Artigianati.com

by Diani Carrol

Knitting is not just for nanas. Japanese designer Hikaru Noguchi has taken up her knitting needles to create a whole new wardrobe of quirky, original items.

Inside this stylish, soft-cover book you’ll find 31 patterns suitable for all knitters from novices to experts. The usual range of scarves, gloves and hats is accompanied by more unusual items such as cushion covers, handbags and brooches.

Curiously, given the book’s unambiguous title, some of the patterns are actually crocheted, not knitted. The basics of each craft, such as how to cast on and how to make the different stitches, are clearly explained in chapter one.

The patterns are all illustrated with glorious, shabby-chic photographs, making this a charming book to own or to give. Noguchi’s simple little slippers can be made in a single evening and the motifs for the brooches could be used as a variety of decorations.

This is a smart, original take on traditional needlecrafts that could make them appealing to a whole new generation of woolly fashionistas.

– Murdoch Books (Made in France Series), $34.95

SOURCE  _  http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/local/news/entertainment/book-review-knitting-hikaro-noguchi/1802935.aspx