YarnPlay: Colorful Techniques and Projects for the Creative Knitter

by Lisa Shobhana Mason

MIX YARNS, COLORS AND TEXTURES TO CREATE BOLD AND BRIGHT HANDKNITS Why spend hours knitting a boring one-shade sweater? Pile on the color and discover the joys of knitting with multiple hues in unexpected combinations. Choose from over 20 projects, including home décor items, hats, scarves, sweaters, vests and more. Get ready to dive into a world of color. Inside YarnPlay you'll Can't you feel your knitting needles itching to get started? Pick up this book, then dig through your stash or visit your local yarn store and get started today. Playing with yarn and color adds a whole new dimension to your handknits. Each of these patterns features multiple colors used in unexpected ways to create beautiful effects. Whether you like monochromatic shades or lots and lots of stripes or two bold tones side by side, you're bound to find pieces you'll love to knit for your home, yourself, or for a special friend, baby or family member. You'll also get a handy guide to yarn, tools and notions as well as tips for playing with color, a glossary of knitting terms, a knitting abbreviations key, a knitting needle conversion chart and a list of inspirational resources.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good info here, especially for beginning to intermediate knitters. A few of the patterns appeal to me, but not most.

[Kirsten Lost 2022 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great patterns here, I can't wait to get started on them!

[Tonileg · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is difficult to describe this collection of knitting patterns with just a word or two because it is eclectic with yarns, colors and knitting levels from beginner to intermediate.

Patterns:
Scrubs, exfoliating washcloths - 24 sts x 30rows in pattern or 23 sts x 32 rows in pattern both on 3.5mm needles
Nana, bath mat - worked with 2 strands, 14 sts x 20 rows in pattern with 6.5mm needles
Georgetown, table runner but it could double as a scarf - 20 sts x 40 rows n garter st with 4mm needles (circ)
Havana, cushion cover - 2 strands together, 10 sts x 20 rows in garter st with 9mm needles
Mod on Mod, Afgan - 15 sts x 22 rows in st st with 5.5mm needles
Sidetracked men's scarf and bob style hat - 16 sts x 26 rows in st st with 5.5mm straight, double pointed and circ needles
Tami, ribbed striped scarf and hat - 16 sts x 26 rows on 10cm2 in st st with 5mm circular needle and 5mm double pointed needles
Austin, armwarmers that double for legs too - 28 sts x 36 rows on 10cm2 in K2,P2 rib pattern with 3.25mm DPN, you'll also need 2.75 DPN
Clutched, handbag - 2 strands together, 11 sts x 20 rows on 10cm2 in pattern with 8mm needles
Manta Ray, shawl - 16 sts x 32 rows on 10cm2 on garter stitch with 5mm circ needles (32" or 80cm or longer)
Copperhead scarf - 18 sts x 24 rows on 10cm2 in st st with 5mm needles
Sloane sweater vest - 8 sts x 10 rows on 10cm2 in st st with 12mm (29" or 74cm) circ needle
KISS keep it simple so your man will wear it sweater) - 18 sts x 29 rows in 10cm2 in st st on 4.5mm needles (you'll need 4mm needles too)
Chelsea drop shoulder pullover with turtleneck - 19 sts x 29 rows on 10cm in st st 5.5mm needles and in 5.5mm circ needle with 16"(40cm)length
Edie asymmetrical cardigan with button front closure - 20 sts x 30 rows on 10cm2 in st st on 5mm needles (4mm needles too)
Lorelei tank top - 20 sts x 30 rows on 10cm2 st st with MC (main color) on 5mm circ needle 29"(74cm)length
Poppy V-Neck pullover with long sleeves - 18 sts x 29rows on 10cm2 in st st in MC with 5mm circ and DPN
Everything but the kitchen sink striped sweater for when you have lots of left-over yarn - 19 sts x 28 rows on 10cm2 in st st on 5mm circ needles (need 5mm DPN and 4.5mm circ with 24"(60cm)length)
Baby a, baby's hat and cardigan - 22 sts x 44 rows on 10cm2 in garter stitch 4mm needles (you'll need 4mm and 3,5mm straight needles and 3.75 and 4mm DPN)
Stripey kid's sweater and hat - 20 sts x 27 rows on 10cm2 in st st on 5.5mm needles (need 5.5mm and 4.5mm straight needles + 4.5mm(16"-40cm) and 5.5mm(16") circ needles + 5.5mm DPN)

Nothing really special in the collection of mostly plain sweaters with stripes for decoration and lots of use for your new interchangeable circular needles. Everything is fitted (read: tight) and for X-Small, small, medium, large, X-large which translates as 32" (81cm), 34" (86cm), 36" (91cm), 38" (96cm) and 40" (102cm) or sizes 2US (36Fr), 4US (38 Fr), 6US (10UK - 40Fr), 8US (42Fr) and 10US (44France).
128 pages in paperback
2 stars

[yoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most interesting part of this book, which is absolutely GORGEOUS both in terms of projects and what the graphic design team did when constructing it, is that Mason uses Lion Brand. That's right, big hoity-toity knitting book ADVOCATING THE USE OF BUDGET FIBER. She also has this cool top construction that involves knitting a big rectangle, seaming it to make a tube, and having that be the bottom of her tops. How clever! I can't wait to stash bust with some of her ideas.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of using color and texture to create interest was good, but I wasn't really grabbed by any of the projects. Also, the "XL" size was a 40 inch bust, which is really only about size 12-14, so any of the patterns would require a fair amount of reconstruction to be knit for someone who wears plus sizes.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful patterns. Easy to make.