With their classic flair and unsurpassed versatility, cardigans are a staple of women’s wardrobes. In her attractive new collection, famed knitwear designer Louisa Harding shares her patterns for gorgeous cardigans in styles ranging from romantic and feminine to fun and flirty. Knit in Harding’s own line of luxurious yarns, the projects include an adorable cardigan with picot edging and a sailor collar; one with short puffed sleeves and lace trim; a swingy cropped cardigan; a summery striped version with a single-button closure; and a comfy knee-length cardigan with pockets. They’re sure to be popular with all knitters.
My wardrobe consists primarily of cardigans. I love them. I love their versatility and how I can quickly dress most of them up or down. I tend to prefer simple shapes but like when I can add a hint of my personality to them. That is often difficult with store bought cardigans and to date I've only knitted a few of my own. I'm looking to change that so I borrowed this book from the library for inspiration. Harding does not disappoint, though I wish there were more photos of each garment. I do like that most patterns are shown knitted using two vastly different yarn choices, highlighting how easy it is to create a completely changed look. What is nice is that the sizing includes ease allowance which are quite useful in assisting in deciding which size to knit. I'm not sure I'll knit many of these cardigans with the included instructions, no matter how beautiful they are as I am not a piece knitter. I prefer my garments as seamless as possible, and will definitely use many of the shapes and details for inspiration -- sleeve length changes, different edgings -- there are many examples to provide creative starting points.
I love this book. I keep it out so I can peruse it often. To date I have only made one cardi for my daughter which was easy to make and looks beautiful. The patterns are well laid out and easy to follow. Yarn weight categories are suggested instead of just the Louisa Harding brand which was helpful for diving into my own yarn collection (as opposed to buying ANOTHER lot of yarn) I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cardigans!
A good range of designs. Quite a few weren’t my style, but there are a couple that jump out at me. Published in 2009, but feels older. Some funny model photos.