Japanese Inspired Knits: Marianne Isager Collection

by Marianne Isager

Inspired by the seasonal festivals and traditions of Japan, this blend of traditional Scandinavian knitting with distinctive Japanese influences explores the beautiful design elements steeped in folk customs. Created especially for women, these patterns are true to the Japanese ideals of high-quality design and materials. Twelve sweaters, oriented around the months of the year, are each knitted using nearly a dozen different techniques. With project names like “Sake and Soba,” “Summer in Tokyo,” “Rice Fields,” “Flower Buds,” and “Stone Garden,” knitters will have plenty of inspiration. In addition to standard knit and purl combinations, the patterns feature double knitting, domino knitting, shadow knitting, lace, cables, entrelac, intarsia, and stranded two-color knitting. All techniques are described in detail with clear text and illustrations, and an illustrated glossary at the end of the book provides technical instruction needed for any project. Also included are Japanese ideographs that relate to themes that inspired the projects, a Japanese calendar, plus lush travel photography of Japan that will inspire any knitter.

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Crafts, Japan, Danish

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more but didn't find any garments that I would cast-on for. The shapes, details, and colors have an Asian feel to them and there are lots of different techniques being employed: color-stranding, cables, lace, and even entrelac! I cannot speak to the correctness of the pattern writing. Nice photography and book organization. Disappointed that I didn't find anything for myself.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful designs by a Scandinavian designer who spends lengthy periods in Japan. They are organised by he calendar - one project for each month. Some of the techniques are quite complicated ( or at least unfamiliar) and the size options are limited.

I have not yet been brave enough to try any but one or two are tempting.

[Susan Eubank · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Still like her ideas, knitting design and stitch creativity, and yarn choices for fine detail. My favorites were:
The Fan,
The Carp,
Rice Fields in a less tight version, and
Maple Leaves
3 out of 4 of these are lacy.

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOTTOM LINE: One of THE best pattern books I've seen in a long, long time! Yes, the sizing isn't as generous as I'd like (largest = 48" and some are only up to 42") but these are gorgeous designs, very clearly written out and with very few charts (personal Pet Peeve, can't stand charts!). If you like beautiful, deceptively simple patterns worked with fine yarn on small needles (mostly #2,3,4), then this is definitely a book for your personal library.

With beautiful photographs, clear, well-thought-out instructions, and lots of extra bits of (necessary) info, this is an extremely thoughtful and *useable* pattern book. I'm on a "thin yarn" kick just now, and this really hit the mark for me, although I've always been partial to Japanese-style clothing. And it was refreshing to find a book of Japanese-ish designs that actually has American sizings - most of that sort of lovely patterns I'd previously found are ~32-36" only! Far, far too removed from my 52" for me to extrapolate up in size, even though I'm an experienced knitter; jumping up one size level from a 48" pattern isn't a stretch at all for me, though.

The earlier designs are intermediate difficulty by my reckoning but the instructions are clear, which is good, because the sweaters become more complex and difficult as you work through the book. They're arranged in a monthly format, with one design per month. Frankly, I'd love to make *most* of 'em, although that's likely unworkable for me due to cost constraints and sizing considerations. There are several really wonderful patterns likely to be worked up by me soon, though, especially the very first, called "Stone Garden Jacket", a crisp, clean-lined short wrap jacket with long sleeves, worked with stripes of classic honeycomb cables and moss stitch, all completely described IN THE TEXT. (yay!! - I really, really hate charts!!) And then there's "The Fan", a curved sweater/shrug that closes in front, in a beautiful lace fan pattern; "Maple Leaves", beautiful lace cardigan, oh, I like this *best*!!!. And the last pattern is a nicely cabled tunic that looks as though it would cut down to sweater length beautifully; it's the only one actually charted. And btw, the comparatively ugly sweater featured on the cover is NOT, imo, representative of the beauty and clean lines of most of the other patterns.

Looks like I'm going to have to break down and purchase this puppy, yep. Am on an extremely tight budget so its $23 face price is a bit much (sigggh) but...! Luckily I'm also quite used to trolling UBSs...

[Arlian · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main complaint with this book is the photography. The layout is really pretty and fancy, with lots of luxurious aesthetic details. Alas, The pictures of the actual projects are TERRIBLE. They are VERY poorly angled so it is very hard to get a good idea of what some of the clothes actually LOOK like on a persons body, and further what they will look like on YOUR body. These angles also make it hard for me to tell whether or not some of the articles of clothing are even in my *style* let alone in my style and flattering to my figure.

I almost certainly will never try anything out of this book because I was so underwhelmed by the presentation. I didn't get excited about a single project, I just felt incredibly annoyed that the publisher would think to spend so much time on the BOOK presentation and so little on the PROJECT presentation. The projects are what we buy the book for, not for the authors meditations on living in japan.

One last thing: I obviously can't comment on any potential errors in the patterns or whether or not they are clearly written, my intuition tells me that (like the presentation of the book) the patterns themselves with be 50/50. I think they will be 50% intuitive, clearly written, and easy to understand and then 50% a tangled snarl of confusion.

Proceed with this book at your own risk.


*edit: a different reviewer commented that there are some editing errors in this book, but that interweave posts corrections on their website.*

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Danish knitwear designer inspired by traditional Japanese patterning and motifs. It works well and Isager creates a lovely collection of garments - mostly pullovers and a few cardigans - for each month of the year. Isager lives in Japan for half of the year, so she shares some of her observations and meditations on living in that country, and how it affects her dsign work. All projects are small gauge projects, and she uses stranded colorwork and some lace patterning in the book. If you are an admirer of Danish design or Japanese textiles, you will find something special in this book.

[Tonileg · Rating 3 out of 5]

There aren't a lot of patterns in this book, but they are all cute and 'asian-y' Japanese so I don't understand why it got such a low rating.
The photography is beautiful... so I must assume that there might be errors in the actual patterns so I'm going to read the three sweater patterns that I want to make this winter very carefully to see if are problems...

I'll be back to amend this as I make the different projects.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The designs in this book are inventive and adventurous, probably best for the intermediate knitter and beyond. The photography is beautiful and the front matter for each pattern is interesting, though often has little connection to the design. I have added 6 of the 12 patterns to my Ravelry queue and will definitely make room for this book in my personal library.

[Cayenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What wonderful patterns and designs. I love the month to month theme with each sweater. My favorite is "Summer in Tokoyo." The mix of Scandinavian and Japanese style is fresh, new, and beautiful. A designer to keep your eye on for sure.

[Heywu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The patterns are very nice and are inspired by Isager's trip to Japan. But the patterns are very western in feel and shape. I liked the indigo coat on the cover and the maple leaf sweater.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice projects but too advanced/complicated for me.