Knitting Nature: 39 Designs Inspired by Patterns in Nature

by Norah Gaughan, Thayer Allyson Gowdy (Photographer)

A fractal is a complex geometric figure made up of patterns that repeat themselves at smaller and smaller, or larger and larger, scales. In nature, they're found in fern leafs and corals. In this book, they're found in the pattern for a scarf, the cables of a pullover, and the intricate hemline of a skirt. The pentagon is a familiar five-sided figure that, in nature, can be spotted in the starfish or sand dollar; in this book it's spotted in the yoke of a pullover, the textures of a cardigan, and the shape of a shawl. In nature, water waves and chemical waves abound; in this book, they flow as the patterns in a hat and mittens and in the gores of a skirt.

Knitting Nature is a singular book created by one of the most innovative and respected designers working today. Norah Gaughan, who got her degree from Brown in both biology and art, has combined her knowledge to compile this book of 39 fabulous designs inspired by patterns in nature. With each design, Gaughan first explains where in nature the pattern can be found, such as the spiral in a ram's horn or seashell; then with step-by-step instructions she shows how she rendered that pattern in a skirt or tunic or coat. Complete with exquisitely beautiful photographs, this sophisticated book is truly one of a kind.

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Crafts, How To, Reference

176 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2006

Reviews

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOTTOM LINE: Superb, if very complex-looking, pattern book from a giant in the field, filled with beautiful - if sometimes quite odd... - designs beautifully photographed and arranged. Would definitely have been a "5" for me except that most of the stitch patterns are charted in what seems to be an especially complex manner; this may be the norm for designers these days, but renders otherwise beautiful designs pretty much unworkable for me, at least the ones with cables. Sizings were generous - all ranged from at least 36" to 52", with several even smaller, and a few even larger.

Ms. Gaughan is a wonderful designer - this large hardcover is filled with unusually patterned and constructed projects, most of which really appealed to me. A few were what I call "runway kitsch", i.e., my first reaction being "WHAT were they thinking, NObody would wear that in real life!!", kwim? But the designs were so compellingly interesting that even the very odd-looking ones somehow appealed, even to me.

Arranged in sections by design element, this is a well-thought-out book: Hexagons, Pentagons, Spirals, Phyllotaxis (leaf-like), Fraactals, and Waves. Many of the stitch patterns and their use in clothing were unexpectedly beautiful. I'm going to *have* to check Ms. Gaughan out on Ravelry, and also take a look for her other books at the library. Her aesthetic sensibility really resonated for me, even though the usage of charts was bothersome. If charting doesn't bother you then this is an excellent book filled with gloriously forward-thinking patterns, and very interesting garment construction techniques that looked fascinating. I hope to try making one of her designs sometime soon - most of the non-cabled designs show the described working of the pattern stitch-by-stitch; it's mainly the cabling that's charted.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will blow knitters' minds for a long time. Ingenious, beautiful things; highly conceptual. Wearability is secondary to inventiveness, but that's fine by me, and there are still a lot of lovely things to wear.

There is no Norah but Norah. One feels privileged to glimpse the workings of an amazing knitter's brain.

[Katje van Loon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a book of patterns, so it's a quick read. The rating isn't for any of the patterns I've tried, because I haven't. It's for the fact that most of them look enticing to me and I plan on trying a good number of them at some point. Also, beautiful photos, and I like the idea of knitting by patterns found in nature.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Norah Gaughan’s first book, Knitting Nature, was originally published in 2006 but seems very fresh for today’s knitter. She uses naturally occurring geometrical motifs such as hexagons, pentagons, spirals, phyllotaxis, fractals and waves to design stunningly beautiful garments. I especially loved the Sand Dollar Pullover (hexagon), Shell Tank (spiral), Ogee Tunic (fractal) and Turbulence U-Neck Pullover (wave).

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the concept of this book of knitting patterns! It's fascinating how she has used science to inspire these pieces of clothing! I haven't made any of the patterns yet but the layout looks good and she has tried to make them as simple as possible but they can be a challenge. The designs are different in a very positive way!

[Naoise Nickolay · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many patterns in this book, I would not want to knit, however there are several I can see me doing and they are stunning in yarn selection and style.
Definitely worth keeping in mind for my next winter project.

[Zuly · Rating 5 out of 5]

read long ago.....patterns and knitting design knowledge and ideas. An educational and satisfying book.

[Lydia Chiang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Many wonderful patterns

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some really fun pieces in this book, quite a few that I really liked. But unfortunately they are all only written for small sizes and that really takes wind out of the sails.

[KnittaPhd · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s fine. Shape inspired designs. Nothing particularly flattering or unique.

[Gemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. Some of the garments are a little "out there", looking like stuff you'd only see on a fashion runway, and not something anyone would choose to wear in real life (unless they lost a bet), while others are stunning and have me itching to cast on right away.

My one major complaint with this book is that most of the patterns have the smallest size at 36" bust or larger. I don't consider that an extra-small. For a coat, that's okay, since you usually want a bit of positive ease for it to fit over your other clothes, but for a pullover, it's just too big. If you're a petite woman like me, you'd better be good at being able to resize patterns, or you're going to end up with a lot of pretty tents. I'm a fairly experienced knitter, so this is not a problem for me, but it would be very frustrating for a beginner.

