Jan Messent’s incomparable knitting books are deservedly classics and are being reissued as such by Search Press.
This one was first published back in 1991. Another book for the intermediate knitter, it explains how to make an
amazing conversation piece for the home... a knitted garden!
You could put this handsome book on that coffee table, but it is already groaning under the weight of other lush
Search Press books so why not make up the garden instead to impress your guests? It is all in here in abundant
detail, with plenty of helpful diagrams as well as a memory-jogging section at the back that lists stitches and
other knitting know-how. This project is not for the beginner and you cannot learn to knit in here, as the author
warns you, but there are plenty of other books for that and you do not have to be too advanced to tackle what is,
in truth, a lot of small pieces.
This book is the result of teaching knitting in schools; and although I wouldn’t let very small children play
with it, older ones will enjoy telling stories about the characters and their adventures, if not making part of it
themselves. There are three gardens to choose from: a set of adjoined cottage gardens, a Victorian garden and,
further back in time, the friary garden complete with monks. This is another beautiful book by the author who
brought you such delights as Wool ‘n’ Magic and
Knit A Fantasy Story (both also reviewed on
this site) - another one for the keeper shelf.
If you cannot find yarns locally try SearchPress.com for a list of
suppliers.