the designs are available here as kits from Starmore’s Virtual Yarns.

The background on Aran Isle itself is interesting, but it’s the Aran knitting tradition that Starmore is most concerned with – she takes on the task of debunking the mythology of its origins, starting from a careful examination of Aran sweaters in museum collections. Her conclusion is that Aran sweaters are a development that can be attributed to a single knitter, who added what we think of as Aran stitch patterns to a traditional Scottish gansey. In a new preface for this edition, Starmore examines the original book’s impact and popularity of Aran patterns since its publication.

Aranmor

The dictionary of  60+ traditional Aran stitch patterns at the front of the book is presented from a design point of view – it’s nicely arranged by type, with big swatch photos, charts, and drawings demonstrating techniques needed to work the stitches. You won’t find tips for correcting mistakes or preventing problems like loose background stitches next to a cable, however.

The patterns

Let’s talk about the patterns, which are the real reason to buy this book. There are 15 designs here: 6 adult pullovers, 2 children’s pullovers, 3 ladies’ cardigans, 2 throws or wraps, and 2 hats – one for adults, one for children. Most, if not all, of the pullovers are suitable for, and sized for, men or women. There's a variety of gauges - yarn weights vary from fingering to Aran/heavy worsted. (Check the Knitfinder Starmore pattern index for details on all the patterns – just type “Aran Knitting” in the Location column search box.)

Killeany sweater & Galway hat

There’s nothing avant-garde about the structure of these sweaters. Almost all the pullovers are classic unshaped, saddle-shoulder designs worked flat in pieces and seamed. Eala Bhan is the only design with waist shaping, and only one, Boudicca’s Braid, is multicolored.

Really, the sweaters are canvases for an orgy of intricate cablework– and Starmore is masterful at this. The patterning may be bold and high-relief as in Aranmor or Na Craga, or gloriously intricate as in Irish Moss – but it’s always harmonious and well-arranged. Some of the designs have cables inspired by Celtic ornament, with its braids, knots and fretwork.

Maidenhair wrap in Virtual Yarns Hebridean 3-ply

Closed-ring cables

This Celtic cablework  is composed of closed loops, instead of traveling lines that have a beginning and ending, like traditional cable patterns. To work them, you increase several stitches suddenly in order to begin the loop, and decrease suddenly to end it. In her 1972 book Charted Knitting Designs [Ravelry link], Barbara Walker introduced this technique as “some really new ideas in cables.” She called them closed-ring cables, and invented and charted about two dozen patterns for them, including several with a distinctly Celtic look.

Two of Barbara Walker's closed-ring cable panels

Starmore calls these cables “infinite lines;” she devised her techniques for them in order to reproduce the Celtic ornament of her Gaelic heritage in several designs for The Celtic Collection (1992), like Cromarty. Three Aran Knitting designs, St. Enda, St. Brigid, and St. Ciarán, use these knotwork patterns to glorious effect.

Other designers have also worked with these loop cables. Like Starmore, Elsebeth Lavold used them to reproduce traditional graphic pattern – in her case, Viking runes and ornamental stone carving – in Viking Patterns for Knitting (1998) [Ravelry link].

Most recently, Melissa Leapman has devoted a whole book to them: Continuous Cables (2008) [Ravelry link]. Her book has an excellent how-to section, a very good pattern collection, and a stitch dictionary with almost 90 closed-ring panels, motifs and horizontal bands that you can incorporate into your own designs, all of them charted, with swatch photographs. Here are two sweaters from Leapman's book:

Cables & knots pullover

Entwined circles pullover

New and old editions compared

If you’re familiar with the 1997 edition of Aran Knitting, you will find differences. The Dover edition is revised to use Starmore’s currently available proprietary yarns, and there is new sizing for several of the patterns.  There are new photographs of many of the designs in the Virtual Yarns yarns (photos and styling are by Alice Starmore’s daughter Jade), so there is a mix of photos old and new. There is one new pattern – pre-publication publicity said there were two, but only one made it into print. (I wonder what the story is there?)

