A Gathering of Lace: 30 Lace Knitters Share Their Secrets and Their Favorite Projects

Rating:
Summary: I wish....
Review: As noted, this is a fabulous, inspiring book on lace knitting. Before embarking on one of the patterns, however, check the errata posted on the publisher's website. There are LOTS of errors in the charts and instructions. It's disappointing, because the publisher is one of the best-known knitting publishers, and one expects better editing from them.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book, but beware...
Review: As noted, this is a fabulous, inspiring book on lace knitting. Before embarking on one of the patterns, however, check the errata posted on the publisher's website. There are LOTS of errors in the charts and instructions. It's disappointing, because the publisher is one of the best-known knitting publishers, and one expects better editing from them.

Rating:
Summary: So much lace, so little time
Review: I have knitted only one project from this book (the Faroese shawl) and it went really well. There is a typo in the directions, but it is easy to catch (chart goes to 198 rows, written direction say to knit to 129). The beginning/finishing techniques needed were all in the book. Many blocking techniques to choose from.
This is eye candy of the first order. I am sure I have spent as many hours looking at this book as I spent knitting my one lace shawl.
One thing. I design my own things, and I like to do lace. I want to knit a lace garment that is shaped, which is to say, the hips decrease to waist and the waist increases to bust (or vice-versa for knitting from the top). With all these brilliant lace knitters, couldn't one of them have developed a shaped lace garment? There is a lace sweater done with short rows into a kind of crazy-quilt sampler of lace, but how about shaping with short rows in pattern in an unobtrusive way?

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book, HOWEVER
Review: I have not knitted anything from this book yet, but find it a lovely selection of lace patterns and designs for the experienced knitter. The patterns are completely graphed, and the items range from shawls, stoles and shrugs to purses, socks and pillows. It shows the marvelous inventiveness of our present day needle workers.

Rating:
Summary: As much a rebutal as a review
Review: I have to differ with the previous reviewer on a number of points. I'm a knitter of over 15 years experience, both for my own pleasure and for others on a commision basis. The size of my knitting library is the bane of husband's existence. This book is, without a doubt, one of the most delightful I have ever purchased. There are at least 5 projects that I am rumaging through my yarn stash to start. The photography (by Alexis Xenakis of Knitter's Magazine fame)manages to be both beautiful enough to be called art, and illustative enough to be a real aid in knitting the project.

Projects range from beginner's projects with instructions that are extremely user-friendly and will help the knitter enter into lace knitting with confidence to more advanced projects that will provide the more advanced knitter with a happy challenge (due to their intricate nature, *not* due to difficulties in the instructions, which seem very clear and complete, including charting).

As for lack of originality: did you see that coracle!!!! (Yes, a knitted boat). Or the hat. Or the beauty of so many of the projects compared to the rather humdrum offerings that are being called lace knitting today.

Definitely a book that deserves to be in your library, if only for inspiration (though there are some smaller projects such as gloves, hats, and purses that even the most time-challenged person can squeeze in). It's taken up semi-permanent residence on my night-table.

Rating:
Summary: What an inspiration
Review: This book is so wonderful, my Mother-in-Law and my Aunt both baught it for me, so now I have 2 copies!

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!!!
Review: This is a collection of beautiful designs, and it has great color pictures of each shawl. The designs are unique and challenging. Pattern instructions are presented in chart-form only, which makes things exceptionally difficult because many of the charts are flawed. Written instructions would have been an easy way for knitters to double-check confusing instructions. An errata file can be found at www.knittinguniverse.com, but this is the only knitting book I own with errors, so it's disappointing that the errata sheet is necessary. Most of the patterns are for shawls, with a few sweaters, a hat, a pair of gloves, three sock patterns, a couple pillows, a child's pinafore, two purses, and a hat thrown in. Then, for some reason, there are pictures in the back of shawls without patterns provided, which is completely baffling in a pattern book. While I love the designs and the variety of the patterns, the book falls short of expectations. I would not recommend any of the patterns for beginners.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!!!
Review: This is a collection of lots of different knitters shawls, it is NOT all Meg Swansen shawls,so for this reazon is a GREAT book, with beautiful and delicate shawls, worth the price!!