About the Book
Beautiful sweaters and accessories, simple to knit!
There is no more classic sweater than the yoke pullover, which can be worn anywhere and everywhere and always looks stunning. The heathered tones of yarn used in this book bring back the feeling of wearing wool against cold, harsh conditions, though you may be wearing yours while sipping cocoa by the fire. The 14 pullover patterns are all worked top down and in the round, to minimize seaming and keep you in a happy knitting rhythm. New to colorwork? All you need to know to get started is explained in the tutorial section.
If you are new to stranded knitting, or just desire a quicker project, the 11 hat, scarf, sock, and other accessory patterns bring you the same rustic feel in smaller knits. Perfect for using up leftover sweater yarn to make coordinating accessories, these pieces will keep you warm and cozy in beautiful, soft colors.
About the Author :
Wenke Müller has been developing hand-knit designs under the name tomkeknits since 2017. The fashion designer worked in the theater, in various design studios, and developed high quality knitwear for the international fashion industry before returning to hand knitting, a passion that began in her childhood. In addition to her own label, she publishes patterns with various yarn manufacturers and magazines. She lives with her family in Dresden, Germany.
Review :
NetGalley Review: 4 stars
Last updated on 15 Jun 2021
"I loved the brief and to the point introduction in the book. Taking on your first sweater is by no means an easy feat, and every sweater after that can bring with it its own set of challenges. I've found that with other pattern books, there can either be too much information, or not enough. This seemed like a good amount.
"One of the things that drew me to this book in particular was that all the sweaters are knitted from the top down. I've tried others and haven't had much success. As a knitter, I really dislike having to sew pieces together at the end, so top down sweaters are the best, and in my opinion, great for beginners.
"Another huge draw of this book was that the sweaters within it are unisex. As a male, I've struggled to find a book of patterns with great designs catered to both men and women. I've tried to increase for a more masculine fit, but have yet to make a sweater that fits me. It was thoughtful that the author took this into consideration while writing this book.
"Although at times in the book, the information can be overwhelming, there are other times when it isn't, and that the author is concise and to the point.
"The increases and decreases section were perfectly described. I LOVE the author's reminder when it comes to increasing, "I've left the front door open" and "I'll be right back" as ways to remember the left and right increases. I learned a lot of my knitting with phrases like this so appreciated this.
"One thing I wished for more of, was diagrams and images in the book. There were some good diagrams in the magic loop section, but that appeared to me all. It would have been great to see diagrams like that throughout the book.
"The author includes a please note headline and tip, within each pattern which was really helpful.
"The addition of hats felt like a bonus to me! I've made a lot of hats since I started to knit, and have a ton of patterns saved up but I really liked that these accessories matched the sweaters in the book.
"All round, great book with a ton of useful information. I just wish there were more diagrams."
--Sean Loughran, Reviewer at Avocado Diaries
NetGalley Review: 5 stars
Last updated on 03 Jul 2021
"I currently have a nearly finished gathering moth holes in my drawer that the current heat wave has me avoiding. However I can say with upmost confidence that for my first sweater its is a rather nice one and thanks to this book as actually less daunting a task than I thought it would be. I can't wait for the weather to get cooler so that I can finish it and show it off!"
--Morgan Schaer, consumer reviewer
NetGalley Review: 5 stars
Last update on 02 Apr 2021
"Since I've shifted to knitting top-down sweaters only, I was really excited to see this new book. It's just what I was looking for and could never find. This book offers many wonderful patterns for top-down color work sweaters. The accessories are also terrific. In fact, I'm planning to try the accessories first to get a feel for the techniques before trying an entire sweater.
"If you've mastered the technique of making top-down knitted sweaters, this is a resource for taking the next step and adding color work. Highly recommended."
--Cindy Coe, reviewer at Sycamore Cove Creations
NetGalley Review: 5 Stars
Date reviewed/posted: April 1, 2021
"When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end, you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave ( #thirdwave ?)is upon us, superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book ... and many more today.
"I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.
"From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do .
"Beautiful sweaters and accessories, simple to knit!
