Knitting out of Africa

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Types of patterns: Garments

Number of Patterns: 16: Jumper (12) Cardigan (1); Tank top (3)

Split of patterns: Women's mostly but some of the styles would also suit men, the jumpers really have no shaping so careful colour use could make some of these male-friendly.

Size Range: 38-52" (96.5-132cm) (not for all garments)

Colour/Black & White: Colour with some black and white sketches

Schematics: Yes and often with a lot of detail

Target Audience: Intermediate to advanced.

How to knit guide: the regular Interweave hints with some detailed ideas for some of the more complicated applications like entrelac.

Experimental/Classical/Modern: Some a little experimental but mostly classical, stuff that could be make any age by careful colour use.

Comments: as usual she tends towards her own yarn used double.
The first jumper is Kuba, worked in the round in mitred garter-stitch panels it then has either two-tone or contrast stitches, it finishes with a filled in garter stitch piece that ends in a collar either foldover or zippered.
Zaire is somewhat the same but it's more colours and has aspects of log cabin squares, again with the same style collar.
Congo looks something like a woven fabric worked again in mitred garter stitch sections. ended with either standup or v-neck

African Domino - mitred cevrons in this use colour in an interesting way, has potential for use of left-overs.

Pullover - uses the back of the African Domino pattern and plays with it, with a chevron pattern so it's not straight lines, again has potential for use of left-overs or variegated yarns

Asante - two colour slip-stitch motifs make this interesting - though not me.

Sierra Leone takes the slip stitch pattern and add a chequerboard and colour. It's interesting but a bit busy for me

Mali is a pretty jumper with a two-colour coloured pattern that almost looks like a carpet, it's interesting and involves steeks (eek!)

Arrowheads is an interesting pattern also reflecting a carpet, while most photos show it in the yellow and red, I prefer the charcoal and white version

Zimbabwe is a strong pattern done in two colours with a zigzag stress to add variation, interesting look that could be good elsewhere

Nigeria is a band design pattern with more steaks. Zippered neck

Zig-Zag is a more restrained version of Zimbabwe, again in two colours, this is an interesting looking jumper.

Shoowa - another jumper with almost a maze or mosaic to the front almost looking like tiles. Also has slits along the front and back, bold and dramatic

Shoowa Vest is a tank top style top, not photographed on anyone. Uses some of the elements as the Shoowa jumper with a deeper bottom. I'm not sure about this one, I think I would like it as a waistcoat but it would be a fair amount of work to adapt it for that purpose.

The last two patterns are Giraffe and Zebra, a tuxedo style vest and a high-neck vest done in double knitting, the Giraffe wouldn't suit my body shape and the Zebra I'm just not sure about and I'm not sure if it's open front or not, the pattern is a little unclear.

Overall interesting, not my style, the styles are bold and interesting and have potential for use with some interesting colourwork and yarn play. A book to at least look at.

Buy/Borrow: If you like large-ish patterns and like colourwork and like blocky jumpers this is one for you, if your other half likes these too this might be a great book for you, borrow it first and pass it by him to see. Elements of the designs could also be used to play with plainer designs. This is not a book for beginners.

Where found: Fingal libraries via Borrowbooks