Jul 25th, 2007
Review: Lackluster knitting for the home
When I first took up knitting, I began browsing the knitting books at my local bookstore, drooling over the possibilities they promised and resolving to own every single one of them one day. Well, almost every one. There were some exceptions, which included the books by Suss Cousins.
I quickly sussed (oh I am so clever) that she was one of the “name” people on the knitting scene–someone famous. But one of her claims to fame is designing sweaters for Bill Cosby, and, well, when you consider that his sweaters are actually the stuff of humor these days (Doctor Hibbert, anyone?), it’s hard for me to look at her work without giggling.
I was optimistic about her latest book, Home Knits, though. The horror that is the bubble-holed curtain in Mason-Dixon Knitting (which is an otherwise fine book) turned me away from houseware knitting for a while. But Cousins’ book was available for free from my local library, so I decided to check it out.
Apparently, she’s long past her days of designing multicolored, striped, gaudy garments for Bill Cosby: Home Knits is full of creams and browns. (Naturally, Cousins uses her own yarn for all the patterns. To her credit, though, she openly acknowledges that not everyone will use her stuff, and she helpfully provides information on substitutions.) That’s the good news. The bad news is that the patterns are…meh. A bed canopy? That’s way more knitting than anyone should ever do to end up with a giant rectangle; this is the equivalent of knitting a tent. An “art wall hanging”? This thing is supposed to resemble an animal skin stretched out between wooden poles. Are there people out there who actually want to knit this? Are there people out there who actually want to hang this on their walls at home? I have to wonder if, at any point during the book-production process, Cousins’ publisher said to her, “Um, Suss? Are you sure about some of these patterns?”
But all is not lost! There is some inspiration here! The kitchen curtain, for example, is quite charming (and, I am pleased to report, has no ghastly bubble holes). The seat cushions, too, are nice. My favorite pattern is the being lampshade cover with the green leaf motif. It’s something I might actually considering making one day.
To be honest, I’m not sure it’s possible to write a good book of patterns for handknit housewares. It seems a fairly limited category. Blankets have four sides (and, aside from baby blankets and throws, aren’t usually at the top of knitters’ to-do lists anyway, due to the commitment of time and yarn involved), curtains are usually easier/cheaper/faster to sew or purchase, and you can have only so many throw pillows and cushions around. (There’s a little-known fact that when the number of throw pillows and cushions present on one piece of furniture reaches a certain, undefined tipping point, they start to attack.) Sweaters and purses and socks have seemingly endless variety, whereas housewares have been done. Introducing an “art wall hanging” into the mix isn’t innovative. It’s just silly.
Oh, might Internet Maven:
How come your entire blog entry doesn’t show up in my RSS Reader?
Hmm, knitting housewares just doesn’t turn me on. Anything that gravity might pull out of shape (a curtain, a wall-hanging) doesn’t seem like a good idea for yarn and needles.
But I admit to a certain reactionary streak at times.
I so enjoy your reviews. Knitpicks has a pattern for a cafe curtain that I’m actually considering for the door and window in my kitchen. We’ll see. I’m pretty much with you on the home knitting stuff. However, teapot cozies interest me a bit.
I enjoyed your review. I haven’t seen this book, but now I want to take a peak. I’d like to knit a curtain some day, but as you said about the afghan, it is not at the top of my to knit list. Just want to say I love the bubble-holed curtain and sing praises for dishcloths!