This book is full of great ideas. So many fun and interesting stitch patterns can be combined to make beautiful and interesting shawls. I love the way it walks you through choosing your patterns for the body and edging so you can make something completely unique.

However, I don't know that I'll ever really follow through and make any of these. It is just between designing your own and knitting a pattern, and I think most of us who don't do design work really want to end up with something just like the sample pictures, which is hard to do with a choose-your-own-adventure type book like this.

It is a good resource for budding designers and people who want to better understand how different shawl shapes can go together.

I cannot give higher praise for this lovely book.
Chocked full of so many designs for shawls or wraps, and with well written instructions.
The designs could also be used for anything you like - baby shawl or blanket.
Let your imagination loose with this well photographed and written book.

Holy crap, why is publication for this so far away!! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy, this book screams "leaf through me at your leisure to perfect your projects", urgh I just can't wait.

A beautiful and very detailed book on knitting modular items. There are 20 full pattern project at the end of the book which would suit all abilities. The rest of the book shows swatches of knitting patterns to either mix and match or use the overall pattern to make lovely shawls, wraps or stoles. Most have a lace pattern, but having said that, there is enough of ideas to make the article and modern or as traditional one wants.
If you haven't knitting with this wedge technique before, it will take a little practise, but the instructions a good and each design swatch has its own page with both written and graph instructions.

I received a free copy of Knitting Modular Shawls, Wraps, and Stoles by Melissa Leapman in exchange for an honest review. In this book, the author explains how to create top down shawls of different shapes beginning with a two-panel triangular to many-paneled cape by increasing the number of pie-shaped panels knitted. It also shows how to create trapezoidal and rectangular shawls by knitting individual panels and sewing them together. Of course, there is logic and math involved, but the author does a lot of the math for you.

This is a great reference book because it ALSO demonstrates how the increases should be worked for tons of stitch patterns. The author provides several example patterns but encourages the reader to make up their own combinations. I highly recommend this book to those who like to create their own shawl patterns or tweak existing ones!

#KnittingModularShawlswrapsandStoles #NetGalley

So many possibilities! That's what struck me as I looked through this book. There are endless combinations of parts to create finished pieces. As an intermediate knitter, I found the explanations clear and the notes, tips and charts very helpful. This is definitely a book I would consider purchasing.

As a knitter, I get very excited when I see new books from certain knitting authors. This is a great example of that type of book. This book presents a different technique for knitting shawls, wraps and stoles. While there are patterns, even better are the diagrams and instructions for creating the many motifs included.

What always excites me about this type of book are the opportunities I will have to create my own designs. However, for those who want to create the styles displayed throughout the book, there are instructions to guide you through the process.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book that was provided by NetGalley and Storey Publishing. However the thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

A shawl book, along the lines of the Knitter's Handy Book series by Ann Budd, presents the basic framework for designing a personalized shawl. In a plug and knit style, the book is broken down into easy to follow pattern. Step one begins with picking the type of shawl, number of wedges, type of shaping. Step two pick the pattern used in each section of the design and finally picking the edging. Samples are presents for each basic shape of shawl and the books ends giving the basic instructions for these pictured shawls. Great book for intermediate to advanced knitters.

Knitting Modular Shawls, Wraps, and Stoles
An Easy, Innovative Technique for Creating Custom Designs, with 185 Stitch Patterns by Melissa Leapman
This book concentrates on making shawls using a modular form in 7 easy steps.
Make a lot of these for others at nursing homes and for other religious charities.
Tips along the way that you can use in most any pattern you have used or will use in the future.
There are so many variations even in the edgings and starting rows.
Helps you decide on the shape you want.
Some of the colors of the finished items are in dark yarns with dark background-hard to see what it is you are looking at.
Like diagrams and charted stitching guides. Like how briefly the 7 steps are discussed then next chapters are more detailed.
There are charts along the way that show what you should select as per the yarn you choose and needles.
Found the book confusing as you have to go to many different sections in the book to finish one piece as they are broken up into modeular wedges.
Good thing is you can customize the sections to what you want to achieve. Gallery of shawls is included along with all the information you need to get the supplies to make one for yourself.
Resources include glossary of knitting techniques, shown in diagraoms along with written words in how to make them: how to read charts, finishing your shawl and an index in a foreign language.
Problem I have is I hate sewing smaller pieces up, rather do a one piece design-there are some of those as well.
Received this review copy from Storey Publishing, LLC via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#KnittingModularShawlswrapsandStoles #NetGalley

