Friday 3 February 2017

Double or Nothing: A Book Review


Today we're going to have a look at a knitting pattern book called Double or Nothing: Reversible Knitting for the Adventurous, by Alasdair Post-Quinn, and published by Fallingblox Designs. I've had very little experience with double knitting -- I'm pretty sure I've made just one double knitted project, and it was merely a pair of slippers -- but this book provides a lot of clear and photo-illustrated instructions throughout, so don't be afraid to tackle its projects if you're a double knitting virgin or near-virgin.





Abaciscus cowl. I'm liking the attractive and contemporary look of this one. The pale blue and mauve combination is pretty, and of course as with all double knitting, this cowl will be extra warm and there's no ugly underside.





Hesperos scarf. I'm very much liking this one. The combination of spirals and chevrons are downright cool, and I'm mentally playing with various colour schemes.





Ranelva mittens. Nice, but I would be inclined to add on a ribbed cuff to these, as they look a little unfinished to me as is.





Waterford Crossing. I'm a little torn on this one, as I can't decide whether it's cool and inventive or a little too much like a surplice for a Druid acolyte... but then again, why is that a bad thing? From the various other photos of it in the book and on Ravelry, I see that it is a versatile piece that can be worn as a wrap or layered under a collarless coat. So, I guess I'm going to come down off the fence on the side of liking this design.





Kontinuum hat. Fun and stripey!





Rustle of Leaves scarf. This one is maybe a little on the fussy side, but wearing it with a simple outfit will balance that out, and it really is an eye-catching piece with an effective play of colour.





Hexworth scarf. This is a handsome piece that will be a good way to showcase two beautiful yarns, and also reminds me of the bubble wrap that was so much fun to systematically pop whenever I got hold of any as a child. What's not to like about that?





Eureka hat. I'm having trouble liking this one, and I think it's the mustard and ketchup colourway that's holding up the show, because otherwise the design is objectively good.





Ferronnerie tam. This tam looks fantastic from the side but so muddled and confused from the top that it's much to the detriment of the whole effect.





Atyria II hat. This cap looks fantastic from all angles.





Twice as Sexy tie. It's difficult to get a knitted tie to look just right (though it can be done) and I'm not sure the author of this book has managed it. It doesn't help that this tie is too long on the model (please tell me men aren't going to start wearing overly long ties and scotch tape instead of tie clips like a certain person) and that the narrow end is showing, though of course the narrow end was displayed on purpose to show the reader how the colour reversed side looks. With those two problems corrected, this tie would look quite decent.





Heartbound Again hat. I like this hat a lot as well. The cabled effect would look well in either a high contrast or more subtle colourway.





Spring Willow cowl. The stitchwork in this is great -- love the combination of the straight and wavy lines over the lace -- but the colour palette (which I will not name as the only comparison I can come up with is pretty rude) is doing this piece no favours.





Adenydd shawl. This shawl is not only quite an inventive and skilled pieces of work, but it is one of the highest impact design I've seen in some time. You couldn't walk by someone who was wearing this and not notice it.

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