Celtic Knits: Over 25 Designs for Babies, Children and Adults

by Debbie Bliss

Book Overview

Scottish and Irish designs have long been a rich source of inspiration for knitters. Beautiful earthy colors and styles that range from simple chunky sweaters to intricate Fair Isles offer endless ideas. Now, in this marvelous new collection, leading knitwear designer Debbie Bliss presents more than 25 original Celtic-inspired designs for the entire family. For adults, there are rugged fishermen's sweaters, cardigans in delicate hues of heather and...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157076140X
• ISBN13: 9781570761409
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Publishing
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.9" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Again, a beautiful book from Debbie Bliss.

I keep reviewing books by Debbie Bliss. And I find myself saying the same things over and over. This book is no exception. The pictures are just lovely. Debbie Bliss's knitting books can serve as coffee table books for knitters. The layout is just delightful to look at. The patterns are for classic items that can be worn for years. However, having yet to knit anything from this particular book, I can't say anything about the difficulty of the patterns themselves. I would expect that they are similar to other books by this author. I generally make sure that I go over a Debbie Bliss pattern more than once before I start knitting. Often, having an experienced knitter look at it can be useful as well. However, whether you are a novice or an experienced knitter, you will enjoy looking at this book, even if you never knit from it. We have watched Debbie Bliss's kids grow up in the pages of her books--they are two of her models for the clothing found in this book again. Which brings me to one of the other joys of a Debbie Bliss book. The knitted items are pictured being worn by real people, not fashion models. I think it really helps you to picture the finished item on a normal person in a normal pose. Not a model posed to make the sweater look as nice as possible, while the person wearing it is contorted into some very funny stance!

Mainly for adults, less creative than her children's books

Bliss' book contains more sweater patterns for adults than for children. The children's sweaters lack the charm of Bliss' childrens books, which are fantastic, so if you are searching for a child's pattern, look at her other books -- particularly her books that contain Aran designs, which are quite unique and simple to knit, although all her children's books are equally wonderful. As far as designs for adults in Celtic Knits, I was both pleased and disappointed. The designs are nice and some are fairly simple to knit. One of the pullover Arans is actually quite splendid. But on the whole they aren't as Celtic as I'd expected -- there are a few fair isles (for children) that are rather plain in comparison to other Bliss designs. The sweaters on the whole are less Celtic and more English -- more like reading a Rowan knitting magazine, so they are very nice but not what you might expect. Also, if you are expecting these to be more or less adult versions of her children's designs, you'll also be disappointed. Bliss' style for adults is much less intricate and unique. The book itself is of high quality. The patterns are very detailed, although diagrams and measurements are missing, which makes it more difficult to be certain you are knitting to size or to adjust your gauge (I wish publishers would realize this -- they are giving those of us who rely on measurements user-unfriendly books). Photos of the sweaters, like in many of Bliss' books, are over-posed -- you see a stylish photo of the model and the background, but have very little chance of actually seeing what the sweater really looks like, and if you knit like I do, detailed instructions don't always reproduce what you see in the photo, so I at least would like to have had better pictures so I could knit directly from them and not struggle with the instructions. Bliss uses a variety of yarns, from Jaeger or Rowan: wool, cotton, and chenille. Thus there is something here for all seasons. She also includes a few men's sweaters. Despite some drawbacks, this is a nice addition to a knitter's library -- a quality book with a variety of sweater designs to satisfy any taste. If you are new to Bliss' designs, please do look into her children's books. I purchased Classic Knits for Kids first and fell in love with them, and they can be resized for adults with some effort -- but it's worth it. Bliss is one of the best British designers -- attractive, durable, and charming sweaters.

Gorgeous patterns and presentation in all sizes

This book is what my husband describes as "knitter's pornography": I flip through the pages over and over, ogling the to-die-for designs and sighing with appreciative pleasure. The production values are top notch -- beautiful photos, colored pages, innovative design -- and give this a fresh, untraditional look, especially by knitting-pattern standards. I can't wait to begin some of the designs, which, as the title suggests, are strongly influenced by the Celtic sensibility (e.g. lots of arans and cablework, tweedy yarns, sea and sky colors). My practical side must warn that this book is not for the novice knitter - most of the patterns involve textured stitching, cables and/or colorwork that I think would overwhelm a beginner. And as with Bliss's more recent works, a serious knitter wishes there were clearer pictures of the finished designs, more measurements and drawings of the pieces, and perhaps larger type (I'm only 35 so don't blame age for this!). Overall, however, a terrific and beautifully-produced book with designs in sizes for the whole family.