Comforts of Home: Simple Knitted Accents

by Erika Knight, John Heseltine (Photographer)

Comforts of Home
Simple Knitted Accents
by Erika Knight Transform your home into a luxurious retreat with exquisite knitted accents! Capturing the mood of minimalist design, Comforts of Home offers simple patterns for creating luxurious, contemporary knitted accents for the home. Eighteen beautiful and practical projects feature the easiest stitches and patterns, making this book ideal for even first-time knitters. Starting with basic knitting techniques, Comforts of Home provides detailed photographs and easy-to-follow instructions that introduce each knitting concept clearly and concisely. From casting on to increasing, decreasing, and binding off, you'll find each project simple to stitch and a joy to create. · Quick-to-knit designs follow the stylish "natural look" trend, using soft, lavish yarns and muted color palettes to harmonize with any decor · Large projects are conveniently broken down into portable sections for knitting at the soccer game, the doctor's office, or away from home · No previous knitting experience is needed--most of these lush accessories can be completed in a weekend, even by novice knitters These elegant, quick, and easy projects for modern interiors offer a casual look that will transform your home's spaces into comfortable, welcome havens for living.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Keep it simple, chic and contemporary! So says Erika, textile designer and fashion design consultant, whose trademark has been the traditional with a twist. Coming into knitting via fine art training, she is highly regarded in her field and works for many international companies designing ready-to-wear ranges. Author of Comforts of Home (Martingale), her latest book is Simple Knits for Cherished Babies (Collins & Brown).

Reviews

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knitting zeal with a shabby chic feel
Erika Knight with the photography of John Heseltine has put together 18 unique projects that take you from beginning to advanced knitting. Looking closely, you see the bamboo needles that she preferred. The pictures are large enough to see how the different stitches are made.
You see how to make simple slippers and if you look really fast a "Brain bag." I can use one of those. However, when you slow down it is actuarially a Bain bag for holding things like soaps and other bathroom paraphernalia. Now I know why the book is dedicated to generation Y2K; they do not have to adjust their glasses to spell Bain.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very much like her Simple Knits for Easy Living book. It is definitely her aesthetic with the creamy, soft, soothing color palette and classic shapes. This book differs in that there are a couple garments and totes thrown in here, but not much else. Beautiful photography. Amazing finishing on all the knitted pieces. Things are a bit boring, though. If you like her, you'll like this book

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-put-together, good pictures and lots of instruction and information for all knitters, including a goodly lot of informative paragraphs about various yarns available and their differing textures and qualities. That part of the book is very good, but the patterns were so bland and stodgy that they simply bored me. None of them even tweaked my interest a bit, except for what she called a Spa coat, and the instructions for *that* were given in such an odd manner that it was next to impossible to figure out just how large the garment would become! Annoying.

And Pet Peeve: the sizings were not all that generous, for the couple of patterns for sweaters and that coat - ~42" seemed to be the largest, alas. Most of the patterns offered here were for pillows and throws/blankets, and while Ms. Knight's color sense is, IMO, superb (she tends towards greys, browns, cream - as do I, usually) the patterns themselves are lackluster in their appeal, at least they were for me. three-and-one-half stars only, mainly for the thoroughness with which she provides information concerning yarn types and forms.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many good projects, but I made the oversize sweater and had to reknit most of it b/c it's based on rectangles and has no fitting and therefore didn't fit well. I put the seams on the inside, reknit the sleeves so the wrists weren't so big and didn't flop in the way of everything, reknit the roll collar into a turtleneck so it wouldn't ride up my neck. Next time I would put in armhole and neck shaping. Then you'd have a good sweater. I do like the ribbing and the welt border. The ideas for beading and decorating for pillows, etc., are fun as was one of the little boxes which I made as a gift.

Bottom line: good book if you know how to knit and can adapt as necessary. Not really for beginners.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking to use up some of my stash, and lately I've realized that I could do it by making home decor. I've made a rug, and now, with some of these simple patterns (nothing too difficult, really)I will be adding some pretty throw pillows into the mix!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knitting book that only includes stuff for the house (and I think one oversized sweater). It's nice, even if they use expensive yarn.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I want to knit pillow covers. Lots of them.

[Mckinley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seems to be a lot of cross over with Simple knits for easy living by same author. Pillows and blankets