Fitted Knits: 25 Designs for the Fashionable Knitter

Wow, what a great book. Loads of cool and flattering knits here. I like everything, which puts this book in an elite group of perhaps 3..... When you consider I buy practically every new knitting book, that sure is something. I immediately frogged some gorgeous suri alpaca I just started using an Interweave Knits pattern, and started her ribbed vneck sweater. I've never knitted a top down sweater, or one totally in the round, and I must say it is really liberating, and the instructions are very clear. I started with this pattern firstly because I like it, and secondly because it's marked easy. Her patterns are graded into varying levels of difficulty, which is a plus. I already know what my next project is going to be, and it will be the next step up in difficulty. Now it's just a matter of finding the right yarn in my stash.....This is also one of the few books I have which doesn't rely on expensive yarns to do the work. Most of the yarns here are reasonably priced, and would be easy to sub if you wish.It's true that the majority of patterns are for raglan sweaters. However there are a few that aren't. Besides, altho I could be way off here, I don't see any other way you can knit a top down sweater. Unless it's a round yoke, and personally I find raglan more flattering than round yokes.Contrary to another reviewer, I don't see any shapeless knits in here. There are a couple of knits which are not knit in the round - a very cute sleeveless lace tank which gets its shapeliness from clever use of stitch patterns, for instance, and a tube top which uses a lace panel for the same effect. These are both in my project list for summer....There's only one problem with this book. I can't use my usual method of marking with sticky notes, as I would mark practically all of them!I hope she publishes more books soon, as this is one designer I will always buy sight unseen!

This book is great! I am in the middle of making my first sweater from it and I am already loving the results. I am an "in-betweener" meaning that usually my size is in between two sizes, and sometimes that causes a lot of problems. I hate to make a sweater too big (makes me look chubby) or too small (looks like I borrowed my skinny friend's sweater)... so I usually improvise with mixed results.The thing that I love about this book is that she separates the body in the sweaters in three parts. Bust, Waist, and Hip... this way you can add or subtract as necessary to get the proper fit. She explains this in detail, and with a bit of thinking and a pencil and paper (and calculator) you can easily figure out how to alter the designs.She uses a variety of common gauges so you can substitute yarn with something more affordable. Seriously if you need 6 to 12 balls of yarn and it costs over $10 per ball that's an expensive sweater! (at least for me... starving student and all...) Anyway, I plan to make several designs from this book because I love the way they look and that they are fitted.UPDATE: I made one of the sweaters in the book, it was very easy and it looks beautiful! Like I said before, the yarn guages in this book are very common so you don't have to use pricey yarns to make a sweater. I used Woolease yarn as a replacement, which brought the cost of the sweater down to about 20 dollars. I loved the way the pattern allowed me to customize the garment for my figure, and how easy it was to make.Overall, if you like stylish knits that flatter the figure... you will adore this book!

This is a beautiful book with many designs I want to try. I have only knit up one so far (the sleeveless turtleneck tank), and I have to say, I am a bit disappointed with the pattern. It was clearly written in a size other than the one I am knitting, because there are a couple of stitch-count mistakes in the pattern that made me have to rip out my work and start over. As a relative beginner, this was very frustrating, because I had to ad-lib on how to fix it. I have since discovered that these mistakes are corrected on the author's website, but that did me no good while I was trying to work through the problem. However, I am not giving up on the book yet. I'll try one more...but I'll consult the author's website before I pick up my needles.

Many knitters struggle with finishing techniques. Blocking and seaming garments and ending with a garment that fits is another skill set that is entirely seperate from knitting. Fitted knits addresses this with designs that are created from the top down. Top down knitting allows the knitter to adjust the fit of the garment as it is knitted. Blocking and seaming are reduced by eighty percent. This allows the knitter to end with a garment that can actually be worn.Japel's instructions are clear and concise and can be followed easily. I have knitted two garments from this book. One I didn't follow the fitting instructions as closely as I should have and this had to be partially frogged and re-done. The second attempt at this sweater was lovely. My second complete project was perfect the first time and I get many compliments when I wear the sweater.The designs are a nice mixture of vintage inspired and modern and use yarns that are readily available and can fit any budget. Yarn substitution is made easy with the good guage information. I have owned this book for four years and intend to make other garments in the collection and the techniques have been added to my knitting knowledge. Highly recommended.

Looking forward to making projects from this book.

Wide variety of patterns with different yarns and needle sizes. Great ideas for tailoring patterns for individual measurements. Can't wait to try her methods and make many of the projects!

Endlich ein Buch mit vielen Oberteilen die passend auf den Leib gestrickt werden.Gestricktes trägt leider meistens ziemlich auf, diese Modelle aber umschmeicheln die Figur. Wer unförmige Kastenpullover leid ist und aber auch keinen Schnürkorsetteffekt erwartet, wird hier fündig. Die Formgebung ergibt sich durch die Dehnbarkeit der gewählten Muster, Zunahmen und Abnahmen die als Designlinien oder unauffällig im Gestrick untergebracht sind. Die verwendete Wolle ist - falls nötig - durch gute, nicht allzu dünne, zeitgemäße und leicht erhältliche Standardgarne ersetzbar.Es gibt knappe neckische Jäckchen aus dickerem Garn die schnell fertig werden, aber auch normale Pullis und sogar eine Jacke/Rock-Kombi und ein Kleid.Und ganz besonders erfreut mich, dass die meisten Modelle in einem Stück ohne viel Endausarbeitungsaufwand von den Nadeln gleiten.Nach den Methoden in diesem Buch lassen sich auch andere Pullis figurgerecht anpassen. Das bischen Mehraufwand lohnt sich, der Unterschied fällt angenehm auf.Gutes Strick-Englisch ist hier Voraussetzung, da es zwar Skizzen, aber keine umfangreichen Strickschriften gibt. Wer noch nie nach englischen Anleitungen gearbeitet hat, braucht vermutlich etwas Hilfe oder einfach nur Mut und Geduld um den Einstieg zu finden.

『Custom Knits』に続いてこちらも購入しました。こちらは、もう少しデザインが凝っていて洗練されています。『Custom Knits』同様、襟から下へと編み進める手法が用いられています。この作者、本業は科学者とのことですが、技術へのこだわりには素晴らしいものがあります。ウェストダーツ、バストダーツを駆使して、より体へのフィット感を追求したセーターが紹介されています。ちょっと極端に言いますと、サーフィンのウェットスーツでさえも、この作者なら編めるんじゃないか・・・というような雰囲気です。作者のホームページでその作風が観られます。（[...]）この本は、『Custom Knits』に比べますと、１点、１点が作者のマスターピース作品という感じでより個性的です。『Custom Knits』のように、よりシンプルなデザインのセーターから襟や袖の形を変えてみたりなど読者が自分でアレンジを加えたり、あるいは一から製図して自作のセーターを創作してみよう！というような指導的ガイダンスはありません。それでも、冒頭に、身体に合うように多少の補正を加える方法は簡単に紹介されています。　２冊とも前のレビューの方のご意見を参考に購入したのですが、正解でした。ありがとうございます。

Nice book, very easy projects even for someone who just started reading patterns, I did my second with that book, the two-color shrug. Great patterns for a nice price (bought it used)