Knitting your own Designs for a perfect fit

No Ravelry Link

Types of patterns: Garments

Number of Patterns: Jumper (7); Waistcoat (2); Top (3); Baby (3); Child jumper (3); Cardigan (8); Child's Cardigan (2); Skirt (2): Child's Coat (1); Coat (1); Tank top (1); Dungarees (1)

Split of patterns: Men/women/children mostly women, but many patterns are unisex.
Size Range:

Colour/Black & White: Colour photographic plates but black& white otherwise

Schematics: yes and no, there are a lot of schematics scattered around the book but not attached to the garments, however if you read the guidelines for the pattern it would tell you where to go for the garment

Target Audience: Intermediate to advanced, beginners would probably not be well served by this, it requires some basic knowledge.

How to knit guide: yes, this is mostly what the book is about

Experimental/Classical/Modern: Classical mostly

Comments: This is not the book with a tonne of cast-ons and cast offs and a lot of detail about knitting, the garments are of their time, but under some of the strange styling and rather suspect colourwork many of the patterns are pretty classic, but this isn't what the book is about, scratch a little deeper than the pictures and the cover and you will find a comprehensive book that lists almost every possible shape and style, how to alter already knit garments to fit better and other detail besides. While there are no schematics for the garments listed there is a listing of shapes, which would allow to check what the choices would be. It's comprehensive and most possible ideas are listed and comments about advantages and disadvantages involved. She also works on ideas for optical effects, colourwork, knitting direction and motifs. All illustrated in line drawings. While most of the garments suffer badly from age some are quite classic, or could be adapted to be more up-to-date. The patterns are also more guidelines than actual patterns, the detail is described and the sizing and other details left to the knitter.

Polo-neck jumper with cevron design: Today's style would probably suggest a different neckline, and it has no shaping, still it's a pretty classic style that would probably suit men, or with some adaptations to remove some of the bulk most women

Alpaca Waistcoat, - pretty plain waistcoat with no shaping and ties, could be easily modernised or again, with plain buttons could be quite successful for men.

Maroon Poloneck with Chevrons on Sleeves:L Interesting use of colourwork on the sleeves this also has a saddle shoulder.

Blue/grey Tweed Collared Jumper: Big ribbed mens' jumper with a collar, pretty classic stuff here

Baby Briefs and Matinee Jacket - babies stuff tends to be the most classic and this isn't an exception

Toddler's Chenille Top: this suffers badly from age, drawstring bottom, laced boxy sleeves, it's just not that appealing, though some of the ideas could be used.

Camisole Evening Top : Interesting use of colourwork which is well placed and not too busy, could do with wider straps but otherwise not a bad piece

Mohair Cardigan: Shetland Shell Stitch ornaments this v-necked cardigan with pockets, could probably be translated into another yarn without too much trouble for an interesting piece, would probably lend itself well to self-striped yarn

Camel-Coloured v-neck with striped borders - sleeves are knit along the yoke and the body grafted to the yoke, the stripes along the ribs would be an interesting place to use left-overs or busy yarns

Green Cotton twin-set: mosaic patterning along the body of this square necked top with only a small amount of detail on the sleeves of the cardigan, unfortunately the body of the cardigan is obscured by the styling/photography

Peach Mohair Jacket - fastened to the front with a bow it does look dated, though lose the bow and the mohair and it turns into a relatively decent garment with a little stitch detailing along the edges and yoke.

Bouchle Cardigan with eyelets is an interesting pattern, v-necked cardigan with a scattered eyelet pattern to keep interest going, has potential.

Girls cardigan in blue and white uses a few different colours of blue and is pretty classic, you might have to change the neckline for a more modern look

Boy's Jumper with diagonal stripes on front - a change of colour for this would modernise it.

Purple tunic with Jacquard Design: gathered at the waist and then flaring out the patterning is interesting, patterning along the sleeves to match

Man's grey waistcoat; Square bottomed with pockets and some stitch detail.

Pompom Skirt in hand-spun wool: this is one o the greatest crimes this book commits and almost unforgivable, it features on the cover as well and honestly I can't see a reason to make it, ever.

Little Girl's Red Coat: has an integrated scarf, stitch detail and is quite cute

Boys Bomber Jacket: Colourwork down the side and arms, this is a pretty classic style and shape

Girl's Square-necked striped top: modernise the colours, it would work now

The Heavy Winter Coat is not my style but I can imagine it updated and not looking all that dated, features the current large collar style

Thick Jumper in three shades of blue: Knit in Double-Double yarn this looks about aran weight, or maybe a little heavier, actually would look quite well in cotton I'd say, tweed sttich along the bottom and top, it's a nice use of three shades of blue in a garment

Sleeveless blue v-necked top: ribbing detail tank top.

Off-white summer suit in slk noil: skirt and short-sleeved loose cardigan make up this ensemble, skirt looks kneelenght, but it's hard to say from the photograph what shape it is.

Linen top: Colour stipes adorn the top and bottom of this garment, ooh look, horizontal stripes. along the body it has diagonal stitch detail. Photography is poor with this garment but I don't really hold up much hope for it being all that good a plan

Navy blue cardigan : pretty plain with some interesting rib detail, v-necked cardigan in a tweedy yarn, the pattern actually does show off the yarn.

V-necked jumper with Jacquard Bands - on a man this has the jaquard bands along the bottom of the body and the top of the sleeves, however it's not well photographed, so it's overall look is hidden.

Green Chenille Bomber Jacket - Pretty plain bomber jacket with pockets, again the photography obscures the garment

Tweed and chenille Bomber Jacket, buttoned and collared with contrasting details, this could probably be modernised and made into an intersting garment.

Baby's Travelling Bag - not for carrying items for a baby but a swaddling coverup with a hood. buttoned in the bottom this might work today but I have my suspicions.

Young Child's Dungarees _ stripes adorn this but the photography doesn't really show the garment well.

All of this being said this isn't a bad book, dated yes, and the garments certainly show age but overall it's not a bad book, in fact it's packed with information and occaisonally more than is usually given by a lot of designers. I could imagine an updated edition that would be more interactive, this would lend itself well to becoming an interactive text.


Buy/Borrow: if you're thinking about going into design this would be a good buy, if you can find it, I have my own copy that I look at occasionally. You need to ignore the surface of the book and dig a little to find the meat.

Where found: Dublin City Public Libraries has a copy, I have one myself, I went hunting for the books by Montose Stanley in the system and this is the only one still in circulation.