Knit Book Review: One Skein
30 Knit and Crocet Designs by Interweave Knits Editor Leigh Radford
The book "One Skein" is a collection of creative projects that allow knitters to reduce their stash and get some immediate knitting gratification.
Sometimes, knitters find satisfaction in a really involved project: a sweater with hours of seaming or an intricate lace shawl. And sometimes, knitters look at their yarn bag (or giant plastic tote, or closet...) and discover that they have entirely too much yarn! When a knitter finds him or herself in one of these situations, a quick project is in order; One Skein by Leigh Radford delivers 30 of them.
The Layout
After Radford's introduction, the book launches right into the projects, which are categorized: items to wear, bags, baby projects, home accents, and stash-busters (projects that rely on several different yarns for a total of one skein). Each design is enhanced with Radford's explanation, some with added tips and suggestions.
Charts and schematics support the clear directions, and project requirements are clearly listed in sidebars. The photographs show both detail shots of the designs and the projects in action. The book concludes with a stitch glossary with explanations and high-quality illustrations of some of the more challenging techniques. Yarns used range from basic to luxury, but all are high quality and are more likely found at a local yarn store than a general craft store.
The Designs
The projects range from basic, like a felted bag, knit in stockinette, to more elaborate, like a cabled scarf. Some are quite practical, like the bags and baby items; others are fun and different, like the bath puff, and others are pure whimsy, like the knitted wrapped candy sachets. While each of the projects can be completed with one skein of yarn, they are otherwise diverse. Radford gives knitters the chance to experiment with interesting stitch patterns, drop stitches, bobbles, beading, felting, and glove construction.
Other highlights include:
- a tank top (yes, it comes from just one skein!)
- an asymetrical cabled hat for a man or a woman
- cabled slipper socks
- a quartet of scarves, each with a different cable or rib pattern
- fingerless mittens
- a set of three accessory bags, each using a different stitch pattern
- a bolero jacket for a baby with a "lucky" eyelet pattern
- a spiral rib bag that would be perfect for a sock knitting project
- mohair pillows embellished with buttons or a crocheted flower
- felted bowls in two sizes
- a boa made of pom-poms strung on a crochet chain
- knitted cupcakes decorated with buttons
- a 10-color sprial rug made from slip-stitch tubes
Any knitter looking for a collection of fun and practial projects that don't require a huge investment – or that can help whittle the stash – will surely find a few in this book.
- One Skein is published by Interweave Press: ISBN-13: 978-1-931499-74-3.
