Book Review On Knitting New Scarves By Lynne Barr + Exeptional Scarf Patterns

As I have written a #scarfie special lately and a friend told me that she wanted to make an extraordinary scarf, I decided to write a review about this book (+ some free unusual scarf patterns).

It contains 27 patterns for more or less exeptional scarves.

You can see the scarves here:

http://www.melaniefalickbooks.com/knitting-new-scarves-gallery/knitting-new-scarves-gallery/

Or here, if you have a ravelry account and like to see costumer’s projects (especially as the scarves in this book are only shown in still-lifes, instead of on a person):

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/knitting-new-scarves/patterns

                                                                       

I would have really liked an instructional DVD, because there are only few (rather small) photos which explain what you have got to do, I am not really used to knitting and my mothertongue is not english.

Also, there is no information on how to make a scarf wider or more narrow without changing yarns and needle size. Unfortunately, many of the scarves are very narrow.

So I will only use it as an inspiration. After all, the author writes that she hopes to inspire others to play and to find ways to make new forms and discover new connections. She encourages her readers to ask „What if?“.

There are knitters who love to knit just for fun and who like the challenge of new techniques and others who are mainly interested in the result. This book is more for the first type of knitter.

Beautiful colors could really brighten those scarves up. The colors of the scarves are mostly muted earth tones and the yarns are rather smooth (no fancy yarns) so that the construction shows perfectly. There are no intricate stitch patterns and color-driven effects. She uses basic stitches and shapes them into three-dimensional shapes that twist, undulate and bubble up.

Mostly, she uses architecture as inspiration and translates geometric shapes into the soft medium of yarn.

Knitting scarves can be a good opportunity to learn new techniques (just like wristwarmers). You can try something new, see how it works and have it finished before you are bored.

Unfortunately, only a few of the designs are translatable to clothing.

I like, that she wrote a short introduction for each scarf (including her inspiration and the required skill level).

Fortunately, the patterns are not word-heavy.

But the font is extremely small, although really much blank margin is left on each page. This may be good if one wants to write a lot of notes into the book, but it can cause eyestrain.

Next time, when you look at a strangely shaped thing, think about using it in a scarf. ;)

Ps.: You can read an interview with Lynne Barr here:
http://www.melaniefalickbooks.com/q-knitting-new-scarves-auth/


And if you like the scarves in this book you might also like these free patterns by Frankie Brown:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crinkle-cut-scarf-2
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/autumn-berry-scarf
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/colour-pop-cuff
 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/linked-rings
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/round-the-twist
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ring-garland
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-folded-spiral
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/holes