Knit in New Directions: A Journey into Creativity

I was hoping for more patterns, but the book is mostly encouragement to try it. It does give directions. I haven't had time to try any of it, but I surely will.

I am a self-described "Myra-ite"-- I can't get enough of Myra Wood's ideas for knitting and crochet. I agree with a previous reviewer that this book may not be for everyone, but I disagree that you need to be very proficient at math. If this were so, this math-anxious knitter would still be wallowing in a mire of confusion, rather than merrily making a "Radiant Rainbow" bag and rearranging the stash I thought would make endless scarves into what I think will become a coherent (and beautiful) sweater.I THOUGHT I swore off modular knit garments as too tedious, too ugly and having all those fussy ends to sew in!I THOUGHT I could throw away my protractor (good riddance) after 9th grade geometry and that the discipline had no place in my world save for slicing pie. (If my math teacher had told me I could KNIT triangles, trapezoids and enless other shapes, and fit them all into a garment, I might not have daydreamed in class quite so much!)I WANTED to design my own knitwear, but was stumped--would I ever have the skill or the inspiration or the creativity to design something that hasn't been seen in dozens of other patterns?I'll ADMIT I'd rather knit (and crochet!) in my own directions than to follow endless charts written by someone else.Knit in New Directions is so FULL of ideas that it may be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you realize that it introduces you to the many different ways you can knit together & piece together creative elements. Some techniques I enjoy more than others. I enjoy thinking on my needles & Myra tells me it's okay not to know what those explorations are going to turn into at the start. And no, you don't have to learn everything in the book all at once!Years ago, someone told me there are "product knitters", who see knitting as a means to an end (a sweater, socks, mittens, a scarf), and there are "process knitters", who enjoy the journey. I've always said I'm a little of each. There's nothing like pride in a knitted item well done, but it's the most fun for me to explore and experiment & learn something new with each project. If you agree with that statement, you might want to check out Knit in New Directions!

This book is about looking at the craft in a fresh new light. To knit (or crochet) shapes and fit them in a template. The result would be unique and individual as the knitter or crocheter themselves. Weaving would apply beautifully as you can use your weaving pieces (with fusible interfacing to stabilize the weaving), cut and sew them together to fit the template. For previous reviewers that gave this book a poor rating, this book is not about conventional written out patterns. This book is about taking those swatches, leftover yarns, odds and ends and turning them into a thing of beauty...piece by piece at a time. It may seem overwhelming to do this for a wearable garment, but starting out making a bag gives a beginner a sense of understanding of the process and the confidence to pursue the next level of this approach.Another note about this book. Templates are not a 'new' thing. Templates are used in Irish Crochet and Modified Irish Crochet brought about by Russian and Ukrainian crafters. Templates are used in quilting. You use a template (pattern) in sewing. Freeform crochet and knitted garments are piece together through a template. The author demystifies the process.

This book is so inspiring. I've been trying to figure out lately why I compulsively buy more yarn, even though my stash contains more yarn than any woman could hope to knit up in one lifetime . . . the reason is . .. I'm addicted to color! It inspires me, motivates me and seeing beautiful colors, especially in combination, causes that itching feeling in my fingers . . . you know, the one that makes us want to pick up our needles and cast on! The women in my knitting group didn't especially like this book when I shared it with them--nothing in there they would wear, they said--but I found it incredibly interesting. Enough so that I think about these designs as I'm falling asleep at night . . . and I'm trying to figure out how I can put some creativity into my current queue of patterns designed by other people.

So far I have only made one purse from this book, but I intend to go on and learn the techniques Myra suggests, but summer is coming on and I am not in the mood to think too much. I will say that this book is not for beginning knitters. I believe that one must be pretty confident with knitting and have a good deal of skill before attempting these types of projects. That being said, it is a beautiful book full of ideas and suggestions for making your knitting unique. It is, indeed. a spring board for turning loose your creativity. Intermediate and advanced knitters should enjoy this book if they do not require detailed instruction.

Well written and illustrated book that is much more than a pattern book. The authors describe how to use their concepts so knitters can create their own items. Patterns are included so that new techniques can be learned before moving on to designing your own! After finding this book on our inter-library loan, I bought it and started a project with the wavy short rows. This book will lead any knitter to many fun projects!

My daughter says: "I haven’t had a chance to get into it, but there are a number of techniques I’ve wanted to learn, like short rows, etc that seem to be clearly explained. Not a huge fan of the patterns—too blocky. I would think you could use this style of knitting to create form flattering garments."

Having missing the opportunity to purchase "Crazy Lace" and having lusted after it for years (no way am I paying over $300 for a used book!) I pre-ordered this one.Although my hopes and expectations were very, very high, I have not been disappointed! There are lovely ideas for patterns (I can't wait to knit some of these! I'm going to start with a bag).Best of all, it's a really nice book to read. I don't usually *read* knitting books but this one is nice to curl up with a nice cup of tea. it feels like having a nice chat with the author.Myra....I don't know what the deal is about not re-releasing Crazy Lace but, seriously?? Consider it! There is so much hype around it and an instant following, and it would be easy to ride the wave of this book being out. Each book would boost the sales of the other.Even just in ebook format if you don't want to deal with printing? Pretty please??? ;-)

This is a lovely book, one you can browse through over and over.The styles and colours are a goldmine. I don't plan on making any of the garments (at this point) but I do knit a lot of mitred squares and bias knit blankets. I thought this book would be a nifty source for teaching me yet more modular blocks and strips I can add to my skills.Unlike other knitting books, this one is meant to be read from start to finish as it teaches step by step techniques which go in order of simple to experienced. I am browsing it a lot now and look forward to incorporating the techniques into my blanket making.

Why in all my years of knitting, crocheting and weaving had I not thought of this? A brilliant approach to designing not just knitwear, but any sort of textile craft! This book describes the method and offers projects that are eye catching and interesting. Once the method is understood then the sky is the limit. An imaginative textile artist, or even the home hobbiest, will find much here to rave about.

Here is a book, where I can start using some of all my remnants of yarns, and I can use my own imagination, I have given this book to an avid knitter friend, who was thrilled and anxious to get started.

What a great book to inspire creativity. Fast service from this seller