Welcome to the new year! New decade, too. Had a moment of temporary paralysis when I realized I’d be forty years old by the end of it.
Then I cast my mind back to the beginning of last decade when I was just turning 20, and thought about how much has changed since then. Thought about what a massive twerp I was at 20 and how much less twerpish I became. Things can only get better.
Back to the subject matter at hand. Sally Melville, author of Knitting Pattern Essentials has Opinions. Capitalization for emphasis. She doesn’t draft patterns that are knit in the round because she believes “the seams of the garment are its skeleton, holding it to shape.” I remember reading another knitter’s work who advised the opposite, saying that knitwear, by its very nature is stretchy and we shouldn’t design a knitting pattern and base it on the construction of a sewing pattern because the two methods are inherently different. Deborah Newton….? Maybe? Or Barbara Walker. The only downside to having a large and varied fiber reference library (other than the finite nature of square footage in a house) is that you can read something, commit the basic principles to memory, and then forget who wrote it. Melville also doesn’t think much of sweaters knit from the top down, or from side-to-side. She knows her design strengths and preferences, and sticks to them in this book.
“This is not a design book. Design is different from drafting, and this book is about the latter — the practical mechanics and support material that bring your vision to life. Design is about finding that vision — wherer to look for inspiration, how to choose yarns, what colors work together, how to envision stitch patterns in combination, and so on. I am not a teacher of design (…) but I am a teacher of drafting and technique.” This book is about developing the techniques to make a designed garment a success.
While there are a few patterns in this book at the end as practical applications, the majority of this book is about the knowledge that builds up to support the design process. The first section is on properly taking measurements and applying ease, swatching and being able to read that swatch so you know what to expect, and standard sizes. The following chapters zero-in on elements of drafting, such as shaping, hems, sleeves, necklines, etc. Although she makes it clear in the introduction not to expect a stitch dictionary or basic knitting techniques, she does touch on them in the appendix.
Looking at the patterns themselves, I’m especially drawn to the Lace-Paneled Top, which is also on the cover. It’s a flowing sleeve-less top with a sculptural lace panel in the center. I can see it in a silky yarn for a special occasion, and also in something a bit more workhorse-y for whenever.
All points considered, this is an informative, enlightening book to any adventurous knitter who wants to really understand a pattern.