Most of the patterns are charted, so again, not for a beginner. I was also surprised by the lack of waist shaping, or with the fact that the round-yoked sweaters had the lower pieces knit flat and seamed (why not just knit the whole thing in the round?) Many of the sweaters also had no finishing on the lower edges, but were left to roll, a look I find unflattering on nearly every body type. Again, all these things are easy to modify if you're an experienced knitter, but would be very frustrating for a beginner.

And as others have mentioned, there are a lot of pattern errors. I found an errata page on abebooks website, and it was mindboggling how long the list of errors was. When I purchased this book new from Amazon this year (December 2009), I got the second edition, so most of the errors had been corrected, but there were still a few. So definitely search out the errata before you begin to avoid frustration.

All in all, I'm glad I bought this book, as there are at least four garments I definitely plan to make from it, and perhaps more in the future, but I'm also glad I didn't buy it at the beginning of my learning curve, before I learned how to downsize garments, or I would have been very disappointed.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I loved the photography! It showcased the knitted piece but did it in such a way that the whole picture was beautiful. Even though I didn't find any pieces that I wanted to knit I would still pore over this book just to get inspiration. The pieces were beautiful and the author managed to make each piece unique without them being totally weird and something you wouldn't want to wear. I would definitely recommend this book.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...

[Vesper Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Norah Gaughan is a GENIUS and the patterns are well-written. It's the perfect level of challenge and interest. Just finished the Sunflower Tam for my mom in regular ol' turquoise Cascade 220 and it shines. I'm making a new one in Habu Silk Mohair laceweight. I have a love-hate relationship with the yarn but the pattern is addictive. I plan to tackle the Wave Pullover next. The photography is HEAVEN.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pages of my copy are stuck together with drool and awe. Norah Gaughan is an amazing designer - so inventive and off-kilter. As someone who loves both science and knitting, I especially adore how her designs in this book are inspired by forms in nature. Her directions are crystal clear. I want to make everything in this book.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for the Swirled-pentagon sweater (I saw it on Grumperina). I have to refer to her very competent review: http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/ar..., which is the main reason that I've put off this project for a while. I think I will still try it ... someday.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of gorgeous patterns with creative construction. I've already made the pentagon pullover - it's in constant wardrobe rotation - and have several projects from this book in mind to make next. The only reason this book doesn't get 5 stars is because not all the patterns are to my taste... and even those are fascinating and have something to teach.

[Deodand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I consider myself a well-advanced intermediate knitter, and I've been at it most of my life - but I'm still a bit intimidated by this book. I have yet to knit anything out of it. It's photos are beautiful and the patterns are unique, well-written and coherent, but yikes. Some of the construction techniques are not for the faint of heart.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had 3 patterns in it that I would be interested in making. The rest, I wasn't so crazy about. However, I still liked this book quite a bit because the designs were not your typical midwestern grandma sweaters that are so prevalent in knitting books. These weren't really my thing, but I like to see someone doing something different and interesting.

[Nancy Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Norah Gaughan's designs. Just LOVE them. I'd originally rated this one a five, but now that I've started a project, I found a mistake that has not previously been reported. And apparently this book had a LOT of mistakes.

People. Get a proofreader.

[Emily]

i don't know if it counts as reading, but i've been on a big knitting kick lately. this book has really gorgeous patterns, especially for someone who has been accused of making hippie clothes. i'm working on a "spiral scarf" right now, gearing up for the big "snapping turtle skirt" project.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute designs! Beautiful hexagon skirt that will have to be knit up in cotton for the spring.

Purtty pictures and clear instructions.

- 1 star as there is no basic knitting knowledge, you must know the basics prior to picking up a project in the book.

[Tidygirl76 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book - really original designs, interesting construction and loads that I actually want to make....I've just started knitting my first ever cardigan from one of the patterns. There are apparently lots of errata but these are available various places on the web (Ravelry has them).

[Genie Bishop · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all this is definitely not a beginners' knitting book. And, second out of all the patterns in the book maybe two of them were pretty when the project was finished. To be honest the book had some of the ugliest outfits and tops I have ever seen knitted.

[Claire S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun, when more time is available - can't wait!
Chapters:
Hexagons
Pentagons
Spirals
Phyllotaxis
Fractals
Waves

The Fractal items include: a guernsey, a tunic, a jacket, a coat, a camisole and skirt, and a triangle scarf.

[Ruth]

Very beautiful, but so far instructions are difficult to follow: not clear what is meant. It seems a bit like a cryptic crossword - maybe once you get your head in the right place it all makes sense!

[Kimley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, unique designs with a definite Japanese influence in their structure.

[Stormy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some day I may get around to knitting this stuff and if I find the time, I'll buy the book. cool patterns, though.

[Alicia]

Wow this book looks hot. I have to check this out pronto.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

not that I've actually knit anything from this book, but it's brilliant!

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciated the premise of the book I didn't care for the patterns for the clothing.