Essential Knit Sweaters is a versatile collection of knitwear designs with tutorials and patterns by Frauke Ludwig. Released 5th March 2024 by Rowman & Littlefield on their Stackpole imprint, it's 192 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
There are 21 designs included. All are styled and sized for female wearers, though there are some more neutral unisex designs which could be adapted for non-female wearers. The silhouettes are basic and mostly casual. There are some tees and basic designs which could be adapted to business/professional wear, but only a couple.
The sizing is -very- adaptable and inclusive from XS to 2XL and with a variety of shapes from fitted to very loose and flowing. The author has a presence on Ravelry, but none of the designs in this book are available or previously published on the website. All of the sweaters are "normal" and none of them are too "artsy-fartsy" or "out there".
Each sweater's tutorial is written into its own chapter with construction notes, tools and supplies, and with lots of process and assembly notes. The photography is in color throughout the volume. The brands used are heavy on European manufacturers, Rico, Lang, Lana Grossa, etc, but the gauge and yardage are given, so it should be moderately easy to substitute.
Approximately 25% of the book's volume is given to a general beginner tutorial and how to knit. It's not clear why the editorial decision was made to include the info, but the included lessons will be useful to any readers starting from scratch. The illustrations are clear, line drawn, and easy to understand.
Four stars. Nothing extremely out of the ordinary, but a good, solid, workhorse of a book. The designs are basic and general enough that it would be a good jump-off point for customizing or designing sweaters.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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