There are two kinds of people in this world:
Those that are Irish and those that wish they were!
St. Patrick's Day is in 36 days and parade or no parade (if no parade we are having our own ESPECIALLY since there wasn't one last year) it's time to start looking Irish, which is fashionable 365 days a year. Celtic Cables never go out of style, and Alice Starmore (Scottish) is a legend in knitwear design.
Not only is this a work of intricate patterns clearly laid out for the reader in an approachable manner, but also it details the history or lack thereof of the Aran Sweater, a fashion staple. Everyone should have at least a dozen. And, when you knit it yourself you can get exactly what you want! We love Starmore's straightforward commentary and tell-it-like-it-is nature! Retail is not what it used to be sadly, but really is there anything better than bespoke?!?!!!!
Starmore pays homage to geometry and symmetry, both signature traits of classic beauty throughout the ages. She has her own designs included that are also timeless but were created by her and belong to her! The patterns enclosed are incredible and we can guarantee that you cannot find them online. We looked. You NEED this book. If you can read, you can knit.
We liked how part four addressed the historical impact of fashion and we hold fashion in high regard as an art form; every year since 2009 in May except last year of course because no one went because it couldn't happen, we have gone to the press preview at The Met for The Costume Institute and Peachy Deegan even interviewed Anna Wintour in person in 2009 and 2010. These Aran designs belong in every worthy museum and shown here they are in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. (When she was a student at UCC Peachy visited this museum and met an entire class of 9 year old boys from Finglas. She sent them Oreos and they wanted to know how she "talked like that." Obviously Peachy has an American accent from Connecticut because that is where her Irish ancestors settled. If you are one of those boys we want to know what happened to you we have your letters back still!)
Our favorite is page 158 St. Brigid!
Learn something new. Escape the drudgery of this era. Take a Trip to Ireland's Aran Islands with a Scottish knitwear designer. Long live the Celtics! Boston included.
Aran Knitting by Alice Starmore is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
The definitive guide to designing and knitting in the Irish Aran tradition, this highly sought after book returns to print after a decade's absence in a revised and expanded version. The author of many knitting classics, Alice Starmore is internationally renowned as a knitwear designer and an expert on knitting technique. In this guide, she presents a fascinating history of Aran knitting and an analysis of the traditional style, in addition to a complete workshop in technique, pattern, and design.
"Highly recommended" by Library Journal, this volume offers step-by-step instructions, photographs, and drawings. It provides complete directions and charted patterns for the original edition's fourteen designs — many of them reknit in contemporary yarns — plus a new design. Patterns include the St. Brigid, one of the author's most popular hand-knitted designs, which represents a step forward from Aran knitting into the realm of Celtic design. Brilliant color photographs depict all of the finished caps, sweaters, and shawls. Sixty easy-to-read charted patterns guide readers through the design process and encourage the development of unique patterns. Beginners and experienced knitters alike will cherish this comprehensive guide to a beloved craft.
Expanded and updated version of the Interweave Press, Loveland, Colorado, 1997 edition.
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4 Questions with Alice Starmore: An Exclusive Dover Interview
Alice Starmore has a fascinating tale to tell. We spoke to the author of the #1 crafts bestseller Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting about her knitting background, professional start, and more.
Clearly, knitting is a deeply ingrained facet of the culture of Scotland's Outer Hebrides. Did your mother teach you to knit?
My mother taught me to knit when I was very young. She was a dressmaker as well as a knitter and our house was a place of constant creativity. I was also born at a time when most women knitted as a matter of course, and I had three aunts who had been fisher girls in their youth and were experts at making traditional fishermen's gansies.
I understand that your first language is Gaelic — do you still speak it?
Yes I still speak Gaelic. The Isle of Lewis, where I live, is in the Outer Hebrides — the heartland of Gaelic and the only place where you will hear the language in everyday use.
How did you get your start professionally?
I designed a small collection of knitwear in 1975 and successfully sold it in London boutiques. It was featured in a national newspaper and from that small beginning my knitting career evolved in ways that were quite unimaginable to me when I began.
Your books are known and loved around the world, and you've adapted design elements from the textile arts of many countries into your repertoire. Are you still discovering "new" aspects of knitting and fabric arts from other cultures?
I am interested in everything. I find inspiration in all aspects of the world around me. There is enough inspiration in the natural world on my doorstep to last many lifetimes. I am also inspired by art, culture, history, science and music. My own culture features widely in my design work but I have always been interested in other cultures and in other places. My main problem is that I cannot possibly live long enough to produce work from the amount of ideas that come into my head.
Availability Usually ships in 24 to 48 hours
ISBN 10 0486478424
ISBN 13 9780486478425
Author/Editor Alice Starmore
Page Count 224
Dimensions 8 3/8 x 10 7/8
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