Product Description

Knitting with Novelty Yarns Exploring Color, Texture, and Style

You've seen the dazzling colors and luxurious textures of novelty yarns spilling over the shelves of your local knitting shop. Discover how to use these glamorous fibers with chic patterns that will show you how easy it is to handle these surprisingly adaptable yarns.

Sixteen classic-to-contemporary patterns will introduce you to the stitches, gauges, and finishing methods that work best with these versatile fibers. Plus, patterns are knit up twice using a different set of yarns each time, so you can see how the yarns you choose can alter the look of your projects.

· Includes quick-to-knit wraps, plus gorgeous sweaters and jackets that are each shown in two variations--one from each designer--so you can choose your favorite look

· Make the right yarn choices with the help of a complete introduction to plant, animal, and synthetic fibers, including bouclé, eyelash, brushed, plied, and woven yarns

· Bonus--Learn this design duo's professional techniques for taking accurate measurements and tailoring patterns to achieve a custom fit for every project, every time

Knitting with Novelty Yarns will give you all the information and inspiration you need to knit with these fabulous fibers!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1290035 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

About the Author
About the Authors

LAURA MILITZER BRYANT's passion for fibers began at an early age. She went from knitting as a child to owning her own hand-dyed yarn company, Prism, which she launched in 1984 and expanded to include extensive novelty yarns and design support.

Laura's design excellence has been recognized with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Florida State Individual Artist. She has published more than 20 pattern books and has been featured in American Craft and Cast On magazines. Laura currently serves as president of the National Needlework Association.

Growing up, BARRY KLEIN spent many afternoons in his mother's retail needlework store. Once he got his hands on yarn, he was forever addicted. While earning a marketing degree in college, he worked as a sweater designer and sales agent for his mother's business, Fantacia, a founding novelty yarn company.

Barry and his mother, Myrna, started the Trendsetter Yarns company to provide the most innovative novelty yarns and patterns available. Barry has taught extensively at knitting conventions and yarn stores around the country. A past president of the National Needlework Association, he has created patterns and written articles for Vogue Knitting, Knitters, Knit 'n Style, and Cast On magazines.

Customer Reviews

One of the Best
I found this book very inspirational. The beautiful color images of the knitted pieces made from unique combinations of novelty yarns offered many ideas for my own work. Seeing both Militzer's version and Klein's version of the same pattern provokes very different design concepts as well as color use. Excellent resource, I find I go back to it regularly for inspiration.
A busy knitter.

Disappointing
I was totally prepared to love this book, but when I read it, I found it to be quite disappointing. Whilst it has two or three helpful tips for knitting with novelty yarn and a gazillion gorgeous closeups of totally luscious yarns, it doesn't begin to go anywhere near the "Exploration of Color, Texture, and Style" promised in the title. In fact, aside from a few swatches knit with novelty yarns, it doesn't explore anything at all.

Much of the information in the book has to do with correcting faults in sweaters, information that is presented more thoroughly in many other books. I was expecting something of the quality of Sally Melville's Styles (an excellent book that delves into the many uses for oddments).

This book just doesn't fulfill it's promise of being a creative exploration. It's just a pattern book with a tip or two on fit, nothing more. And quite honestly, the designs are mostly dated (unless you're on a 1980's retro kick), and some are downright ugly.

I tried to like it, but it just didn't offer me anything.

What a Great Book!
This is a wonderful and creative book. One can almost feel the yarns texture from the lovely photos. This is one of those books that inspires even if you don't think there's another sweater in you. I can't wait to open up my stash and get going on one of these beauties.