While there are immigrant communities in the Atlanta area, I don't think of Atlanta as a focus of the Japanese expatriate community. When I've traveled to the West Coast, I've been more likely to encounter Japanese knitting magazines, stitch dictionaries, and pattern books in yarn shops than I would here on the East Coast. When STITCHES South was still a regular event, I would acquire a new Japanese stitch dictionary each year, typically from Yarn Barn of Kansas. Eventually, I discovered there are some Japanese book sellers on Amazon.
So, you might imagine my delight several months ago when I encountered a pre-order opportunity for this:
I'm used to dealing with these books entirely in Japanese. This one is translated by Gayle Roehm. I've taken a couple classes from Gayle, (see posts here and here) mostly in how to read Japanese charts and how to do some of the unusual maneuvers required. When I think of Japanese culture, I think of commitment to very high standards of craftsmanship. Japanese knitters do not disappoint. Hitomi Shida is a master.
The book is over 100 pages of complex knitting. I don't know whether to describe these designs as Baroque or Rococo. Many involve twisted stitches, wrapped stitches, cables, lace, and even bobbles.
Here's an example, stitch pattern #81 from page 50:
The pattern employs lace and traveling cables, as well as embroidery and beads. The roses are so dainty and feminine!
At the beginning of the book, pages 7 though 17 have a thorough table of symbols and their meanings. I'm used to seeing this sort of thing in Japanese stitch dictionaries. Since this book is translated into English, I can actually read the descriptions of how to work the unusual stitches. If you have other Japanese stitch dictionaries, you might want this one just for these few translated pages.
Patterns are generally grouped in chapters. If you are interested in designing your own patterns, "Pattern Arrangements" beginning on page 88 shows patterns in pairs where motifs have been altered to create new but related patterns. Sometimes this is as simple as shifting a motif so it falls on the half-drop, but other times this involves pairing it with new motifs, adding bobbles, or changing other elements. I've seen other Japanese books where this is used to good effect, such as in a twin set where the cardigan and shell are more interesting together as they have related but not identical patterns.
For most of the book, photographs of the swatches are shown next to their corresponding charts. The chapters at the back on "Round Yokes" and "Edgings," however, have the photographs grouped into chapters and the corresponding charts at the back of the book. I would have preferred to pair the photographs and charts so as to avoid all the flipping around. However, this is a minor quibble.
I don't pre-order a lot of knitting books, as I usually prefer to browse a book before adding it to my library. However, Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible by Hitomi Shida, translated with an introduction by Gayle Roehm, did not disappoint. If you have any interest in Japanese knitting, this would be a fine addition to your library.
So, you might imagine my delight several months ago when I encountered a pre-order opportunity for this:
The book is over 100 pages of complex knitting. I don't know whether to describe these designs as Baroque or Rococo. Many involve twisted stitches, wrapped stitches, cables, lace, and even bobbles.
Here's an example, stitch pattern #81 from page 50:
At the beginning of the book, pages 7 though 17 have a thorough table of symbols and their meanings. I'm used to seeing this sort of thing in Japanese stitch dictionaries. Since this book is translated into English, I can actually read the descriptions of how to work the unusual stitches. If you have other Japanese stitch dictionaries, you might want this one just for these few translated pages.
Patterns are generally grouped in chapters. If you are interested in designing your own patterns, "Pattern Arrangements" beginning on page 88 shows patterns in pairs where motifs have been altered to create new but related patterns. Sometimes this is as simple as shifting a motif so it falls on the half-drop, but other times this involves pairing it with new motifs, adding bobbles, or changing other elements. I've seen other Japanese books where this is used to good effect, such as in a twin set where the cardigan and shell are more interesting together as they have related but not identical patterns.
For most of the book, photographs of the swatches are shown next to their corresponding charts. The chapters at the back on "Round Yokes" and "Edgings," however, have the photographs grouped into chapters and the corresponding charts at the back of the book. I would have preferred to pair the photographs and charts so as to avoid all the flipping around. However, this is a minor quibble.
I don't pre-order a lot of knitting books, as I usually prefer to browse a book before adding it to my library. However, Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible by Hitomi Shida, translated with an introduction by Gayle Roehm, did not disappoint. If you have any interest in Japanese knitting, this would be a fine addition to your library.
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