Wenlan Chia is known for her playful, fashionable designs that use scale in unexpected ways and are full of color and youth. The patterns in her Twinkle's Town & Country Knits: 30 Designs for Sumptuous Living follow that path, providing women with designs to wear whether they're going to the latest art opening, spending a day at the beach or just lounging around at home.
The Patterns
Most of this book is devoted to the 30 patterns, which are shown first in a gallery of full-color fashion photography and followed up by the patterns themselves, which have a smaller picture of the finished item as well as schematics.
Projects include scarves and stoles, sweaters and dresses, a skirt and a vest. They all use Twinkle yarns, though some suggestions for substitutions are offered in the back of the book.
The patterns are arranged around the themes of city, country and resort wear. All the patterns are for women and they usually come in three or four sizes, ranging from a 31-inch to 42-inch bust measurement. But the actual project measurements are all over the map, relying on the stretch of the yarn to make tiny looking projects fit a range of sizes (beware of these projects if you don't like the clingy look).
Some of the projects are a bit too high fashion for my liking, but some of my favorites include the Highlander's Stole, a chunky basketweave number; the cleverly designed with short rows Middlebury Scarf; the Holyoke Sweater (the red one pictured on the cover) with its bold and colorful yoke; and the Printmaker's Pullover (the other one on the cover), cute and easy in allover ribbing.
Projects do not include skill levels but are largely for advanced beginners and beyond. Handy charts make decreases on sweaters a little easier to follow, and tips throughout the book offer useful hints. There's also a brief technique section in the back.
Bottom Line
For knitters who like bringing a bit of the runway to their designs, Chia's books are always a delight and Town & Country Knits is no exception. The patterns are decidedly youthful and fun, but many of them are classic enough that they aren't likely to go out of style before you get through knitting them.
For those with a less fashion-forward aesthetic, this book still have a few lovely, cozy sweaters you might enjoy.
Publication date: September 2008.