"There is no more classic sweater than the yoke pullover, which can be worn anywhere and everywhere and always looks stunning. The heathered tones of yarn used in this book bring back the feeling of wearing wool against cold, harsh conditions, though you may be wearing yours while sipping cocoa by the fire. The 14 pullover patterns are all worked top-down and in the round, to minimize seaming and keep you in a happy knitting rhythm. New to colorwork? All you need to know to get started is explained in the tutorial section.
"If you are new to stranded knitting, or just desire a quicker project, the 14 hat, scarf, sock, and other accessory patterns bring you the same rustic feel in smaller knits. Perfect for using up leftover sweater yarn to make coordinating accessories, these pieces will keep you warm and cozy in beautiful, soft colours.
"Wenke Müller has been developing hand-knit designs under the name tomkeknits since 2017. The fashion designer worked in the theatre, in various design studios, and developed high-quality knitwear for the international fashion industry before returning to hand knitting, a passion that began in her childhood. In addition to her own label, she publishes patterns with various yarn manufacturers and magazines. She lives with her family in Dresden, Germany.
"I have never done top-down colour work but I think that I will try it out now as a result of this book - it is well written and the instructions are clear and concise. The projects look gorgeous - I will recommend this book to all the knitters I know!
"As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "[bless]-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it [5 yarn balls]"
-- Janet Pole Cousineau, Librarian at A.E.M.S. Library/Community Kitchen
NetGalley Reviw: 5 stars
Last Updated on 14 May 2021
"Even if you never knit any of the patterns this book would be worth the cost for the excellent technique instructions offered in the first section!
"The designs are generally bold graphics, and with only one exception, seem appropriate for sweaters for men or women.
"It includes a bonus section on accessories to match the sweaters, which are worth knitting in their own right.
"Another bonus is the addition of a chunky sweater with a simple cable detail and a short -sleeve sweater with a nupp and lace detail.
"This is a perfect book to buy for yourself, for a year full of knitting ideas; or to buy for a knitting friend. There truly is something for everyone in the title. Well done!"
--Melissa Ark, Educator
NetGalley Review: 5 stars
Last updated on 19 Jul 2021
"I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Top-Down Colorwork Knit Sweaters and Accessories by Wenke Müller is a lovely collection of 27 knitting patterns for women and men featuring colorwork and minimal seaming. The sizes range from Small to Extra-Large. I found the patterns to be intriguing, and there are several that will go in my to-be knit list, the instructions and charts are clear and concise, and the photographs are beautiful. There are both beginner and more advanced patterns, and the techniques used are explained very well. I would definitely recommend this book for someone who enjoys or wants to learn stranded colorwork knitting. Publishing Date: November 1, 2021. #TopDownColorworkKnitSweatersAndAccessories #WenkeMüller #RowmanAndLittlefield #StacpoleBooks #KnittingBooks #StrandedColorworkPatterns #HandKnittingPatternBook #NetGalley #StrandedColorworkKnitting #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer" --Norah Gibbons, reviewer at historicalromancemagazine.com
NetGalley Review: 4 stars
last updated on 03 Apr 2021
"This beautiful book features patterns for Icelandic knits that are lovely, but seem very doable. The photographs are lovely and show off the pieces from several angles - something many knitting books lack"
--Stacy Tomaszewski, librarian at Alameda County Library
NetGalley Review:5 stars
Last updated on 05 Apr 2021
"I was able to preview "Top-Down Colorwork Knit Sweaters and Accessories" by Wenke Muller on NetGalley. This is a beautiful book. The pictures are stunning and the 27 patterns will leave you hard pressed to decide what to knit first! The patterns and charts seem very clear and there are a variety of patterns. Lots of sweater patterns, but also hats, headbands, mittens, legwarmers and socks."
-- Stacy Olson, consumer reviewer
NetGalley Review: 4 Stars
Date Review Last Updated: 31 Mar 2021
"This book has some beautiful patterns! The models wear them well and are in gorgeous scenery, so the pictures are stunning!! There are a number of tips included on the patterns as well. It seems very thorough, but I also found it to be a bit confusing and overwhelming. I'm a visual person so would have loved to see some step by step pictures. I'm sure that an experienced knitter would have no issue with this though. Overall, a great knitting book!"
-- Kate Z, Reviewer at Book Reviewer (Consumer Reviewer)
