There are over a dozen free events on our calendar this week. Let us know about yours at craftyliving@jg.net.Loop-d-Loop Lace: More Than 30 Novel Lace Designs for Knitters is Teva Durham's third book.
It's an STC Craft/Melanie Falick publication, and it shows.
The book starts with a delightful story about Durham, struggling through her first true knitted lace edging, with over-the-phone help from Meg Swansen.
"Meg talked me through each pattern row and soon a rippling ribbon of lace with a dainty yet rustic texture extended from the needles," Durham writes.
It's a cute peek into her introduction to lace knitting. Durham continues with an overview of the history of knitted lace (and lace knitting, which are related, but distinct).
The whole tone of the introduction and the book is friendly and packed with information. My very favorite kind of writing.
The 30 patterns are broken into five chapters: Mesh, Eyelets, Samplers, Leaves and Doilies. Each chaper starts with a description of the type and structure of knitting each kind of lacy knits, and moves on to a series of photo-centric spreads for each pattern.
This is followed by the patterns, themselves, in detail.
It's a page design principal that I hope other authors (and publishers) will consider, since it gives the photographs plenty of room, but also helps make the written pattern easier to photocopy and carry around.
The arrangement is both practical and beautiful. Much like Durham's lovely designs.
Overall, a very worthwhile book for both the lace enthusiast and lace beginner.
