Friday, March 26, 2010

Stitch Nation Collection Booklet Review (and giveaway)

How lovely is this styling?
I was very lucky to get a copy of Stitch Nation By Debbie Stoller Collection 1 in the mail to review from Coats & Clark. This full color booklet has 13 patterns (14 if you count the flower corsage that goes with the capelet) in it all using the Stitch Nation Yarn. You will find 10 knit and 3 crochet patterns. The breakdown is 3 neck patterns (scarf, shawl and a capelet) 2 hat patterns, 2 blankets, 1 bag, 1 pair of mittens and 5 sweaters. Of the 13 patterns only 1 of them is an easy pattern. This book is definitely for the intermediate or confident beginners. Just like most yarn specific booklet it doesn’t have a “learn to” section. Let’s start out by saying this is a very attractive booklet. The styling is very nice the pattern layout is great and the instructions are clear and full. Charts and schematics are clear and easy to understand. If you are looking for a booklet that is in the same vein as the Stoller books you won’t find it here. The photos are well done and the booklet layout is attractive it just doesn’t have the feel of the books and it doesn’t pretend to.

This hat is so cool and slouchy
To me the patterns are very safe and mostly conservative. When I think of the Debbie Stoller and her books I think of trendier, avant-garde and fashion forward knitting designs. These patterns seem pretty basic and straightforward. You won’t find weird stitches, techniques or innovative cables. The stitch patterns and cables are pretty traditional and come straight from a stitch dictionary. The booklet does have a good range of small and large projects.

I liked the variety in the patterns from hats to sweaters it is a nice mix. My favorite pattern is the Flying Colors Hat. I made this hat for a test knit and I loved the blister stitch. The hat has a Bohus feel to me and the back of the pattern is very slouchy. You can’t see it in the pictures but the back of the hat is purled giving the hat cool texture which balances the color work in the front. I thought the mittens looked huge on the models hands. The booklet has a lot of color but for the most part the most of the projects are either one color or a small blend of colors. I feel that the Stitch Nation yarn color palette screams color work to me. The Over the Rainbow blanket and the Gardening at Night Bag have nice color work but I wanted some Fair Isle or Intarsia in a young and fresh way.

I want this in a heather brown
I also was disappointed that the projects did not list the designer. In the SNB books I really liked the designer bios. It should be known that Heather Dixon designed some of the patterns. She is listed as the designer on Ravelry for about half of the patterns with Debbie listed as the designer for the rest. The Cable Car Coat is nice and would make a great go to sweater for the fall sweater. The photo for the Morning Frost Wrap is so lovely and romantic it is a super simple wrap that would feel great around the neck especially if you did it in the Bamboo as suggest. Basically the booklet is nice; the patterns have a good variety range and a good vehicle for the yarn. I realize that Coats is trying to reach a broad audience and this does that very well. Don’t forget you can also find some great free patterns on the Stitch Nation website.

So now the fun stuff! Coats& Clark has given me a fresh new copy of the booklet to give away. If you want to try to win a copy then just leave me a comment. Put your Ravelry name in the comment so I can contact you. If you don’t use Ravelry than just leave a comment and check back in two weeks (April 9th) to see if you won.

Full o Sheep Review
Alpaca Love Review
Bamboo Ewe Review

26 comments:

  1. Hi ho! I would love to win the book! My Ravelry name is BarbMoore but I'll be getting your blog also.

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  2. Oh yea! Please enter me!

    forevereading at gmail dot com

    we are friends on Rav. so you can find me.
    Also... Thanks for that website with the free patterns! I did not know about that one! I am going to make the cabled hat for my daughter.

    I am going to tell my mom about your giveaway.

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  3. I just love the color of the scarf and the pattern. Please enter me to win the book and thanks for link to free patterns. My Ravelry ID is Kimskreations and in the Red Heart group.

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  4. mibesaam1:57 PM

    I saw this yarn for the first time last night at Joanns. I loved the colors and the "feel" of the yarn. I am mibesaam on Ravelry and would love to be entered for the giveaway

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  5. Anonymous3:38 PM

    Hi, Great Book!
    Please enter me.
    I am itsjustme-wendy's mom
    Thanks for the link for the free patterns.
    RJB
    loke304[at]tds[dot][net

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:39 PM

    Hi me again

    Gave wrong email address....
    RJB
    loki304[at]tds[dot]net

    ReplyDelete
  7. KnittingBelle5:24 PM

    I'd love to win. Please enter me into the drawing. I'm KnittingBelle on Ravelry. :)

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  8. I want. Pretty please.

    midwifemom on Ravelry.

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  9. I'd love to win! I am MrsLindaK on Ravelry.

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  10. That scarf is gorgeous in pattern and color! I'd love to win the pattern book. (tikihead on Ravelry)

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  11. Anonymous2:00 PM

    Redyarnmama (Stephanie) on Ravelry
    The hat is cute.

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  12. Oh I would LOVE to get this! Thank you for having the contest!!!!

    My Ravelry name is: crochetferretlvr

    Thanks!
    Krystal

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  13. Anonymous8:44 PM

    I found your review very informative. (Tazzsange on Ravelry)

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  14. This would be fantastic! Please help keep a poor grad student's hands busy!

    My rav name is Knitzophrenia

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  15. Hi, I'm squaregrannie on Ravelry and the Red Heart group. I'd like to enter, and your blog is very nice, too. Thanks!

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  16. Lovely! I'm busyblonde on Rav.Thanks for the chance . . .

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  17. thanks for the giveaway! i'm shan-knits on rav. :)

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  18. Whee! I'm aldersprig on Rav. :-) Thanks!

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  19. Hi! I am on Ravelry as Cora. This sounds like a great book and I have not seen either the book or yarn here in Canada.

    Cora

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  20. hi knitshanknit on ravelry:: ty

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  21. argh! i'm dying to try the new yarn out! i can't find the new line of Debbie Stoller yarn for sale anywhere near me. i'm going to order some online to sample it.
    my ravelry handle is purlscout and i'd love to win the pattern booklet.

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  22. Devasha5:15 PM

    I really like the Cable Car Coat, but I'd probably want it in lavender :-) --Devasha on Ravelry

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  23. I would love the booklet. My Ravelry name is janne23lee. Thank you.

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  24. Anonymous9:35 PM

    Thank you so much for the shout out!
    This project was such a rush and I worked every spare minute I had to get the swatches and sketches to Debbie and the test knitters. There wasn't any time to work out complicated stitch patterns so they are all fairly basic.
    It was upsetting that I wasn't credited as Designer after all that work but that's the way C&C wanted it. I didn't even get a copy of the booklet! (Not that I'd have time to knit anything from it - I'm so busy with my next collection!!)
    I hope everyone that gets a copy enjoys knitting the designs. Even though it was such a rush, I'm very happy with the finished look of the garments.
    H xxxx
    P.S. I didn't get to see the finished patterns, so know absolutely nothing about how they were written, sizes included or anything like that - it was all out of my hands so I hope they are OK.

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  25. Anonymous3:32 PM

    Saw the yarn in the store the other day. SOOO exciting, SOOO many beautiful colors. Can't decide what to do first. To those still looking, it's at Joann's and Michael's now. My name is mistyespo

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  26. I love Heather Dixons work - we have a bunch of her army of Knitter patterns up on our knitting patterns at fab - they are just gorgeous - looking forward to seeing the winners! Come By and see heathers gorgeous pix too - they are stunning as well, and the patterns look fabulous to knit!

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