Friday Review - The Well-Knit Home

The Well-Knit Home by Gina Macris (July 2007)

This book is dedicated to knits for the home like pillows, vases, coasters, bowls and wash-clothes.  It starts out well, with an index with a thumbnail photo of every project.  Love the smart little details like this.  The focus is home accent projects - those little touches or items that make a space uniquely yours.

The book starts out with a section the author calls "Knit Knowledge" and leads off with an essay on design where she urges exploration of new ways to use yarn and stitches.  Then its on to the techniques that are used in the projects.  On the surface they are a bit random and discombobulated - demonstrating stitches next to a discussion on chenille then showing bobbles and how to insert a zipper- but all tie into the projects.

   

The projects in this book are broken up into five sections - "Living Knits" "Dining Knits" "Bedroom Knits" Baby Knits" "Bath Knits".  I have to say that a lot of the pages are dedicated to multiple photos for each project with close-ups and multiple angles.  The patterns have all the necessary information including written directions and charts where applicable.  The patterns are basic with fine elements and easily customizable to your home.

This book just doesn't ring my bell. Everything is too boring a blah or too over the top.  I expect accents to pop.  These all seem to fizzle.  Like plain felted coasters or vase covers.  Or the other extreme which uses way too much novelty. If you decorate with a strict conservative style or like frizz and fuzz, you might like this book.  Everyone else could skip it.