Knit Couture: 20 Hand-Knit Designs from Runway to Reality

by Henry Conway and Gail Downey

Book Overview

Gail Downey (half of the popular London label Weardowney) and Henry Conway present the philosophy and innovative designs that make up this vintage-inspired, fashion-forward design label. "Vogue "has said about their designs that they are like "old friends already" and "Knit Couture "offers twenty patterns based on their acclaimed designs plus an in-depth view of the world of fashion knitwear. One of Weardowney's goals is to teach and inspire by offering...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312375808
• ISBN13: 9780312375805
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.8" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

Very Elegant!

I hesitated to buy this book for a long time because of some of the negative reviews on this site. However, after reading the reviews that some of the more stylish knitters had on the Ravelry website, I decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did! I love the clean, couture lines of these elegant knits and find them to be quite beautiful and wearable! True, they are not for everybody. But if you love very high-fashion, 5th Avenue type knits, then you will be happy with this book. Definitely not styles that you can duplicate at Walmart (no offense to Walmart)

AWESOME BOOK!

As a graphic designer I was floored by the fantastic design of this book which included great color photographs, diagrams and instructions. My fav element was the inclusion of a few Vellum Overlay Pages directly above the color photographs that showcases the knitted garments patterns and sketch lines of the garment in the design phase. An inspiration to me to design my own knitwear! I absolutely love this book! I am a novice knitter, so I am glad to have found such good instruction to begin my knitting journey!

Insightful and inspiring

I purchased this book, not because I have any ability to knit, but for my love of Weardowney. It first came to my attention on the company's website, and it was purchased for the coffee table, more than knitting knowledge enhancement. However, I was surprised at how much this book engrossed me. It begins with an introduction to hand knitting followed by a look into the House of Weardowney, which in itself is intriguing. The first chapter `The Birth and Evolution of Knitting' is written in the style of essays on the Renaissance, complete with its art historical references and literary links, and is an excellent grounding to the rest of the book. After our background knowledge is in place, the second chapter looks into knitwear's move from practicality to high fashion. Coco Chanel, John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood all get a mention as `Knit Couture' sweeps the geographical and historical development of this `medium', and then discusses `Knit Today'. The writing is juxtaposed with luscious pictures of beautiful Weardowney creations, as well as high fashion examples from Kenzo, Jean Paul Gaultier and the like. `Knit Couture' then focuses on Classic and Diffussion designs, some sparkley, some comfy, all of which are truly stunning! I am told by friends who can knit that the designs are easy to follow, and if it is too much for novices, there is a very helpful section at the back entitled `Starting Knitting' which goes through `Casting on', `Knit stitch' etc. I could not recommend this book more to amateurs or experts. It is an enjoyable, insightful read and a visual feast into a side of fashion which is relatively unexplored. I found it a truly fantastic in its deviations. I may as an amateur attempt my own creations, or perhaps just leave the wondrous weavery to the experts!

modern and stylish knits

I liked the patterns in this book. They were stylish with some in fine yarns (4 ply or fingering) and a few in thicker yarns (10 ply, aran or worsted). There are boleros, vintage inspired cardigans, skirts, dresses and camisoles in fine yarns and a few chunkier jumpers (sweaters). A few of the patterns are for small sizes but a lot go up to quite large sizing eg 124 cm bust. Overall very fashionable but they might not suit everyone.This is a British book so the knitting history does mainly cover British and European knitwear, especially haute couture not everyday wear.