A Treasury of Rowan Knits: 80 Patterns from Favorite Designers

Rating:
Summary: A true treasury
Review: Great collection of the designs for every taste. I found myself going crazy trying to deside which one to do first. Lamb's Pride from Brown Sheep is an excellent affordable substitute for discontinued Rowan yarn.

I thought instructions were clear and complete. I found no mistakes so far.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful assortment of designs - no fat chicks allowed
Review: I'll preface this by saying I've never been a fan of Rowan yarns or patterns - the former because they tend to be too tame and expensive for my tastes, the latter because they seem aimed at bony women. I spoke with their reps and mentioned the fact that they are excluding a large share of knitters and was told that they didn't know whether it would be thought offensive to have a separate book of larger patterns or if they should pepper them throughout another book. Two years later, I think continuing to ignore larger or plus-sized women and men is the offensive part.

On the upside, the patterns really are gorgeous (which is why I'm upset that I can't wear or alter them) and use varied techniques and skill levels, so everyone can find something they like. A number of child patterns are repeated in "Pipsqueaks" and "Tadpoles and Tiddlers", so if you only want to make kid clothes, check those out first - you may save a few dollars. I traded Brown Sheep for Rowan yarn and my Odd Job sweater is coming along nicely, so just match fibers in the back yarn listing and hit your gauge to substitute.

Rating:
Summary: Best $$ Dollars You'll Spend on Knitting
Review: If you're new to knitting, here's something you need to know: if you seen a yarn or pattern you love, don't go home and mull it over, or put it in next year's budget. GRAB IT. Because the knitting world is very exclusive. Yarns come and go; they're issued like fashion collections and disappear just as quickly. And patterns, well, you may think of them like a classic -- Moby Dick can always be found, right? It's more like a magazine. You'll see it around for a month or two, and then good luck tracking down another copy if you didn't save it. It's one of the reasons knitters turn into such hoarders and savers, afraid to let go of that 12 inches of Scottish Heather because who knows where they'll find that yarn again? And of all the yarn companies and pattern designers, Rowan was worst of all.
Their pattern books were more like vintages of wine. Good luck getting your hands on a good year once the word is out. Until now. FINALLY. Finally, someone at Rowan has had the sense to realise that these patterns are wanted, needed, and they deserve to live on with new knitters discovering them and experienced knitters turning back to them again and again, if not to knit, that just to enjoy the design work, or get an idea for a collar or sleeve. This doesn't have all of Rowans patterns, but it has many of the best, and a smattering of all the patterns and designers. It's got some stunning works and many ideas from the best design handknit design company in the world today. A must-have, and a great deal.