Summer Crochet: 12 Designs for Women by Marie Wallin

Summer Crochet: 12 Designs for Women by Marie Wallin

Rowan does a beautiful job with mood and photography in this booklet of 12 designs, and the garments are lovely and very wearable. The setting is Malta, and the atmosphere rich with shimmery shots of waterfronts, and old world buildings with charmingly faded facades. A wealth of pretty pictures show one gorgeous model wandering in various settings -- I want to join her!  All the garments are made with two Rowan cottons, Siena 4-ply, a fingering weight, and Cotton Glace, a sport. The designs are sophisticated, knitterly in their approach to shaping, and seem very accessible. There are jackets, vests, sweaters with sleeves and without, and a nice variety of silhouettes to suit different figures. Instructions are very clear, using British terminology, with schematics, but no stitch diagrams -- though they may not be necessary as the stitch work is quite straightforward.  Patterns are sized to 2X.  Marie Wallin, an in-house Rowan designer, has done a very fine job with very feminine yet modern garments. It's an uplifting book that I hope it will inspire more crocheters to take the plunge into cotton summer wear.