Cover Up with Nicky Epstein: Knitted Afghans from her Personal Collection

by Nicky Epstein

A colorful treasury of superb knitted afghans ranges from the simple and monochromatic White Sampler, to the intricate Musical Afghan and detailed panels of the Twelve Days of Christmas, along with full-color photographs, complete patterns and step-by-step instructions, and expert tips. Crafter's Choice Book Club.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Nicky Epstein is a knitting designer and author of numerous books on knitting. She is known for her creative combinations of knitting stitches, and for the colorful patterns often found in her sweaters, especially involving applique of separately knitted motifs.[1] In 2005, she was given a prestigious award by the National NeedleArts Association. In 2006, her work was featured in a retrospective fashion show at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. Since the (winter) Holiday 2005 issue, Epstein has written a regular column in Vogue Knitting called simply "Nicky Epstein".

Reviews

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treasure this book is, IF you are an expert knitter and have a great deal of patience! (grin) And if you want a real challenge...

Filled with enormously beautiful pictures of simply superbly designed knitted afghans, most with extremely complicated intarsia work and/or knitted and/or embroidered embellishments, this large book would be a terrific addition to any truly serious knitter's library. And if you're not an experienced knitter as yet, would recommend purchasing this to give you something to strive towards!

There are 21 original designs from Ms. Epstein, and each one is a stunner. Some look like tapestries, some have elegant lace, a couple have cables and sewn-on knitted flowers and other design bits, and one is a glorious knitted-in design of knit and purl stitches that appears to be a landscape; worked all in off-white, it's one of my favorites; the only drawback for me is that it's worked in one piece, and I hate that format, much prefer pieces - I love it so much, however, that I'm almost ready to try it. Happily I'm also in love with another, the one on the cover, which I'm going to try and work up without the intarsia as I dislike doing that much color-work (I'm patient but not THAT patient!) and it's done in panels with a nifty lace border. Worked in a lighter yarn on smaller needles it'll make a very beautiful baby afghan, and I hope to start it soon. Many of the patterns here appear to be able to be altered in similar ways, with very lovely background stitch designs that for my taste work very nicely without the embroidery or the intarsia work. But ohhh, how absolutely lovely the afghans are with the designs completed as instructed!

There are a great many big charts for the color-work, the pages are large and the instructions very clear. Overall, this is one of the very nicest afghan books I've ever seen, and I sincerely wish I could afford to purchase it for my very own. Will just have to make-due with my library copy for now.

[BookMouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are pretty, but too many of the patterns are just intarisa, which are very pretty, but not something I'd knit.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find anything in this book that I wanted to knit.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to look at for the fun of it, not looking for blanket patterns to knit.