Friday 8 March 2013

Botanical Knits Blog Tour and Giveaway.

Wow there have been some amazing publications over the last few months and I'm thrilled to be part of the Botanical Knits tour, which for me, has been a real highlight. There's been some lovely features of this book so far so I will do my best to give you a fresh twist on Alana's latest release. To read or hear more about the book, check the other contributors to the tour out here


(c) NNK

I read through, ogled and drooled over the eBook and straight away was impressed. The attention to detail here is amazing. It's not just the designs that have interesting flair and detail but also the ebook itself. The charts are crisp and clear, the medium of an eBook fully used to make it incredibly easy to navigate and knit from and the way the pages are laid out are just so beautiful.  

Nuts and Bolts: 12 original knitwear designs; 4 garments, 3 hats, 2 sets of gloves, one pair of socks and 2 scarves. Over 110 pages devoted to this collection and available digitally as well as in print.


(c) NNK

Designer: Alana Dakos, the designer behind the Never Not Knitting Collection, podcast and blog. Alana has grown a collection of beautiful women's garments and accessories, teamed up with Hannah Fettig to produce 'Coastal Knits' and produced a children's collection as well as a children's fiction book. All self published by her family run business. 

Aesthetic: It's all about beauty in nature, from the designs and the way that they are captured in photography, to the way they are laid out on the page. Leaves adorn the knits and the pages are filled with some wonderful graphic design of falling leaves. As always, Alana's patterns reflect her eye for detail in design and continue the theme throughout every element of this book. 

Extras I liked: A dedicated website, direct links in the book to Ravelry so you can compare notes of others projects, direct links to resources used in the book. Fantastic navigation from pattern to pattern via hyperlinking. Extremely user friendly. I also love the insight to the designer we get from the introduction by Alana. Her swatches and process pieces are documented in photograph form throughout and I don't know about you but I love to see someone's design process. Someone else's swatches are very interesting to me. 

What impressed me most: The eBook is not a straight PDF, it's alive with easy links to navigate around the carefully laid out sections. The extras I mentioned above means that the knitting experience is complete for those knitters who use Ravelry as a tool and resource to aid their knitting. 


Oak Trail, (c) NNK


Patterns that caught my eye: I adore Oak Trail cloche (pictured above). It is a very distinctive and unique design which has an appealing method too. The brim is knit flat, then stitches are picked up to create the rest of the hat. My fingers are itching to recreate that embossed leaf, I bet it is extremely pleasing to knit!

Autumn's End, the cover sweater is really something. Dripping with lace leaf detail it is very typical of Alana's work: beautiful, elegant and feminine. What I have always enjoyed about Alana's design style is the femininity she puts into her careful construction. I trust her patterns implicitly. I want to knit this sweater. 

Pressed Leaves also caught my eye, not just for its' beauty but it's knitting appeal. I find leaves extraordinarily pleasing to knit and this DK beret looks amazing to knit- so much motivating texture! The chart itself is pleasing to the eye. I know I'll be making this beret at some point, it's too pretty not to. 


Pressed Leaves (c) NNK


Want your own copy? Well here are the details:

- Order the printed copy for $22 + shipping and As a special thank you for preordering the printed copy, you will get the ebook for free immediately. The printed book will ship mid-May. You will also receive an exclusive extra botanically inspired garment pattern with the copy of your printed book as a thank you from Alana for preordering.

- Order the ebook by itself for $18. (A great option for those knitters who live internationally and do not want to pay the high cost of shipping). 

- Both options will be available on botanicalknits.com site very soon.

(After the pre-order period ends in May, the book will be available EITHER in print for $22 or ebook for $18).


Can't wait till then? Leave a comment below by 16th March 2013, telling me which of the designs you would want to knit to be in with a chance to win an ecopy of the book. Good luck!


51 comments:

Chrissy said...

Pressed Leaves would be my first knit, but I know I would knit several more from the book.

mooncalf said...

This is without a doubt my book of the year! And I feel confident saying that even in early March.

I will definitely be knitting Twigs and Willows, Autumn's End, Ivy Trellis Mittens and Pressed Leaves but it is unlikely I'll stop there. Still, that's plenty to be getting on with :)

Sheri said...

Oak Trail cloche would be my first project.

Steph said...

Twigs and willows would be a very useful lightweight cardigan.

Retha said...

such gorgeous designs! I will be casting on Autumns End asap. maybaby23 on Rav

kleggett said...

Tangled Vines, Autumn's End, all of them!

C. said...

Since I saw this collection on Ravelry a few weeks ago, I'm obsessed with Autumn's end.

Tini said...

who can choose? Those are such amazing designs. But since I have to choose I would knit entagled vines first!

Kesha E said...

I love Oak Trail, this knit looks so interesting. Autumn's End is also stunning.

