Review
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Barbara Benson shares her expertise as well as her love of mosaic lace
knitting in this incredibly comprehensive book. Her creativity and ingenuity
shine through in every project. Mosaic & Lace Knits is a must-have for
your knitting library! (Jen Lucas, author of Sock Yarn Shawls, Sock Yarn Accessories, and Cozy Stash-Busting Knits)
Mosaic &Lace Knits is not just a collection of beautiful and wearable
designs. This book is full of newly developed slip-stitch patterns that
merge lace with mosaic slip-stitch techniques in a very clever and precise
way. I am a huge fan of Barbara’s designs. (Faina Goberstein, author of The Art of Slip-Stitch Knitting and The Art of
Seamless Knitting)
Mosaic & Lace Knits is a collection of 20 shawls, cowls, ves, hats, and other accessories, plus an instructional
section with the basics of knitting slip stitches, how to read the charts, how to work mosaic in the round, and tips and
tricks. It’s full of big, beautiful color photos of all the projects and closeups of stitch patterns. (Lee Meredith,
leethal.net)
Create your very own spa at home with knitted towels and accessories. The 30 original designs included make great gifts
for mom, recent graduates and more. (Garden 2017)
Lace is a very popular technique in knitting. Basic lace knitting is as simple as creating yarn overs. Have you ever
tried mosaic knitting? Mosaic knitting is also known as slip stitch knitting. It's a fun and easy way to add some
colorwork to your knitting. The easy part is that you are only knitting with one color at a time. There is no need to
carry multiple yarns. Barbara took lace knitting and mosaic knitting and combined it together. GENIUS! ...
These techniques may look intimidating, but fear not. Barbara has added a instructional section in the book that covers
the basics of knitting slip stitches, how to read lace and mosaic charts, how to work mosaic in the round, and tips and
tricks to help you avoid potential troubles. She includes clear photos to help you learn the techniques that will lead
you to success in knitting mosaic and lace. I really like the part where she goes into detail about carrying the colors
up the sides and what kind of selvage it would create. Barbara took the time to knit a swatch to show the different
examples and how it would like like if you chose one technique over the other. I am a real stickler about details and
finishing techniques and that kind of information is so important, in my opinion. (Angela Tong)
So have you noticed how I tend to say things like "don’t worry, it’s not really colorwork" or "it’s ok, you only ever
work with one yarn at once" when I talk about my projects? Yeah, that’s because I’m sort of ed of having to manage
two strands of yarn on one row (and just possibly a little in awe of folks who can pull it off it). Judging from what I
hear from you guys, I’m not alone. If you’re with me in the one-yarn-at-a-time camp (or if you’re one of those fancy
two-at-a-time folks and want to try something fun), check out Barbara Benson’s new book, Mosaic & Lace Knits.
My first introduction to mosaic knitting was in Barbara Walker’s books (she talks about it in some of her stitch
dictionaries, and later did a whole book on the subject). Barbara Benson was inspired by the same books (as so many of
us designers are!), and wanted to take the technique even further. She’s developed methods for incorporating lace and
patterning into mosaic knitting. The result is fabric and projects that still have the "how the heck did you do that?"
wow factor, but without any of the heaviness that sometimes comes with traditional mosaic knitting.
The book starts off with a very approachable introduction to the subject and shows you all the techniques you’ll need to
work the patterns. Now, Barbara isn’t mean enough to say this, but I am…don’t skip this bit. This technique is probably
new to you, and you’re going to have much more fun with the patterns if you take the time to read the introductory bits.
I promise it’s worth it. Once you’ve read it, you’ll be ready to dive into the patterns!
Twelve of the 20 projects are what I affectionately think of as snuggly neck things (meaning ves, shawls, and
cowls), three are hats, three are hand things (the fingertip equivalent of snuggly neck things), and the last two
projects are a shopping bag and a pillow.
Smaller scale projects like this are the perfect place to experiment with a new technique. They give you enough room to
practice and feel clever without making you worry you’ve taken on something daunting! I confess I wish a few more of the
patterns came in multiple sizes (I have a big head and big hands…one-size-fits-all things don’t generally fit me), but I
suspect for many of them you can improvise by either adding in extra repeats or working at a bigger gauge (you’re a
knitter, you’re clever, I have faith in you). (Hunter Hammersen, Pantsville Press)
For knitters who like a little challenge, this book features a number of colorful and fun projects that combine the best
elements of both lace and slip-stitch (mosaic) colorwork techniques and patterns. There’s good tutorials and technique
information, and it’s well within the grasp of an intermediate knitter – it’s clever and innovative, but not nearly as
difficult as it might seem.
The projects range from a pair of quick-knit mittens designed as an introduction to the methods, to some
not-too-overwhemling hats, and some larger shawl projects. I also like that the projects offer lots of interesting new
ways to use up all the skeins of variegated and hand-dyed yarns we have in our stashes. (Knitty Fall 2017)
Barbara Benson has been experimenting with the fusion of mosaic knitting and lace stitches over the past few years, and
has created "Mosaic & Lace Knits: 20 Innovative Patterns Combining Slip-Stitch Colorwork and Lace Techniques", a truly
impressive collection of 20 shawls, cowls, ves, hats, and other accessories. To make the patterns accessible to any
knitter, she has added a helpful instructional section in "Mosaic & Lace Knits" that covers the basics of knitting slip
stitches, how to read lace and mosaic charts, how to work mosaic in the round, and tips and tricks to help you avoid
potential pitfalls. The book has projects for all level knitters. Start with a project in which the mosaic and lace are
worked in different sections, such as a hat with alternating bands of mosaic and lace. Then progress to more complex
patterns where the slip stitch and lace stitches are worked at the same time. Each stitch plays an important role --
these patterns will keep the interest of even the most experienced knitter! Beautifully and profusely illustrated
throughout, "Mosaic & Lace Knits" is very highly recommended for community library Needlecraft instructional reference
collections. It should be noted for personal reference collections that "Mosaic & Lace Knits" is also available in a
digital book format. (James A. Cox, Editor and Chief, Wisconsin Bookwatch)
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About the Author
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Barbara Benson lives in Tucker, Georgia, and sells her patterns as individual downloads on Ravelry and also
as printed patterns to yarn stores through Stitch Sprouts. Her designs have been published in Interweave Knits, Twist
Collective, Knitscene, and Knit Now magazines.
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