Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions [Paperback]

Yarn Market News: Nancy Bush revisits hallowed creative ground for this beautifully in-depth treatise on the lace masterpieces of her beloved Estonia. She starts with a history section, tracing Estonian lace from its origins as a cottage industry into a world-renowned art form. Then, a primer on knitting intricate "Haapsalu Sall" - center pattern, frame, scalloped edging - with special attention to the bobblelike nupps scattered liberally throughout and, also, to blocking properly on a frame. Then, the patterns: 14 of them, each one a marvel, several adapted from the influential Estonian magazine Triinu. They're rectangular and triangular, short and narrow, long and wide; with diamonds that intersect like figure eights, peacock tails and regal patterns named for Swedish royalty of yore. Finally, a stitch glossary of popular Estonian lace schemes, from leaf and twig to lilly of the valley to the hearty "Greta Garbo." Lovely. I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I love knitted lace and this book explores the heirlooms that are the knitted lace of Estonia. It's always a pleasure to see a knitter that pays tribute to the patterns of a certain area. Nancy Bush not only provides the patterns that we are all dying to knit, but she also provides an in-depth history of the coastal town of Haapsalu and its knitting tradition. In this book, Nancy offers a modern adaptation of the classic ways to construct a shawl. Fourteen patterns are given to create your own heirloom scarf or shawl. An additional stitch dictionary gives another 20 additional lace patterns. The patterns are suitable for every level of knitter. Discover how to design your own shawl. This is a well-designed book with old photographs setting the scene for the history section. The instructions and line drawings make it easy to follow the how-to section. The colour photographs are a little bit on the dark side, but each project is photographed at least twice so that you can see different views. Sources are given for yarns outside the US, but you may need to substitute yarns and make a tension swatch. Your only real difficulty will be in deciding which shawl to knit first. I want to do all 14 and then start creating my own. This book is a definite favourite.-KarenPlatt.co.uk This has to be one of the most beautiful books featuring knitted lace that has ever been published. I love it. The first chapter describes the history of the remarkable Estonian lace knitters covering 14 pages. Following this there are 14 lace patterns for scarves and stoles which use some amazingly lovely lace stitches. Estonian lace is unique in that the patterns are not found in English knitted lace, but are complex, fragile, feminine and very up-to-date. There are stunning designs and borders. Also included are hints for designing your own lacy items. There are plenty of superb fine yarns in the shops and on the web, and these come in a huge variety of colours and yarn types. They have become very popular indeed since the book 'Victorian Lace for Today' hit the bookshops a couple of years ago. Fine yarn and large needles create beautiful flowing projects which can be made by any knitter with some experience. The photography is excellent and the instructions are given in abundance. These are not written, but are given in chart form which many people favour. The more 'difficult' stitches are shown in diagram form and although a challenge are clearly represented. I can find no faults with this book and being a lace knitter myself highly recommend it to anyone wanting something different and challenging. If I had to sum up the book in a few words they would be BEAUTIFUL BOOK - BUY IT AND TRY IT -You will not be disappointed.-Jenny Lewis With this book knitters will deepen their knowledge of knitting in Estonia, home to some of the oldest knitted artefacts in northern Europe-particularly mittens, gloves, and socks-where the craft has played a major role in customs and traditions for hundreds of years. You will learn about traditional lace-knitting techniques, including the starburst, twig, peacock, and lily of the valley patterns and their variations; different ways to make the distinctive nupp, or subdued bobble; as well as modern adaptations of the classic ways of constructing shawls and scarves and adding lace edges. Photographs from several Estonian museums and from the author's own collection of modern knitted shawls are used as source material for patterns and construction techniques. A chapter includes dozens of Estonian lace patterns, with both graphed and written instructions, so they are easily understandable to readers. Instructions for fourteen heirloom-quality projects to knit are included: scarves and shawls in square, rectangular, and triangular shapes; some with added edgings, some without. The text covers instructions for interchanging patterns and designing an Estonian-style shawl, stole or scarf from beginning to end. Tips and techniques used in Estonia are included and augmented with expert advice from the author. Jenny Lewis, our reviewer thoroughly enjoyed this book. She says, A"Fine yarn and large needles create beautiful flowing projects that can be made by any knitter with some experience. The photography is excellent and the instructions are given in abundance. These are not written, but are given in chart form which many people favour. The more 'difficult' stitches are shown in diagram form and although a challenge are clearly represented. I can find no faults with this book and being a lace knitter myself, I highly recommend it to anyone wanting something different and challenging.A"-HotHive Textiles Estonian lace designs are well known to be among the most beautiful and delicate of all, and this book covers the best traditional designs. The projects are all for shawls and scarves, but there's also a directory of Estonian lace stitches which you could use for any design of your own. The book also explains the rich history of Estonian lace knitting.-AllAboutYou.com

Nancy Bush has worked as a freelance designer and consultant to several yarn companies, as a contributing editor to Knitter's Magazine, and is currently knitting contributor to PieceWork magazine. Her designs and articles have appeared in Interweave Knits, Spin-Off, Vogue Knitting, and Threads. She teaches workshops for guilds, shops, and at conferences throughout the United States, Canada, Finland, and Estonia. She owns The Wooly West, a mail-order and online yarn business in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the author of several books.