Kaffe Knits Again: 24 Original Designs Updated for Today's Knitters
by Kaffe Fassett
Published by Potter Craft
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Reviewed by Janelle Martin
When most knitters hear the name Kaffe Fassett, they immediately think color. Now known for his bold, graphic designs and innovative use of color, when Fassett burst on the knitting scene in the early 1980s, he was considered a maverick. He changed colors whenever the mood struck, tying off yarn in the middle of a row, and used more than 20 different colors in one design.
Inspired by the colors in the landscape during a visit to a Scottish textile mill, Fassett bought yarn and asked a passenger on the train back to London to teach him to knit. His first knit garment design was featured in Vogue Knitting and soon Missoni was commissioning his designs.
Many knitters consider color knitting to be too complicated and pass over Fassett’s exciting designs in favor of “simpler” projects. While I understand the fear of colorwork, I knit his Ribbon sweater as my second project soon after learning to knit (from his first book Glorious Knitting) and over the years have knit several of his designs and returned to his books for refreshers on working with color.
Kaffe Knits Again: 24 Original Designs Updated for Today’s Knitters is his first book in over a decade and here he revisits some of his favorite designs. Some patterns are reworked in less time-consuming projects like shawl or cushion, others use fewer colors per row. Some, like the Big Flower Throw discover new life when reworked in chunky yarn on large needles. Knitters will be delighted to discover favorite designs reworked in modern silhouettes.
Armchair Interviews says: Whether this is your first introduction to Fassett’s unique take on color or merely a reintroduction, Kaffe Knits Again is sure to win many converts.