I love all knitting resources that focus on templates that can be customized rather than patterns without much rhyme or reason to why they work. The Knitters Handy Book... series by Ann Budd are some of my favorites for their clarity matched with level of detail. This mixes a template book like that with a stitch pattern guide with a focus on triangle-foundation shawls (vs round, square, etc.)

It felt like there should've been more attention paid to gauge and ensuring that gauges between stitch patterns matched up the same way stitch counts did (or if there isn't a need to worry about gauge, then why that's the case). It feels instinctively wrong to assume that any four-stitch repeat can be paired with any other multiple of four stitch repeat and have everything gauge out properly for drape, but maybe it does ...


I think the book would benefit from taking the reader all the way through a very simple shawl at the beginning before the stitch pattern section, and maybe also through a more complicated one. Short descriptions accompanying the photos that are presented within the stitch pattern section to more clearly articulate why they're being included where they are could also help.

Within the blueprints, rather than just referring to the specific yarn, would be more useful if it referred to the yarn weight. More treatment of how to choose a yarn for a shawl could also be helpful -- the different qualities of single vs multi ply, different fibers that yarn can come in and how it'll affect the finished shawl...

It was weird to me that only magic loop and cable cast on were included without provisional and long tail. Even though provisional is covered earlier, putting it here may make it easier for readers to refer to it. I'd be more likely to look here than early in the book. More instructions on how to sew pieces together would also be worthwhile -- the technique can be very different depending on what kinds of edges are being sewed together.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the free review copy.

The most comphrensive lace shawl patterns I’ve ever seen., both charted and written. Very clear pictures of each. Super concise instructions even for a novice. 300+ Pages packed with information with not a space wasted. I’ve looked at a lot of lace stitches and there’s quite a few that I’ve never seen before. So if you’re into shawls you’ll need to pick this up. Even if you’re not the lace patterns are valuable for making scarves, cowls, sweaters and even blankets.

This book has an interesting perspective on knitting shawls. It is based on creating triangular modules, then sewing them together to make various shapes of shawls and wraps. It is a good concept, especially for beginners. The process is broken down into steps, first choosing the shape of wrap you want, then choosing a stitch pattern (can be either very simple or combination of many stitch types). Then one can add different types of edging and borders, as well as casting on and binding off methods. The number of combinations seems infinite!
Different combinations are illustrated with a diagram, written instructions and a photograph of what the module will look like. Then, there are photos of 20 sample shawls made using these methods.

Resources and diagrams are clear and easy to follow. The only suggestion I'd make would be to knit the sample stitch patterns (for the photos of the module) in a darker color yarn, to provide more contrast from the background when viewing. At over 300 pages, this book would be a great resource for any knitter. I was left with the confidence that even I (a low intermediate knitter) could make some of these beautiful shawls.

Thank you Storey Publishing for the free review copy.

Shawl knitters who want to take their craft to the next level will love this book. The shawl recipes rather than a rigid pattern allows readers to create their own designs. The idea of customization is what makes this book different. It would be a great resource for knitters and designers alike.

While I’m not a knitter myself, I have many friends and family who are. This would make for an ideal Christmas present for avid knitters; from the beginner to the expert.
The instructions are clear and include pictures to illustrate patterns and shawls. So simple are the instructions; I think I could even give it a go.

I'm do hooked to knitting lately but I have problems in figuring out how to knit be shawls and wraps. This book is easy to follow even for a beginner like myself!