"The Best of Jane Austen Knits" - A Review

As part of Hamlette's "I Love Austen" week, I'm here today to share my review of "The Best of Jane Austen Knits," edited by Amy Clarke Moore.

This book is a lovely collection of 27 knitting patterns, all inspired by Regency-era fashions and designed with a certain Jane Austen character in mind. So as you can imagine, the projects are absolutely beautiful! They range in difficulty from beginner-level to very complicated, so there's something in here for every knitter, no matter how much experience.

And even if you aren't a knitter, I think you'll still enjoy taking a peek inside this book, as the photography is gorgeous! When I got this book a couple of Christmases ago, I hadn't a clue how to knit yet, but I still enjoyed flipping through it and admiring all of the delightful patterns. :)

See, even the table of contents is pretty! Most of the projects in the book are for women, but there are also a few for little girls, men, and even patterns for a book cover, a tea cozy, a pin ball, and a couple of bags. For this review, I'll just share some of my personal favorites from the book. :)

The first pattern in the book is for a very iconic clothing item from the Regency era: a spencer!

So for each project in the book, the author made sure to include all the information you'll need before beginning: a brief overview of the design and the inspiration behind it, a list of all the supplies you'll need, what the size of the finished project will be, and any other notes about the project. The pattern (instructions) are on the following pages.

This adorable little bag was inspired by Northanger Abbey! I love the description of it: "Could a reticule serve more than one purpose? Perhaps Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey carried such a bag--the heart-shaped vine entertwined with leaves and flowers carrying a subtle message of one looking for love. Who will notice? Certainly not someone as boorish as Mr. Thorpe, but perhaps the observant Mr. Tilney?" ;)



I'm actually working on this project right now! (However, being the inexperienced knitter that I am, I've had to restart over and over because I keep messing up!) This is called the Margaret Dashwood Shawl, and I just think it's so pretty. As for the pattern itself, the instructions are easy to read once you understand what all of the terms mean; thankfully there are a few pages at the back which explain them!



There are also a few interesting articles scattered throughout the book, such as this one, that talk about things like where Jane Austen lived, knitting in Regency-era England, and dressmaking during Jane Austen's lifetime.

How pretty is this cardigan? I love all of the pretty details to it, like the puffed sleeves. :)

A very fancy lace shawl named after Georgiana Darcy! Here's the description: "Georgiana Darcy of Pride and Prejudice was a lovely young woman just on the brink of adulthood--at an age when she should be preparing to attend her first ball. Along with a beautiful gown, what could be more appropriate than a demure lacy wrap edged with tiny pearls?" I just love how the descriptions help you picture Jane Austen's characters actually wearing the designs in this book!

This tea cozy is SO adorable!! 

Some lovely stockings with the cutest little details, inspired by Marianne Dashwood.

And because a knitting book inspired by Jane Austen's novels simply wouldn't be complete without it: a pattern for some lovely evening gloves!

Well, I really hope that you've enjoyed this peek inside The Best of Jane Austen Knits! This book truly is such a delight to flip through, and I'd highly recommend it. :)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!
Molly

Comments

  1. Such a lovely book, Molly! I have no idea how to knit, but I enjoyed reading your review :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Elanor, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :D

      Delete
  2. This is so neat!
    My great aunt was teaching my sister and I a while back how to crochet but I sadly don't know how to knit! Would love to learn how to one day though

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that's neat! I don't know how to crochet, but I've heard that it's actually a bit easier than knitting, so I'd like to try it someday. :)
      Thanks for your comment, Morgan!

      Delete
  3. I should find a copy for my sister, a combination of her two favorite things! Lovely book, and review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, MovieCritic! Yes, if your sister likes knitting and Jane Austen, then I'm sure she'd love this book! :)

      Delete
  4. I wish I could knit, I can't. I would love to try it. I love the book and review Molly!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a lovely book! Good luck with the shawl, maybe you'll post a picture of it when it's done? And I love that description for Catherine Morland's reticule! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Abby! I'd love to do a blog post about the shawl once I finish it; who knows when that will be, though! ;) I know, I thought it was such a cute description!

      Delete
  6. Oooh. This is lovely! That spencer is super cute. And I love the cardigan and the little bag. And THAT TEA COZY!! Wow. So creative.

    I'm sure these would be beyond my knitting skills, but they're super fun to look at all the same. :) Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right? I just can't get over how adorable and creative these projects are!

      Yeah, everything except for the shawl is way beyond my knitting skills, too, but like you said, it's still a lot of fun to look at them!

      I'm so glad that you liked this post, Miss March, and thanks for your comment! :)

      Delete
  7. What a cool book! I crochet better than I knit, so I'm going to have to see if I can find a similar book of crochet patterns. I love that lacy shawl and tea cozy, especially! Thanks for sharing this for I Love Austen Week :-) Good luck with your knitting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you poke around enough on the internet I'm sure you'll probably find some Jane Austen crochet patterns! And yes, the lace shawl and the tea cozy are both such neat projects. :)
      Oh you're welcome, thanks so much for hosting such a fun blog party! :D

      Delete
  8. Well, I’m not a knitter but I could dying for a couple of those lovely stockings and those elegant gloves too.
    :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, both the stockings and the gloves are so pretty!

      Delete
  9. Oh, I love it!!! I don't knit, but this makes me want to!!! That's so cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, getting this book as a gift was actually one of the reasons I wanted to start knitting!

      Delete
  10. It's official I adore this post!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks like a very neat book! I enjoy Jane Austen but the only thing I can knit is a simple scarf. :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello Molly! I'm preparing to give a speech (for my public speaking class) on starting a blog, and I wondered...can I use your blog as an example for a good layout/look? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course you can! I'm so flattered that you want to use my blog layout as an example. That's so sweet of you! :D

      Delete
  13. Oh, oh...I must have this delightful book! Thank you for sharing, dear Molly... These projects are enchanting... I must see if our online book store stocks it! {{big smiles}} I am and always will be a Jane Austen lover... Joy and love, Kelly-Anne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It truly is such a delightful book to flip through! Definitely check to see if you can find it online; I'm sure you'd love it! :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

I love comments as much as Anne Shirley loves Octobers. (In other words, they're one of my favorite things!) Just be sure to click the "Notify Me" button, as I try my best to respond to every comment! Thank you. :)