Knitting Outside the Box by Bristol Ivy
Knitting Outside The Box
We are thrilled to announce the arrival of a very special new book: Knitting Outside the Box, by Bristol Ivy. This hefty hardcover is not only the very first hardcover to be published by Pom Pom Press, but it’s also Bristol Ivy’s first full book!
Knitting Outside the Box is more than just a collection of patterns. In this book, Bristol generously shares her design approach in three parts: Part I encourages creativity, Part II discusses different techniques and approaches to create the fabric you desire (with some AMAZING insights from the designer, who is known for her innovative garment construction), and Part III helps show you how to take what you’ve come up with and put those pieces together to make it a reality. Add to that a stitch dictionary that describes the characteristics of each stitch as it pertains to your design, and this is officially one of the most detailed and in-depth knitting books I have ever seen.
I have to be honest – I don’t often find myself at a loss for words, but this beautiful book has me tongue-tied. Worried that I won’t be able to do it the justice it deserves, I’ve put off writing about it and opted instead to simply gaze lovingly at its pages. I’m blown away! Bristol Ivy’s designs are always uniquely hers, from their unconventional techniques to the ease with which they knit up. To have her show us some of the secrets behind this magic is… well, awesome. The show stopping patterns featured in this book are explained down to the smallest design consideration, and each project serves to illustrate the points touched upon in its chapter. Let’s take a look at just a few of the pieces featured in this delightful tome of knitting wisdom:
Pina Cardigan
The Pina cardigan comes from a creativity exercise in which different desired elements are pulled together to create a “mash-up” sweater. In other words, take inspiration from your favorite designs – mix and match sleeves, stitch patterns, necklines and other elements for the perfect piece you’ve been dreaming of.
Sizes: 55.25 (55.25, 59.25, 59.25, 59.75, 65.75, 65.75)” bust, to be worn with 7.75–25.25″ of positive ease.
This cardigan is intended to be worn with lots of room to spare but with fitted sleeves, so Bristol has you choose your size based on the following finished upper arm measurements: 12 (12.75, 13.5, 14.75, 16, 17.75, 18.75, 20)” upper arm circumference.
Yarn: 1848 (1848, 1848, 2079, 2079, 2079, 2310, 2310) yards DK weight yarn
Canady Shawl
The Canady shawl is a great example of Bristol’s unique approach to creating unexpected shapes in knitted fabric. Eschewing the traditionally straightforward methods such as “bottom up” or “top-down”, Bristol encourages you to explore the many different ways in which you can challenge convention to make incredibly interesting fabrics.
Size: 33″ deep by 82.75″ long.
Yarn: 1,820 yards DK weight yarn.
Harjo Shawl
The Harjo shawl is an exercise in increases and decreases. This section includes a lesson in geometry, but don’t worry; although it is clear that this designer has no fear of “the Math”, she has a knack for keeping her information approachable.
Size: 41.75″ wingspan; 18″ at deepest point.
Yarn: 725 yards sport weight yarn. (This piece was knit out of Acadia by The Fibre Company Yarn– you’ll need 5 skeins)
O’Keefe Pullover
Oh, did I mention that Knitting Outside the Box also includes a stitch dictionary? Ok so I did, but come ON. Is there anything this book doesn’t have? In this section of the book, Bristol talks about how different stitch patterns behave. For example, most of us already understand how garter stitch takes a lot more rows to grow than Stockinette; in that same manner, lace fabric opens up to be looser than, say, linen stitch. The O’Keefe pullover is an example of adding lace to an otherwise solid raglan sweater to help create and accentuate this sweater’s trapeze shape.
Sizes: 35 (39.25, 43.75, 48, 52.25, 56.75, 61, 65.5)” bust, to be worn with 3-6″ of positive ease.
Yarn: 1509 (1509, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2515, 2515, 2515) yards heavy lace weight yarn.
Again I find myself unable to fully express the awe and wonder I felt after reading this book. Whether you’re already an avid follower of Bristol Ivy’s work, an aspiring designer, or just a fan of unique styles and innovative techniques, I highly recommend you take a look at Knitting Outside the Box. Even if the patterns themselves go out of style (which won’t happen!), the knowledge shared in this book never will. Knitting Outside the Box offers something for every knitter. Thank you, Bristol!!!
Related items of interest: • Knitting Books • Our yarns • Light weight yarns • Mohair yarns • Wool yarns • Medium weight yarns • Merino Wool yarns