The patterns themselves have been revised to reflect the new yarns – in many cases gauges are slightly different from those in the older book. The yarns called for in the original edition are not given. Patterns with changes in the new edition are:

• Sweaters with sizes added: Aranmor, Irish Moss, St. Brigid, and Boudicca’s Braid each have one additional size added – smaller, in all cases. Na Craga has two smaller sizes added.
• Sweaters with slight gauge and size differences due to yarn change: Aranmor, Na Craga, Irish Moss, St. Enda, St. Brigid, Boudicca’s Braid.
• New design: There is one new pattern, Eala Bhan, a feminine, fitted cardigan in four sizes with elaborate cable patterning and a small shawl collar. It’s knitted in Virtual Yarns Hebridean 2-ply.

Killeany, Fulmar, Maidenhair and Sigil are unchanged. I’m not sure about the hat and throw patterns; they may have slight gauge differences as well.

One note about the yarn requirements: patterns call for so many balls and/or so many grams of the required yarn - no yardage requirements are given, and there's no list of the Alice Starmore yarns with their fiber content, put-up and yardage anywhere in the book. For that information, check the Knitfinder Starmore resources page.

Eala Bhan - new pattern for this edition

If you like to knit cablework, Aran Knitting should be on your shelf. Whatever you think of the text portions of the book – Starmore is not shy in her opinions, and you may not agree with them – the patterns are pure genius, and knitting a few of them would make you a very accomplished cable knitter.

Review: Twist & Knit

Twist & Knit, by Miriam Felton
Cooperative Press, 2010 (96 pages)
ISBN 978-0-979-20173-8
$20.00 US
Buy from mimknits.com    Ravelry link

Miriam Felton is a pioneer of independent knit design. She was one of the first to self-publish her patterns and sell them direct to knitters, way back in the days B.R. (Before Ravelry). Her lace shawls have been knitted by thousands; the Icarus shawl appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Interweave Knits, and she’s published designs in Knitty, Twist Collective, and several books as well. Her new printed pattern collection, Twist & Knit, is self-published in the same pioneering spirit.

Somewhere between a pattern brochure and a full-scale book, Twist & Knit presents 12 accessory patterns. There are seven of the shawls and stoles Miriam is most known for, plus two lace scarves, one sock design, a cowl and a pair of fingerless mitts. Just one design has been published previously (the Cleite shawl, in Twist Collective’s debut issue). There’s an emphasis on the elegant lacework Miriam is so good at, but there’s also some intricate texture patterning.

Here’s the twist that makes this collection unusual: all the patterns are designed specifically so you can use exactly as much yarn as you happen to have. This book is great for hand spinners and collectors of luxury and/or hand-dyed yarns - small pattern repeats, simple shapes, and flexible gauge possibilities mean you can easily upsize or downsize, shorten or lengthen to make the most of your yarn. Tips are included for figuring out as you go how much yarn you’re using and how much you have left. Most of these adaptable designs are shown in two versions, at different gauges and with different yarns (one commercial, one handspun).

If you were to knit all the shawls in the book, you’d get a good education in the variety of possible ways to shape a shawl. Four are triangular, but shaped in three different ways. Cleite and the Comfy shawl are worked from the center neck outward and downward. Motte is knitted sideways, and Vinca begins with a center-out square and adds wings knitted out from two sides. Lune (at left) is a graceful crescent shape with four swirling increase lines.

The lace stoles and scarves are straightforward oblongs worked from end to end. The Transverse scarf is ultra-simple; Tudor Stole and Dropleaf Wrap have intricate but not difficult lace patterning. The Colonnade scarf begins and ends with a deep sideways border.

The remaining patterns all feature texture more than lace. The Windward cowl, with pretty cable and eyelet patterning, is just the thing for a skein of Bugga! I have in stash; I could get two of them from it. Mmm, cashmere around the neck. Some angora/merino fiber that needs to be spun up would also be lovely for this design. The toe-up Porifera socks are mostly 2 x 2 ribbing, with a band of lozenge lacework around the cuff and, for a bit of whimsy, on the toe. The pattern is written for four different stitch counts – from 32 to 96 – so you can make any size you want at almost any gauge. Last but not least, the Gable mitts feature delicate twisted-stitch patterning and an unusual fingers-to-cuff construction.

