Nicky Epstein's Knitting on Top of the World: The Global Guide to Traditions, Techniques and Design

I bought this book a few months ago, and was stunned to see all the poor reviews it got on Amazon. It's one of my favorite knitting books to come out in a while; I practically want to just start at the first project and knit my way through the whole book. So I thought a lot about why I love it and others don't, and basically:If you like basic, classic, every-day type knitted garments that you can wear to work without drawing a lot of attention, then this book is not for you. Words that could describe Nicky's designs in this book would be: lush, dramatic (theatrical, even), exotic, lavish, over-the-top....well, you get the idea.Nicky states very clearly in her introduction that this book is NOT a guide to traditional knitting techniques, but she does share some history about them and shows how traditional designs inspired her pieces. She is also frank about her love of embellishment, a sort of "more is better" attitude. These gorgeous designs are highly creative, complex, special, ornate, striking pieces that look enormously fun to make and require some attitude to wear. While they are certainly not your everyday sweaters, a piece or two from this book could make a very special addition to your wardrobe. Garments are embellished with cables, embroidery, lace, metallic yarn, crocheted flowers, stranded colorwork and so on, and there are many interesting shapes, including vented sides, asymmetrical fronts, and open backs. There are about 40 projects in this book for women's garments and accessories, including sweaters, scarves, mittens, leg warmers, etc, and not one of them could be considered plain or basic.There are lots of wonderful knitting books out there with instructions for more basic garments, but if you are in the mood for something a bit more complex or ornate, maybe even a little over the top, then you may even love this book too.

I used to borrow the book from the library because I liked it.

This book is great. If you love design then you will love it. There are some things in this book i wouldnt knit however it also contains some of my favorite designs. The sweater with feathers (gala aran) is gorgeous and omg to the princess bride mittens. To be honest about 80% of this book is on my que but then again i am not a one skein wonder type of girl and i love color and cables. For anyone who thinks the patterns are hard go check out the books page on ravelry and see how many people are in love with the designs and the book. Thank you Nicky this is by far my favorite book of yours yet and is one of the reasons you are a favorite designer of mine.

I don't always buy her books because I can't knit them but she has such a creative mind. I learn so much by reading how she put her patterns together. This book company is good for their word. Quality of the book was as good or better.

A beautiful book full of original patterns. Some of them might be a little too strange but most of them are truly beautiful, with an ethnic flavor. Most will require good understanding of how to read patterns and intermediate knitting skills.

There are some really classy items in this book which I hope to make some day, presented in such a way as I had not seen before. And, a lot of 'eye candy' which I like (inventive stuff I probably would never get around to making, but good for inspiration). I got it cheap, used, and that's good!

The Technical details and history is exceptional. I will not knit most of the projects as I prefer using DK and Sport weight yarns for myself, although I do love Nickys over the top embellishments.

This book incorporates both a history and background for knitting inspiration. I plan to make several of the garments. Most of the instructions are clear and accurate although the garments are really geared for experienced knitters. If you are a beginner, I suggest you use this book for the WOW! factor.

I have been looking forward to this book since it was first listed as a 'pre-order option'. Ms Epstein has a formidable reputation in the hand-knitting community and is known for her innovative ideas.The book itself is beautifully produced and generously illustrated with lavish, full-page photographs. The charts are clear and are a good size from which to work. The paper is of good quality and the colour rendition clean and true. Almost fifty different knitting patterns are included.The book opens with a page of design tips by Ms Epstein and is followed by the various sections. She deals with knitting tradition around the world: the Far North, UK and the islands, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and the Americas. Each area is prefaced by two or three pages showing traditional designs and techniques, and a discussion of its knitting history. These introductions are followed by Ms Epstein's interpretations and the patterns.If you love thick wool and over-sized garments, this is an excellent book. There are patterns for sweaters, jackets, cardigans, accessories and even a toy dragon. Some of the colour combinations seem a little obvious and harsh to me, but of course a knitter can adapt that as personal taste dictates.I found the some of the garments, especially in the UK and European sections, appealing and wearable but the incongruity of a close-fitting, aran-weight evening pullover embellished with pearls and ostrich gave me pause. I doubt it would be comfortable in a warm room, and not too flattering to anyone over a size 6. There is a pattern for a capelet featuring two enormous tam'o'shanters as the front bodice. A quirky idea and amusing, yes, but it has to be a good joke to stand telling every day.My main observation is that there is insufficient variation in yarn thickness, with little (apart from the cover garment) that is graceful or delicate. It is disappointing that the garment designs seem mostly for the slim, tall woman and would not be as becoming on an average figure.The model on the back cover, an attractive, reed-like blonde, looks like the proverbial sack of potatoes in her super-chunky, super-sized Navaho jacket; I don't think the rest of us would stand much chance of looking even as good as she does.The book concludes with a helpful and comprehensive section on techniques. The various interesting ways to add a personal finish to one's knitting are very useful and would adapt to many projects.There are ideas and starting points in this book that I know I will use and enjoy; I might even knit one or two of the patterns. It is an interesting and thought-provoking collection but it has not made me race to my knitting bag to get started.

I was really looking forward to this book and thought the cardigan on the cover looked lovely. However I was really disappointed with it as some of the garments are in very thick yarn and the beautiful looking cardigan on the front will have to be altered for me as it opens up the centre of the back to the shoulder blades.

I was very pleased with the contents of this book - it contained a lot of patterns that I would like to knit.

love this ladies work

I am not sure that I would wear more than three or four of these designs as scarves but the book is packed with information and an insight into the creative world of Nicky Epstein. As such, it is an inspirational read.