Big Needle Knits
By Melanie Porter
£12.99
Published by Cico books
Melanie Porter, best known for her amazing knitted upholstery, is no stranger to knitting with huge needles and in Big Needle Knits she shares 35 fabulous projects - ranging from small (ish) accessories to huge squishy blankets - all using super bulky yarns and needle sizes from 10mm up to custom made 35mm (that's like a broom handle!)
The book is divided into three sections. Chunky textures includes patterns for smaller accessories - a lovely clutch bag, a little purse, headband, scarves, hats and a fabulous blanket. Lighter Knits features projects using fabric yarns and includes summer tops, rag bracelets and lightweight floaty cowls and scarves. The third section - Mega Knits - focuses on those super chunky yarns and mega sized needles for statement pieces that grow really quickly. I adore the Infinity Cowl knitted in Lion Brand Quickie yarn!
There is a comprehensive section at the back with all the knitting techniques you will need which makes this book ideal for beginners (although I have to say huge needles are not the easiest to work with if you are a true beginner. Especially if you have small hands!) Melanie even lists a few yarn alternatives and suppliers AND shows you how to make your own fabric yarn and fat wool from roving (it involves wearing wellies in the bathtub! That fact alone makes me want to try it!!).
I decided to have a go at the lovely three colour linen stitch blanket in section one, using some Drops Eskimo wool I had in my stash and 15mm needles.Just to demonstrate how quickly these Big Needle Knits work up the picture shows the result of about 4 hours work...
With a bit of dedication, and a good box set on TV, it would be perfectly feasible to produce a whole blanket in a weekend.
Now that's the kind of project I like!
Big Needle Knits is a great introduction to using the jumbo needles and wool that seem to be so popular at the moment and the book will appeal to newbies and more experienced knitters alike. It would be a great addition to any knitters library.
Find out more about Melanie Porter here
Find out more about Cico Books here
Big Needle Knits was sent to me by Cico Books for the purpose of this review. All words and pictures are my own :)
