No. 117, Sept 07

Another large format book that seems to be aimed, at least in part, at knitters' coffee tables. It might even be described as a photographer's ego trip, were the photographer not Alexis Xenakis, the editor of Knitter's magazine and a man with a lot of experience of illustrating knitting. As an American he seems simply to be revelling in the UK's architectural heritage whilst on a trip to illustrate Jane Sowerby's amazing collection of knitted lace and her research into Victorian lace knitters and designer. For me though, that is the problem with a book that I shall no doubt buy, but which I find is set out in a way that I do not immediately follow. Yes, each pattern has a schematic of the finished shape, details of the tension, the materials (in generic yarn type as well as commercial brands) and charted stitch patterns and the instructions are written out at the start. Despite this information, there is nothing that shows where each of the charts appears on the final version. I would have liked something like 'the body of this triangular shawl is worked from the point to the wide edge and the border is then added to all three sides'. I also found the habit of putting some quotes from Victorian authors in quotation marks but others indented and in an italic font (the book uses a sans serif font so that italic type does not show up very clearly) irritating. But perhaps the greatest omission in a work that contains so much research is the lack of an index to anything but the projects and the photographic locations. There is no bibliography either. However, as a visual delight, this book is at least the equal of any other knitting book that I have ever seen and it stands alone because of the historical research and enormous collection of beautifully knitted and immaculately presented knitting.

Lesley Fidler

Jan 07

A decade in the making, this elegant book harks back to the 1800s, when knitting for pleasure took wing and the first wave of knitting authors made a name for itself. Those pioneers - Misses Watts, Hope and Lambert, Mrs Gaugain - are revered and revitalized by Sowerby, who updates their gorgeous designs, along with those in the 'Weldon's Practical Knitter' volumes, to work with today's fibers and sensibilities. Shot on grand location at the English estate used in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice, as well as on the bridges of Cambridge and at stately museums, the photos byn Alexis Xenakis do complete justice to the beauty and intricacy of the lace. If you're a lace knitter, get one copy for the coffee table and another to dog-ear your way through.

Feb 08

Did you know that Queen Victoria was a keen knitter? Have you ever wanted to knit a 150-year-old pattern but now known where to start? This excellent book addresses both questions, tracing the history of how lace-making evolved from the 1830s to the 1900s and updating Victorian patterns for the modern knitter.

As part of her research on the subject, author Jane Sowerby has gathered together many original Victorian patterns, and then given them a clever modern update by adapting them for today's yarns and colours. The result is a very successful collection which includes flowing shawls and delicate scarves as well as some more unusual designs. It also caters to all skill levels, so even if you're new to lace you'll find something simple and stunning to start on.

This book is also beautiful to look at and includes many great location shots taken in and around Cambridge. The gorgeous photos show off Jane's designs against some wonderful backdrops. The stunning design of the book itself combined with the wealth of historical details and the gorgeous patterns makes this an ideal coffee table book for the keen knitter. It would also make an excellent gift for a special knitting friend - we're adding to to our wish lists!

April 08

This wonderful book has now been published in paperback and if you are a fan of lace knitting and have not yet seen it, it is a must for your bookshelf. The author has a passion for lace and the Victorian women who pioneered the first published knitting patterns. There are 40 patterns in the book for beautiful lace shawls and scarves that have been inspired or recreated from these vintage patterns. The book begins with a brief exploration of Victorian knitting books and chapters based on the patterns several nineteenth century tomes. The patterns provided are for a variety of levels from the enthusiastic first-time knitter to the experienced with simple but effective starter projects to the mind-bogglingly challenging. There are clear explanation and charts to accompany each one and there is a full technique library which covers a variety of cast-ons, stitch manoeuvres and borders. The entire book is sumptuously photographed with a fascinating chapter on Jane's researches and production of Victorian Lace Today. If you have ever been remotely tempted to try lace then this book is an excellent companion; the author describes herself as a 'normal' knitter before embarking on her research and with "curiosity and determination" has created this beautiful collection of lace shawls you see in the book.

Issue 15

This title is a must-have for knitters looking for an excellent introduction to lace knitting. It features truly beautiful and detailed photography of 40 lace knitting patterns. A real inspiration, the designs are revised from original Victorian patterns – with mistakes corrected! – and seeing the way they are presented for modern tastes and in today's delicious yarns make us want to knit them all. Each is well graded by complexity level too so you can easily gauge your project's involvement. Choose from scarves, rectangular and triangular shawls, stoles and capes. The reference section is incredibly useful too. It is a bounty of tips and tricks, and includes clear illustrative diagrams on working knitted-on borders, information on how to plan, design and calculate your own lacework project, how to read charts successfully and also handy yarn classifications and substitution ideas. The historic background notes provide a fascinating extra level of detail, and in addition Jane's revealing final pages guide us through her Victorian adventure – how she went about discovering the marvels of Victorian lace knitting and producing this delightful book.