Knits from a Painter's Palette
by Maie Landra
Published by sixth&spring books
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Reviewed by Janelle Martin
Subtitled: Modular masterpieces in handpainted yarn
For the past ten years, knitters have delighted in knitting with the yarns produced by the Canadian company, Koigu Wool Designs. Founder and designer Maie Landra is an artist who found her perfect medium--each skein is a miniature work of art. Every batch of Landra's beautiful yarns produces slightly different results due to the hand-painting process, meaning no projects will ever be identical. She believes that "the perfect dyelot must be alive with highlights and depth, not dead and lifeless," and to date has created more than 300 colorways. The designs in Knits from a Painter's Palette: modular masterpieces in handpainted yarn celebrate the beauty of Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino, known as KPPPM.
Landra is known for her use of modular or domino knitting and the majority of the patterns in Knits from a Painter's Palette utilize this technique. This collection contains many favorites from the past ten years, including the famous Charlotte's Web Shawl and Landra's first design, the Oriental Jacket. Beginners will find projects such as Basic Squares Scarf, to assist in learning modular knitting techniques, and the Knit Yarn-Over Scarf. Experienced knitters may be inspired by the Magique Cloak, or the Spirit Skirt, which raised quite a stir when originally published in the Fall 2005 Vogue Knitting magazine.
While the majority of the patterns included are oversized, some pieces are quite form-fitting such as the Groovy Dress, Jazz Cardigan or the Patchwork Pants. Several patterns are also provided in children's sizing.
Koigu designs are very colorful and require a certain panache to carry off for everyday wear. At $13/skein, the larger projects requiring upwards of 40 skeins must be viewed as investment pieces, ones which are saved up for or purchased a few skeins at a time.
Armchair Interview says: Knits from a Painter's Palette is sure to please Koigu fanatics and neophytes alike.
Author's Web site: http://www.koigu.com