Twist & Knit will keep experienced knitters happy, but I think it’s a great collection for newer knitters as well because of the focus on relatively small projects with simple construction, but  interesting stitch patterns and details. About 30 pages of useful information at the front of the book cover chart reading and blocking, and give in-depth photo tutorials for all special techniques used in the patterns. There’s also a handy wraps-per-inch chart that you can compare your yarn to; the patterns give wpi for each yarn used. Sources are listed for all the yarns and fibers as well.

The patterns themselves are well written and well laid out. Each begins with a short description of the construction – a wonderful feature – and notes on how to adapt the pattern for different gauges or yarn amounts. Materials, gauge, and finished size are listed in a sidebar so it’s easy to spot them at a glance. Most knitting books and magazines don’t allow enough space for this kind of layout, but it’s much easier on the reader.

Production values are quite professional.  Miriam  did the book design and all the photography herself – this must have been a huge, complicated project. Text and charts are clear and easy to read; photos are attractive and show the designs well, for the most part. There are no written instructions for the lace stitch patterns; you will need to work from the charts. There are also no schematics, but they’re not needed for these patterns.

You can order the book from mimknits.com for $20; with shipping, you will have paid just over $2.00 per pattern, all told – a good value. For an extra $2.00, you’ll get PDFs of all the patterns except Cleite. If you don’t want all the patterns and won’t miss the supplementary technique material, all designs (except Cleite) are available on Ravelry as individual PDF downloads or in three PDF collections. Collection #1 has the Lune, Vinca, Comfy, and Motte shawls. #2 has the four rectangular lace stoles and scarves. #3 gets you the socks, cowl, and mitts. You can buy the book at your LYS too (or have them order it for you).

Final note: there are minor errata for printed books shipped before August 4 – details here and printable PDF here. If you order the book directly from Miriam after reading this, errata will not be an issue.

Review: The Haapsalu Shawl

The Haapsalu Shawl, by Siiri Reimann and Aime Edasi (translated into English by Maret Tamjärv)
Saara Publishing House, 2009 (184 pages)
ISBN 978-9985-9925-9-3
$60.00 – $65.00  US; 19 €  in Europe

If  Nancy Bush’s Knitted Lace of Estonia made you fall in love with Estonian shawls, nupps and all, you’ll want this book for your coffee table. Like hers, this book celebrates the history and traditions of the ethereal shawls from the Estonian resort town of Haapsalu on the Baltic. It was published in Estonia with the direct input of master Haapsalu knitters working today and financial support from the Estonian government and various cultural groups. The financial support shows – it is a positively lavish, well-printed book with many color photographs. 

The Haapsalu Shawl expands on the same territory covered in Knitted Lace of Estonia (Nancy Bush served as consultant and editor for this English translation) with more historical information and more stitch patterns. Wonderful period photos are scattered through the opening chapter on the history of these shawls, knitted for the tourist trade. One page pairs a photo of today’s master knitters seated in a row with their knitting, decked out in lace hats and aprons; below them, a photo of tomorrow’s masters – half a dozen young women from Haapsalu High School with their knitting – bodes well for the future.

Unlike the Nancy Bush book, which has 14 patterns with start-to-finish instructions, The Haapsalu Shawl has no actual shawl patterns in it. Instead, a short but detailed illustrated overview of traditional construction methods gives you all the information you’ll need to knit a scarf or shawl with the stitch patterns you choose from the stitch dictionary. Briefly, the traditional designs consist of a square or rectangular center section in stockinette-stitch lace with a garter-stitch frame, and a separately knitted edging which is sewn onto the finished center section. Square shawls may have a wide lacy border between center section and edging as well.

