Vogue Knitting International

This book is a real disappointment. The subtitle is "Classic knits from the 1930s-1960s" so you can expect some conservatism, but what you get aren't old patterns rewritten to modern standards; you get patterns that may be "slightly altered to give a more modern fit". Which means the most interesting patterns have modern lines and don't represent the styles of the mid-twentieth century.

Most (but not all) of the garments have the original photograph that appeared when the pattern was first show more published, so you can often see what was changed. Each pattern is written in the modern Vogue Knitting style so you know what to expect, and each has been updated to reflect modern sizing. You get about four sizes, so the very small and the very large are SOOL.

About half the patterns are for women, five are for men, seven are for babies or children, and the rest are wraps, socks, and gloves. Difficulty ranges from very easy to intermediate.

These are good patterns, but look elsewhere for styles that represent days gone by. show less

p97, emphasis mine: "Designer Pierrot credits the fabulously feminine styles his mother once wore as inspiration for his strict-but-sexy garments".

Ok, buddy...

There is only one design in here I'll be photocopying out of the book, the one on the cover. All others are ugly to hideous, ridiculous, or, if appealing (most of the lace shawls are indeed very pretty), look impossible to knit, requiring degrees of expertise, patience, and wealth I expect never to have.

The patterns are mediocre at best, but the overall technique and instruction is impeccable (like most Vogue Knitting books, in my experience)

This is the best book on knitting that I have read. The chapters on designing various types of garments are outstanding.