Wendy Knits Lace: Essential Techniques and Patterns for Irresistible Everyday Lace

Wendy Knits Lace is chock full of beautiful lace patterns, each one more beautiful than the next. It is filled with stunning knitting projects for those who love lace knitting.The first section is a tutorial on lace knitting basics such as needles, yarns, charts, swatches, and blocking. The second section is on lace knitting techniques. This section includes information on casting on, joining yarns, binding off, and making increases. The last section of the book is on resources such as yarns, standard yarn weight systems, abbreviations, and symbols.The patterns are varied and include sweaters, socks, shawls, cowls, scarves, hats, and mittens. My favorites are the Cranbourne Scarf which is labeled as appropriate for the 'adventuresome beginner'. It utilizes Madelinetosh Tosh Sock Yarn in a beautiful off-white colorway. I love the True Love Scarf or Stole knit in white that calls for Jojoland Cashmere. This is a project for an advanced knitter. The Tiffany Triangle Shawl is for intermediate knitters and calls for Dream in Color Baby Australian Superwash Yarn. The Vortex Sprial Shawl or Afghan is gasp-aloud beautiful. Designed for the 'adventuresome intermediate' it calls for Cascade 220 100% Peruvian Highland Wool in Pumpkin Spice colorway. The Esplanade Mittens for the 'adventuresome beginner' uses one skein of Color Smooshy Sock Yarn and looks easy enough for a true beginner's project. The Rhossili Beach Watch Cap is designed for beginner knitters and calls for Dream in Color Classy Superfine Australian Superwash Merino. I think this is a very doable project for a beginner who is familiar with hat knitting. I just love the Mairi Tam, a slouch hat for intermediate knitters utilizing Dream in Color Smooshy Sock Yarn. The colorway is Beach Fog which is a lovely blue hue. Light-As-A-Feather Smoke Ring is designed for beginners and calls for Jade Sapphire Silk Cashmere in Amethyst Haze colorway, a lovely purple.The projects in this book are beautiful. It is a great resource and the patterns look clear and easy to read. All the patterns are complemented by clear photos of the lace knitting which is a real plus. My only gripe with the book is a purely personal one. All the patterns are charted and none of them are written out. I prefer to knit lace from written out patterns but I think I'm in the minority.Overall, this is a beautiful book for every knitter's library and is bound to inspire any lover of lace knitting.

I am loving this book. Interesting but practical patterns from beginner to advanced skill. Great photography and easy to follow directions. Definitely would recommend it to anyone interested in knitting lace items. One thing that is missing: Wendy references how to start the sock patterns from another book she has written which is good for sales but I would have appreciated having that instruction in this book as well since I have already purchased it. I expect all directions to be in the book that are needed for all the patterns. Why should I have to buy two books to complete the patterns in one book?

Wendy wrote yet another fantastic book. This time she tackled the topic of lace, which to new knitters, can be somewhat daunting. But instead of the normal variety of epic shawls which leave new lace knitters quaking in their boots, Wendy has a large variety of patterns here all which feature lace in a variety of skill levels, from the smallest detail on a pair of mittens to the epic lace circular shawl. Her descriptions are well thought out and the pictures in here are fabulous too. Projects include a tank, a sweater, scarves, shawls, socks, mittens, gloves, and hats. Also included is the elusive "Stacy Shawl," a gorgeous shawl made out of a worsted weight handpainted yarn, previously only available to those lucky enough to subscribe to Tempted's yarn club when Wendy designed the shawl. I personally can't wait to get started on the projects in this book!

I have knit something or swatched something from this book everyday since it arrived. I am overall an intermitted knitter and a beginner/intermittent lace knitter. I love how this book is challenging but not over the top, don't let the charts intimidate you they are explained very well. The book is broken down in 3 parts. Part one is understanding the basics, short but informative information on blocking, swatches with good tips and shared information, like what is the difference between lace knitting and knitting lace...who knew? Part 2 is learning, this is where my beginner/intermediate ability learned a new bind off, a new joining method and useful visuals. Part 3 begins the patterns, page 41 through 136. I first went for the cowls, a feather weight one and a worsted one. Both were a joy to knit. I knit several of each, even switching the yarn weights in the patterns for a nice result. One worsted ball of yarn from my stash made a complete cowl in just under 4 hours. If you like stoles and shawls you are in for a treat, with one converted for you in a worsted weight yarn versus superfine to make an afghan. Socks, fingerless mitts, and a nice lace sweater out of DK yarn for the adventuresome intermediate, round out the book. Overall a nice book for your collection.

and this is unusual for a book bought sight unseen. There are a number of very attractive lace patterns that are now in my queue -- including a very simple scarf that is the perfect solution for some nubbly raw silk yarn. The stitch diagrams are very clear -- including the sometimes obscure purl 2 together through back loop -- and there are a couple of good diagrams of how to fix problems. The range of techniques and difficulty is reasonable -- from simple to high intermediate. I didn't give it 5 stars because, as another review commented, there are photos that are more attractive than informative--and the Dierdre sweater looks as though it has major bulk problems in the sleeve area.

