Hollywood Knits Style: With 30 Original Suss Designs

by Suss Cousins, Deborah Jaffé (Photographs)

Knitting has made a thoroughly modern comeback, and Hollywood knitwear designer Suss Cousins has had no small part in its stylish renaissance. In Hollywood Knits and Hollywood Knits Style —now in affordable new paperback editions—Cousins shares the creativity and panache that have helped inspire a new generation of hip young knitters.

Hollywood Knits features 30 offbeat and colorful projects—from adorable hats and scarves to gorgeous sweaters, throws, and a cell phone holder—that are both elegant and wearable, modeled by Hollywood icons such as Julianne Moore and Chanel model Kirsty Hume. In Hollywood Knits Style , Cousins presents 30 more chic and modern designs—including a funky purse, a Valentine pillow, and even his-and-her dog sweaters for hipster pooches—along with just a little insider gossip about the stars who have made, bought, or worn them. She also shows knitters how to host knitting parties, start a knitting circle, decorate with yarn, and fund-raise through knitting.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jennifer]

Suss Cousins is a remarkable designer. That being said I can't say I would ever recommend one of her books. I have never made any of her patterns so I should probably not throw stones on that front - but there is a reason I have never made any of her patterns. You know how some writers just assume you have knowledge? And since they can knit a fancy Nordic sweater in 8 colors on a plane ride they just assume that allot of things that are so easy for them are just sort of common knowledge to all knitters? Sadly this is not true - not for me and probably not for other knitters.

I bought this book because I saw two patterns I liked in the book. One was a hat she had knit for the Master and Commander movie with Russell Crowe and the other was a funky chunky purse. So when I curled up in bed last night and read through the patterns I was really kind of disappointed. The cap (called Vintage Cap with Rib)looked like it should just be a simple k1, p1 rib for an inch and then stockinette. I have made similar hats but from a pattern I made up, and I thought I would probably be blown away by the Suss hat and would learn some awesome tricks to make my hats better. Nope. The hat in the book isn't knit on circulars - so you have a ton of seaming to do. And we aren't talking just a side seam - her hat when finished knitting looks like a mountain range - flat on the bottom and 4 peaks on the top. So you have to sew the side seam and then sew the 4 peaks together as well. Seems kind of harder than it needs to be. And maybe Suss is a master finisher (I suspect that is the case) but my seaming is kind icky - and I try to have as few seams in a knit product as I can. So much for that pattern.

As for the Funky Purse pattern - the pattern is simple enough - and I will probably make this one. Sadly the flower on it - which was half the cool factor of the purse - is crochet - in two colors - with petals. Yeah. I know I should learn to crochet, but I can't yet. And frankly - when I buy a knitting book and there is crochet items mixed in - it kind of ticks me off. At least give me a knit alternative to the crochet. I don't want to stifle creativity - but if I am paying for a KNITTING book then I want to be able to knit the products in the book. So if I want to make this SUPER simple purse (knit a rectangle. Ta da!) and attach the cool knit embellishment, I will probably have to head over to Nicky Epstein's books.

The other issue I have with her patterns is that they are aimed at tiny little Hollywood people. She is accustomed to designing clothes for Debra Messing sized women. What percentage of the population is that size? So being an ample and short midwestern gal - I would be terrified of blowing the money on the yarn and spending the time knitting one of her items - only to have to give it to my niece.

I find I like this book only for the trivia factor and the design inspiration. It's fun to see the products she knitted for various movies and tv shows. Sadly there is a little bit of snotty in the tone - you know how Martha Stewart has that "When jetting to the south of France, I always carry a bag of sliced lemon with me on the plane" tone? Yeah - it's kind of like that.

Speaking of Martha Stewart - This book totally went Martha. She has party suggestions (Getaway Knitting Night - Wedding Shower Brunch...) with food suggestions/receipe's and music suggestions - theme ideas and when such parties should be held. Weird. There is nothing on the covers to tip you off to this. I guess if I would have thought about it I would have realized that this 142 page hardcover only had 30 patterns in it - so there was bound to be some filler.

So yeah. Buying this book was probably not my best purchase in retrospect. But I got it at a discount store for $4.00 which is about the cost of a magazine these days - so I really can't complain.

[Laura]

The design and layout of this book was hip and fashionable. The patterns were nice, and I think some people would find things they liked. I thought the colors and patterns in the book were good, but I didn't see anything I wanted to knit. I enjoyed browsing through the book though and got some ideas of what I might want to knit next. I'd probably recommend.

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

[Rat de bibliothèque]

Her designs all cater to small people and her patterns aren't terribly well written

Even the women at my knitting shop were confused about some of her directions

[Mckinley]

Don't get the menu and other stuff in a knitting book.

[Tara]

Disappointed. Not my style, more "gossipy" than knitty.