Review on Knitted Socks East West Inspired Ebook by Kelsey Brown

I have not knitted any of the patterns in this book. I usually read a book first before starting a project. My first impression is that the patterns are very unique but not particularly complicated. However, if you are someone who actually reads the prose in sample books, you may find the prose/story in this book uncomfortable. The author does not seem to have done any real research into Japanese culture (related to knitting or in general). The book is based on her experience with patterns from Japanese embroidery books. I expected the prose to reflect some level of Japanese knitting culture. Instead, the author acknowledges that her sources for writing the book were Japanese Scrabble words and the internet, and that when it came time to name the patterns, she simply made a list of the Japanese words she knew. As a result, patterns have stereotyped names with no deep meaning associated with the pattern, such as Examples: sayonara, geisha, haiku, ninja, samurai, karaoke and sumo. Also, I found some of the samples a bit unrealistic in the materials used. For example, a sock is loosely knitted in a very fine mixture of baby alpaca and silk. However, the book is more than worth the money for the patterns alone. Also, I like that the patterns shown include a range of yarn weights, not just fingerings.