Review: Plum Dandi Knits: Simple Designs for Luxury Yarns

Plum Dandi Knits: Simple Designs for Luxury Yarns by Alicia Plummer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Interweave Press, Alicia Plummer and netgalley.

The world is filled with knitting books - one for every kind and every level of knitter. There are those that feature many kinds of yarn and those that focus on one yarn. Books by the season and books by any other category you can think of. But every once in a while there will be knitting book that is so beautiful, filled with gorgeous projects, that you just can't wait to get one of them on your needles. "Plum Dandi Knits" by Alicia Plummer is one such a book. Beautifully shot, with a wide variety of projects, I wanted to knit each and every one of them.
I am a sucker for cardigans and Genesee looks so cozy that I fell in love immediately. Upon closer inspection the lace detailing around the bottom and under the pockets make it that more special and unique of an item. There is a traditional pair of legwarmers should you want and then there is Fennimer. Almost like a long pair of lacy socks, these legwarmers could be worn in an updated version under a midi skirt, with a pair of heels and everyone can admire your handiwork. I also love the new cape silhouettes that she is showing. There is such a variety of projects that whether you are a beginner or an advanced knitter there is something for everyone.
The book itself is shot beautifully and I would recommend getting it in hardcopy rather than ebook. There are many shots of each project so you can see the item from different angles. If I had to say, the only negative is that as an ebook, some of the pictures were small and I wanted them bigger and to fill the page. The patterns are written out and have charts to again, accommodate every type of knitter. The patterns read logically and are easy to understand. I haven't yet knit any projects so I can only speak to how it is to read them through.
Knitting books are an investment and Plum Dandi Knits is worth it. The patterns are classic that they won't feel dated years from now yet have enough detail to make them interesting. You will want to cast on each and every project in this new book.

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Here goes!

Okay, here goes - my first blog attempt. Yes, I guess that means I'm behind the times. As a knitter I have recently joined the ravelry group and feel like I need to express on each and every project that I am working on. I recently listened to all - yes all - 76 podcasts of Stash and Burn and came down with Nicole's "startitis". I had just finished a baby blanket for my newest niece that was a bit of a nightmare. It had three colours with hearts done in intarsia. The knitting wasn't as bad as the assembly. So I was ready for something new. What do I begin? I started no less than 22 projects (not to mention that I already had a crochet project in the works). At first it seemed like a great idea. I went "shopping" in my stash and found a bunch of great patterns. The casting on was so exciting! I was such a good girl and did all of my gauge swatches just to make sure the yarn substitutions would work. At first it worked perfectly. Just as I was beginning to get bored of one project, I could switch to another. I made the projects run from easy to medium (not too much thinking but with some interest) to a few that would challenge my skills and I would learn some new techniques.
Alas! I have been swayed by another baby blanket for my girlfriend who is due in August. To avoid what is in the knitting basket, I have completed almost 1/3 of the blanket.
Now, if only I can keep my focus as I have just agreed to crochet 50 kippahs for my brother's wedding in August and I have to finish a major needlepoint project for my nephew (hopefully before he is out of diapers!)
What I really should be working on is my report cards (which are also apparently overdue!)