Creative Knitting: A New Art Form

by Mary Walker Phillips

This classic book on knitting as an art form demonstrates the many creative possibilities of knitting structure. Charts, diagrams, and photos will inspire any knitter.

Genres: Knitting, Art, Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. Of course the concept of knitting as an art form is now old, but that doesn't diminish the utility and inspiration you can find in this book. The wall hangings the author has created are odes to creativity and experimentation, and a good number of them sparked my imagination and made me want to do the same with my handspun. She inserts not only beads and wire but also rocks, seedpods, and other objects into her wall hangings. She blocks parts of the knitted fabric so that it protrudes and creates a three-dimensional element. The hangings have movement.

The author presents the finished objects and shows the reader how to dissect and recreate them - but she also encourages the reader not merely to recreate, but to innovate. Only some of the basic building blocks she gives us are "new" in the sense that she has created the stitches. Mostly, she takes well-established stitches and stitch patterns, particularly from lace, and uses them in idiosyncratic ways to create a finished object that is utterly different from what came before.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a massive amount of info tucked between these pages. This is more a book of stitch references for exploration than a pattern book and
I had to check it out from the library multiple times this summer to truly appreciate it. I may have to eventually buy it.

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a reference book than anything else, I bought this when I was contemplating getting a Master Knitter designation.
At one time, if you were a lace knitter, this book was an important part of your library.
It does have close-up illustrations of knitted stitches and some nice black and white photos of the author's lace sampler work.

[Linda]

It would seem that the author has a different interpretation of "creative" than I do. The book is rich in historical detail, but I don't feel creatively inspired by the possibilities of knitting after reading this.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. Stitch patterns for art knitting. (No clothes)