Wendy has done it again! She's made lace knitting approachable for every knitter, from advanced beginner to experienced lace addict. So many different types of projects, in various yarn weights to accomodate whatever your knitting project needs. I am thrilled with the book - the patterns and instructions are clearly written and illustrated, easy to understand, and she's added helpful hints along the way. The sample pictures are gorgeous and detailed. I am happily going through my yarn stash to pull out what I need to start!

Une auteur qui sait transmettre ses connaissances , en répondant, en anglais simple, aux questions que se posent les débutants , et en sachant cibler l'essentiel des questions générales comme le détail des précisions techniques .Ce livre n'est pas que pour les débutants , mais pour les débutants aussi il y a ces petites compositions qui , bien que simples sont très jolies et délicates !Les modèles entraînent en douceur à des niveaux de compositions de plus en plus complexes (débutant,débutant aventureux, intermédiaire ...) et de plus en plus grandes (du petit col aux châles et aux gilets ), tout en restant dans le domaine des dentelles qui sont destinées à nous accompagner dans la vie de tous les jours .Ainsi , on peut goûter simplement l'extrême douceur de tricoter, de porter ou d'offrir, le trésor de ces ouvrages légers comme l'air !

die enthaltenen Modelle sind sehr unterschiedlich, von wenigen in schönem Lace, die ich gerne nacharbeiten werde, biszu viele in einfachen Mustern. Ein paar Löchern sind noch lange kein Lace und die Modelle teilweise weit drunter - etwas für Anfängerinnen, die sich wenig zutrauen, dafür aber grundsätzliche Anleitung im langen Einführungsteil bekommen.

Wonderful book. Love the patterns. Prefer using cotton since its gives a more defined look to the lace patterns.Recommended for knowledged knitters.

Being new to knitted lace, I bought this book with some trepidation, thinking most patterns beyond my capabilities. I need not have worried though, Wendy covers all aspects of the craft, sharing her years of experience in a way that whilst being comprehensive , is never superior. Beautifully illustrated and (as I bought as a Kindle book) has fully functioning hyperlinks and downloadable lace charts . I'm trying to find a flaw but as yet am unable! I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes knitted lace - the only warning I do have is - This craft is HIGHLY addictive!

This is a beginner friendly lace book (and by this I mean lace beginner, not knitting beginner) and it shows in the technical section at the beginning of the book. There is a lot of advice for the beginner, and the technical information is well presented with clear (and often step by step) drawings and explanations. That said, I disagree with some of the information discussed by the author, what is sometimes presented as facts (eg, cotton yarns don't work well for lace knitting) could be mitigated by a less categorical statement.That said, it is a worthy book endeavour. The patterns are mostly nice, and presented in a range of yarn weights that focus on superfine, but with a few projects in fine, dk, and aran weights. The designs range from the mildly complex (nothing crazy involved like "true lace" knitting) to the simple lacy designs with short repeats that let you memorise the repetition so you don't have to work from the chart all the time. Also, there is a nice range of designs with respect to how much time they will require to knit up. The cowls, especially the bulkier one, will only require a few hours, and some of the bigger designs a few hundred hours. So there's a pattern for every occasion.There are a few really nice looking patterns, (especially the shawls) and others that aren't quite as exceptional are still competently designed and nice looking. The pattern section includes 3 scarves, 2 cowls (one lightweight, one bulkier), 5 stoles/shawls, 1 Afghan (to be honest, it's the same pattern as one of the shawls, with a bulkier yarn), 1 pair of gloves, 1 pair of mitts, 1 pair of mittens, 3 pairs of socks, 1 cardigan, 1 sweater and 1 camisole.All in all, an excellent book for lace beginners, but also quite a few nice patterns for casual lace knitters, and I think even the die-hard lace knitters would have to agree on the quality of some of the more complex items like the "True Love Stole" and the "Garden Party Cardigan".