Taunton PressClassic Elite Knits is a pattern book that was published by the people who sell Classic Elite yarn. Consequently, every pattern includes a recommendation of which kind of Classic Elite yarn to use for the project. This is pretty standard and not a very big deal; in fact, many of my favorite patterns come from yarn company websites (e.g. Lion Brand, Bernat, Patons, etc.) or on the back of the wrapper on various skeins. I just thought it was worth noting that the book is part helpful guide and part marketing material.
The collection of patterns is extensive, as the title promises 100 total. In my copy, there were only ninety-three, but perhaps that is because it is not yet ready to go to print. Of those, thirty-nine are listed under “Women’s Knits,” fifteen are under “Men’s Knits,” twenty-four are under “Children’s Knits,” and fifteen are under “Scarves, Bags and Other Accessories.” I wonder why there are many more patterns for women’s clothing than for other categories, but I can’t really come up with a good answer for that. Is it assumed that women knit more than men do? Are there simply more variations on women’s sweaters than on men’s or children’s? I find the latter a bit hard to believe.
Each pattern is ranked according to the type of knitter it is recommended for, ranging from beginner and easy to intermediate and experienced. Personally, as a knitter who probably falls somewhere between beginner and easy, I didn’t find the rankings to be as accurate as I would have liked. Namely, I felt that some that were recommended for beginners were still a little ambitious. I believe that Classic Elite Knits is excellent for experienced knitters, especially those who have already succeeded in knitting full-length sweaters. I would not, however, recommend it to others on my level, unless they like a challenge.
Review by April D. Boland
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