The edging technique is interesting. Unlike the sideways-knitted lace edgings of the more familiar Shetland shawls, Haapsalu shawl edgings are cast on along what becomes the outer, scalloped edge, and knitted toward the center. This 90-degree difference in the knitting direction creates a whole different look. Traditionally, the cast-on uses two strands of yarn, which makes a bold outline for the outer edge.  Edgings are worked in two halves and joined at two of the four corners (because the tradition predates circular needles, they were not originally worked in the round). There is no mitering of corners; instead, enough stitches are cast on to ease the edging around the corners. Edgings are usually garter-stitch lace, contrasting prettily with the stockinette ground of the center section. Nancy Bush's book suggests alternative, modern ways to knit and attach these edgings.

The technique section of the book is well-written – it tells you how to calculate stitch counts for center section and edging (adding the right number of stitches for corner ease), and specifies the right cast-ons and bind-offs to use, with illustrations. Very detailed instructions are included for sewing the edging to the body of the shawl. There’s also essential information on blocking and on the traditional yarns used. An explanation of the chart symbols used and an illustrated stitch guide round out the technique chapter.

Now for the fun part. Most of the book is devoted to stitch patterns. There are 120 of them; each gets a full page to itself, with a generous, high-quality swatch photo (white wool on medium gray background) and a nice big chart. No written instructions are included. Patterns are grouped into families, interesting because it’s easy to see how small stitch variations alter the look of the swatch. Many of them are nupp-free (nupps apparently are prized as proof that a shawl is hand-knit - knitting machines can't do nupps). There aren’t too many edging patterns – only 9, arranged three to a page to finish the book.

Sprinkled throughout are 22 finished shawls, artfully photographed in full color in varied settings, many in scenic outdoor locations that make me pine for a summer holiday in Haapsalu. Some are modeled by Estonian women of all ages – the acknowledgments charmingly thank “the fair ladies who model the shawls in this book.” The knitter is always credited, welcome evidence of the respect given their work, and thanks to the book’s thoughtful layout, the stitch pattern used always appears on the facing page.

Any lace knitter who’s completed a shawl or two will be able to use this beautiful book to knit a wide variety of square shawls or rectangular stoles, no specific pattern necessary. With a bit of experience, it wouldn’t be too difficult to adapt the techniques to triangular shawls.

The Haapsalu Shawl is available in the U.S. from Schoolhouse Press and Halcyon Yarn, and in Canada from Elann and Needle Arts Book Shop, among others. You can also order it directly from Hobipunkt in Estonia; shipping doubles the cost for a single copy, but it may be worth it if you’re buying more than one. They also sell traditional yarns used by the Haapsalu knitters.

Slow Wool

Review: The Knitter's Book of Wool, by Clara Parkes

Potter Craft, 2009 (207 pages)

ISBN 978-0-307-35217-0

$30.00 US/$39.00 Canada

Amazon link     Ravelry link     Full list of patterns

I realized long ago that I am a process knitter. You know - a dozen or more WIPs at any given time, FOs a rarity. What appeals to me is the contemplation of color as I work, the rhythms of lace patterning, and above all the feel of wool, silk, mohair or linen moving through my hands. The pure tactile pleasure of knitting is the perfect antidote to the non-manual work I do all day. Softest merino to rugged lopi, I love wool in all its variety. It's no surprise that spinning is my latest enthusiasm. What could be better than handling yarn? Handling unspun fiber.

Over the years my fingers have learned to distinguish and appreciate different fibers. I know the feel of alpaca or silk now without reading labels. My hands actually get bored - one reason I have so many projects on the needles is so I can switch from the fiber my hands are tired of to something new: wool to linen, cotton to alpaca.

We can educate our eyes and palates and learn to see and taste with more discernment, and we can do the same for our sense of touch. Enter Clara Parkes' new book, The Knitter's Book of Wool. It's a celebration of sheep and wool diversity, and an appreciation of the farmers and small mills who maintain it and get it into the hands of knitters and spinners. You can read Parkes' portraits of nine farm yarns that inspired the book at her Knitter's Review website here.