I am Keshaevans on ravelry.

amchart said...

Oak Trail would be my first knit from this gorgeous book.

Anonymous said...

My favorite is twigs and willows and I thing they I wold knit it in Abuelita Yarns Merino Worsted in the colour Nature or Creamy mint.
Ninnilina on Ravelry

Marilyn a.k.a. Merry said...

I'd start with the Ivy Trellis Socks. So pretty!

Kasia said...

I love all the patterns in this book but "Autumn's end" is my favourit. I absolutely love it and I'd love to knit it one day.

Anonymous said...

Oak Trail is my dream... Would love to cast on right now!

sharon said...

They are all so beautiful! I would love to make Spring Foliage, Pressed Leaves and the Ivy Trellis Mittens---just to name a few, to the truth is the whole collection is on my to do list!

lisa said...

Twigs and willows! I love cardis and would relish the opportunity to knit this. AND the photography is amazing.

Gaby said...

All are gorgeous!!!
I knit first Entangled Vines; love the sleeves detail
I'd love to win a copy!!

Gaby in Ravelry

LittleBit198 said...

I adore all the designs but the ones that caught my eye were Entangled Vines, Spring Foliage and Ivy Trellis Socks!

I love Alana's designs!!

Romykins said...

Twigs and Willows would be my first knitting project from the book! But im sure I will make most of them with time:) Rav id: romykins

robin54 said...

ooh...twigs & willows or entangled vines but they are all lovely patterns....I would love to have this...thanks for the chance to win!

Sheila said...

I would make the Ivy trellis socks.

Drae said...

I'd cast on for Twigs and Willows

Debbie said...

I also love the Ivy Trellis socks. thanks!

Anna said...

I would probably start with twigs and willows and wrapped in leaves. it looks like a wonderful collection. thanks for hosting a giveaway

penelope10 said...

I would firstly knit the Pressed Leaves hat!

NikkiSpins said...

Autumn's End! I even have some lovely pumpkin yarn that would work for it!

melosa said...

Twigs and Willows is my first choice, but I love the whole collections, so I know that there will be others.

Rachel said...

I love the pressed leaves, would love to get my mitts on this book x

Unknown said...

Twigs and Willows first as it is beautiful and I need a cardi, Spring Foliage and Ivy Trellis socks next, then all the others. Beautiful patterns!!

slmiller8 said...

Love them all, but Autumn's End is one of my favorites, as is the cloche.

Heston Folks said...

Like so many others, Autumn's End is my favorite. The harder part is deciding on the color to knit it in.

Barb G aka gunflintknitter

KnittingViolets said...

Pressed Leaves is so pretty... as is every other pattern!

cindymen said...

I would love to make Autumn End!

VicKnits said...

All the patterns are beautiful, but I would especially like to knit Autumn's End.

Nomen Nescio said...

The spring foliage mitts.

Shayla said...

I'd knit all of the sweaters but especially Autumn's End.

Bobbi said...

I would knit the Twin Leaf Loop - I can't seem to go outside without a cowl these days and this pattern is feminine, warm, and soft looking.

Kelly K. said...

Such beauties! Can't wait to knit up the entire collection - the Autumn's End sweater and the Ivy Trellis Mittens are just a start!

Rav ID: kellknit

Fruitful Fusion said...

What a wonderful giveaway! Twigs and Willows and Oak Trail are my fave but they're all so beautiful!

Kendra said...

Lovely review :) I'm in love with the Buds and Blooms sweater and can't wait to knit it.

Suburban prep said...

How stunning. I love the Autumn's end sweater!!

Brenda said...

I would choose Autumn's End. It's so pretty and wearable.

Thx for the giveaway!
(Goodstuff on Rav)

Emily said...

Gorgeous designs! I'd love to knit the Twigs and Willows cardigan.
Thanks for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

I would definitely knit the Oak Trail cloche first. Such a quick satisfying knit I think and really stunning result.
meganyork on ravelry

Samantha Williams said...

I really like Autumn's end Sweater.

Evelyn said...

Autumn's End is my absolute favorite!

Mangoskein said...

Autumn's End is so pretty and I'm sure it'll be a delightful knit

timothyandreas28 said...

Oak Trail first, then Twigs and Willows...

schwip said...

I like the Autumn sweater.

schwipknits@gmail.com
schwip on ravelry

Annarch said...

Ooh, hard to choose - lately I'm into more instant gratification, so I think Pressed Leaves or Oak Trail might be first, but I also love Autumn's End. No, I'm sticking with Pressed Leaves.

Petra said...

It not easy to pick. I think I will echo many people here. Oak Trail is very lovely and Twigs and Willows very closely follow. I also love the Spring Foliage very much. And that would be a fairly quick knit.