cover image Loop-D-Loop: More Than 40 Novel Designs for Knitters

Loop-D-Loop: More Than 40 Novel Designs for Knitters

Teva Durham. Stewart, Tabori, & Chang, $29.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-1-58479-414-1

In this collection of often ingenious designs, Durham, formerly an editor at Vogue Knitting International, promotes the uniquely geometrical style of garment construction featured on her Web site, Loop-d-Loop.com. The book is divided into three sections: Cycles, Planes and Waves. Each concept is explored through a series of illustrative garments. For example, the designs in Cycles focus on circular or tubular knitting, while the designs in Planes produces architectural planes and angles using textured stitches. The patterns encompass everything from charming sweaters and hats for children to high-fashion creations for the young and hip (a cashmere lace blouse, a zip-off color-block yoke sweater, etc.). The sizing of the patterns tends to run small, and the designs range in difficulty from easy to quite challenging. Fortunately, the author has included a section of technical tips and a glossary of techniques and abbreviations. In addition, helpful remarks are distributed throughout the text, which is generally easy to follow. Durham's designs offer up unexpected textures and unusual symmetries and asymmetries, all artfully captured in the photos here. The result is a gorgeous book that will tweak the imaginations of the most adventurous knitters.