Product Description

Here is a unique and exciting selection of contemporary hand-knitted bags, specially created by knitwear designer Emma King. They range from big stripey hand held bags, to small clutch bags, to super-functional baby bags, to chic evening purses. The designs use a wide range of techniques, including intarsia, embroidery, crochet, Fair Isle and entrelac. Each bag is illustrated with a stunning full-colour photograph, plus a close-up detail of the pattern and comes with full knitting instructions and accurate charts. In addition there are details of alternative colourways and added embellishment options. A vital workshop section focuses on the best yarns to use, how to add linings and inspirational ideas for eye-catching handles and fasteners to add those all important finishing touches to your work.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2224587 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From the Publisher
This original collection of contemporary hand–knitted bags ranges from big, stripy carry–alls and super–handy baby bags to petite clutches and elegant evening purses. The techniques employed in the designs also range widely and include intarsia, embroidery, crochet, Fair Isle, and entrelac. All the bags are displayed in stunning color photographs, and each project includes a close–up detail of the pattern, full knitting instructions, and clear charts; there are also details on alternate colorways and added embellishment. 25 Bags to Knit is complete with an indispensable workshop section focusing on yarns, linings, and fashionable ideas for those all–important finishing touches: handles and fasteners. Emma King, a consultant for Rowan Yarns, is an exciting new knitting designer, whose passion for color, texture and uniquely modern designs will inspire all knitters.

A Crafter’s Choice Book Club Selection

About the Author
Emma King is an exciting new knitting designer who is set to inspire knitters across the world. She is a Design Consultant for Rowan Yarns, and also has her own company supplying her knitted bags and limited edition kits to make your own. She uses her passion for colour and texture to create unique modern designs that will make knitters everywhere want to pick up their needles.

Customer Reviews

26 Boring Pouches to Knit
Because this book is authored by a "Rowan consultant", I thought it was safe to buy sight unseen. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

The book contains "patterns" for 26 bags consisting of two squares or rectangles sewn together. Mostly the patterns call for stripes, although some use bobbles, cables, sequins, beads, intarsia hearts, knitted flowers, or embroidered flowers as variations. The yarn color selections for the pouches are generally poor, and even the addition of metallic Rowan lurex yarn fails to add pizzazz.

Accompanying "how-to" material is pretty much unrelated to specific problems of knitted bags. For example, there appears to be nothing about linings.

If you want to knit bags, a much better selection would be PURSENALITIES by Eva Weichmann. Weichmann's book has patterns for handbags of varying shapes and sizes, including some that are felted.

Sorry! Not something anybody needs.
This one is going back to Amazon. If you can knit a patch, bind it, fold it in half, sew the sides together, and attach a handle, you don't need this book. That is the gist of almost every pattern. There is some beadwork in it also, but I can tell you how to do that right now for free. String the beads onto the yarn first, then knit. Push them forward, out of your way, as you go. When it's time to put one in, pull it into place. I think this book didn't need to be made. Certainly, it's not reflective of what this designer can do. I'm still in the market for a bags book.

Not great
I have to agree with the other reviewers and say that this book was a big disappointment. While there are a couple of bags that are very cute most aren't all that original. While it is called 25 Bags to Knit and there are probably 25 bags in the book a few of them looked identical to me but in different colors. I did like how it was spiral bound to lay flat and some of the knitting tutorials were good (with good photos) but I wasn't all that inspired really by the bags themselves.