The first two chapters cover wool anatomy and processing. Parkes explains wool's physical structure and qualities, including those that determine what we think of as "softness." She describes commercial sorting, cleaning, spinning and dyeing processes, and how those affect wool fibers and the resulting yarns. There's a page of useful tips for judging the quality and potential of commercial wool yarns (they involve shaking, tugging, and smelling the skein, among other things). A chapter on wool blends discusses how other fibers like silk, mohair, bison, and bamboo can enhance a wool-based yarn by adding shine, drape, halo, or strength.

The meat of the book is a 40-page encyclopedia of sheep breeds. Parkes classifies them into five broad categories based on fiber fineness, staple length, crimp, luster, suitability for next-to-skin wear, and felting qualities. Within each category are six to twelve representative breeds. Each gets a short description, accompanied by a checklist of its fiber qualities, a drawing of the sheep, and photos of a lock of fiber and (usually) finished yarn. I liked reading a mini-history of each breed, but then I was once a sheep farmer myself. (Suffolks, for meat. I didn't know until I read this book that Suffolks have nice wool.) The breed's suitability for certain spinning techniques and garment types is mentioned briefly. Spinners will love seeing the lock photos, which show crimp and luster.

The rest of the book - a little more than half - is devoted to patterns, 23 of them, by twelve designers, including Nancy Bush, Pam Allen, Cat Bordhi, and Evelyn Clark. There are two hats, three sock patterns, one for fingerless mitts and one for colorwork mittens. You'll find seven sweaters, including a lacy shell, a baby kimono, one pullover each for men and children, and two cardigans and a pullover for women. Lace wraps are well represented, with two triangular shawls, a lace scarf, and two stoles. Two colorwork patterns, a pillow cover and a tote bag, round out the selection. There's something here for every skill level. View full list of patterns

The yarns used are either widely-available commercial yarns, or farm yarns that have reasonable availability - no impossible-to-get boutique yarns. All are chosen to demonstrate the breed and processing differences Parkes describes, and she offers notes on making substitutions. The pattern photos are adequate, if not excellent; they all have a misty, low-light look that is atmospheric but doesn't always show off the designs and colors well. Patterns include charts and schematics where appropriate. Errata are listed here. (You can see a dozen of the pattern photos at KnitPicks.)

Standout patterns for me are Parkes' simple, lofty Sweet Fern fingerless mitts, Ilga Leja's Leafy Glen shell (above) in Sea Wool or MerLin, and Sivia Harding's beaded Tibetan Clouds stole. I also love Shelia January's triangular shawl (right) in Icelandic laceweight. I'd be tempted to knit it in unspun Icelandic instead, a yarn I find impossible to resist. It's a bit odd to knit with at first but wearing an unspun shawl is like wrapping yourself in a cloud.

There's a useful resource section at the back of the book with a list of all the producers mentioned, a list of wool processors and custom spinners in case you're tempted to buy a fleece, information on preventing moth damage, and a short glossary of wool terminology.

Parkes also provides a list of notable fiber festivals around the country. Have you been to one yet? They are great fun - you get to meet the sheep and their farmers, handle fleeces, processed fiber and yarn, and hang out with other fiber fanatics.

I wish there'd been more information on specific farms, but I suppose really the idea is to make your own discoveries. A great place to start seeking out farm yarns in your area is the Local Harvest website, which lists family fiber farms all over the country. (They also have an online fiber store.) If there isn't one nearby, try your local farmer's market (there are a few yarn producers at markets in my county). In summer, you'll find fiber farmers and their animals at your county fair.

The Knitter's Book of Wool  is a great excuse to try some new yarns and appreciate the different qualities they'll bring to your knitting. Amazon agrees; it's on their 100 Best Books of 2009 list. You can download two free patterns (a hat pattern from the book, and a bonus child's pullover) and read more about Clara Parkes' inspiration and goals for the book here. 

If you've read this far, welcome to the blog! I'll be posting book reviews here, along with Knitfinder news, random musings, and the occasional interview and guest post. Let me know what you think, and if you haven't yet seen the Knitfinder pattern indexes and resource pages, go take a look around.