Julie Turjoman

With a foreword from Jessica, one of the co-owners of the "facebook for knitters" site ravelry.com, I jumped at the chance to get a copy of this book to review from netgalley.com. While the galley was very rough (there were notes back & forth in between the actual text, and I had a few dozen pages of garbage to skip through), the true light of the book shown through. Different designers shared a project, something that was suggestive of the designer's usual style.

The book comes with 26 patterns, divided up into different sections that's the usual for knitting books. There's a good variety of projects in different skill sets. Each one starts with a little biography about the designer & their blogging history/background, before one dives into the pattern. There were a couple of projects that caught my eye especially, including "Working all the Angles" blanket & the Lubov Scarf.… (mais)

Brave New Knits: 26 projects and personalities from the knitting blogosphere by Julie Turjoman is the book to read if you need knitting inspiration. Each chapter introduces a knit designer, who is also a knitting blogger, and one design they created. The interviews with the designers let the reader feel as if they too were sitting in the room enjoying a conversation about starting a knitting business. It is interesting to set the book aside and go to Julie Turjoman's Ravelry.com to see what the artist is doing now and follow that with a look at the designer's blogsite.… (mais)

Whether you're a beginning knitter or have been at it for years, Brave New Knits has plenty of projects that are both fun and beautiful.

I think one of the main features of this collection is the number of projects that can be completed by beginners. So many knitting books are filled with advanced technical jargon and even more advanced techniques, which puts off new and would-be knitters. Often, projects fit for beginners are boring, unstylish, and generally unappealing (how many hats and scarves can one person make?). This could not be further from the truth here.

While you won't find a bad piece in the bunch, some shine more brightly than others. The Global Cable Coat is one of the most fantastic pieces I've seen in a long time, and is definitely next on my project list. The Milk Maiden top is also stunning, as is the Seaweed Tank, Origami Shrug, Foxgloves, and Krookus. With so many standout pieces, it's pretty challenging to pick favorites.

Whether you're a knitter yourself, wanting to learn the craft, or looking for a special gift for the knitter in your life, you must pick up Brave New Knits.… (mais)