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Rating: 
Summary: Did I really need another knitting book?
Review: Folk Bags: 30 Knitting Patterns & Tales From Around The World by knitting expert Vicki Square includes contemporary interpretations of 30 traditional designs drawn from the folk art of 23 countries, including Nepal, Tibet, Japan, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Expertly clear instructions, full-color photographs, and easy-to-follow language make Folk Bags a superb guidebook for anyone looking to expand upon their knitting skills and wishing to create beautiful, useful needlecraft items with a distinctively international flavor.
Rating:
Summary: perhaps the best knitting book ever
Review: I just brought this book home, after having rearranged my knitting library so the other four in this enchanting Folk series were all sitting side by side on the shelf. However, book number five may not join them for many months! I literally had to catch my breath time and time again as I went through the pages. If knitting books were rated on the following criteria, this one would be at the very top: 1. diversity
2. breathtaking images
3. function
4. originality
5. make the reader want to halt all activities and knit
6. sheer beauty of designs
7. inspiration If I could not already knit, I would beg someone to teach me so I could make a dozen of the thirty patterns in this book. Vicki Square, I am awed by your ability to leap from one unique approach to the next. Few people have brains blessed with the flexibility, breadth, freshness, and joyfulness that yours seems to have. Thank you. From Cat Bordi, author of Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles, as well as the about-to-be-released Treasure Forest, a novel with knitting threaded right through the story (under the name, Cat Bordhi). May all of us, knitting writers and knitters, help bring about world peace by inspiring people to knit, that they may feel the grace of yarn sliding smoothly past their warm fingers. I wish there were a way to trick the Amazon software into giving this book more than 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: Lovely and interesting
Review: I ordered this book without looking inside, as I'd heard how wonderful it is, but found that the bags were not suited to my taste. I'm not ultra conservative, either; I do enjoy colorful and unusual things. It's a beautiful book, and the stories are fun to read. I would give it five stars if it was a good fit, style-wise. I also don't know anyone to whom I might give one of these bags as a gift--they might love it, but it would be a risk. I ended up reselling my copy at Amazon Marketplace for a good price, so I wasn't out too much money. I do wish, however, that I'd looked inside before ordering.
Rating: 
Summary: Preview it first, it's not for everyone!
Review: I ordered this book without looking inside, as I'd heard how wonderful it is, but found that the bags were not suited to my taste. I'm not ultra conservative, either; I do enjoy colorful and unusual things. It's a beautiful book, and the stories are fun to read. I would give it five stars if it was a good fit, style-wise. I also don't know anyone to whom I might give one of these bags as a gift--they might love it, but it would be a risk. I ended up reselling my copy at Amazon Marketplace for a good price, so I wasn't out too much money. I do wish, however, that I'd looked inside before ordering.
Rating:
Summary: Fun to look at but do I want to actually knit that?
Review: Many knitters request patterns for smaller projects, good for taking on a trip, good for using up leftover yarn, good for a break from sweaters or afghans. While socks are often the choice for small knits (as are hats and mittens), now there's a growing trend to knit useful and ornamental bags. You can let your creativity loose on a bag--somehow people will carry a crazy purse even if they won't wear a funny hat. Vicki Square, author of the bestselling "Knitter's Companion" has collected 30 interesting bags here for the most jaded of knitters. You could do a standard French Market string bag, or an Irish creel in imitation basketweave stitch. All pretty standard. But what about a Tibetan monk's satchel or a bag shaped like a lucky fish, or an origami-folded bag of linen? And then there are the rich textiles of South and Central America; Inca, Guatemalan, and some really fetching designs from Ecuador that were my personal favorites--diamonds in black and white. Not every design depends on colorwork; some are stunning with the simplest of texture stitches. Many techniques are here--cabling, felting, embroidery, intarsia, applique. The bags are mini-lessons. I recommend this book to knitters who are bored with their usual project and to anyone who is looking for great gift ideas that don't need to be fitted (and it's not too soon to do a few for Christmas.) Even beginners can knit some of these and aspire to the fancier ones as they climb the learning curve. A fun and useful knitting book, indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Bag Book
Review: Oh lets see there is this one and that one and oh there is just too much to list. I absolutely love this book, especially the little doll purse. Great addition to any bag/purse lovers collection. If you don't knit, this book will make you want to learn, really!!!!
Rating:
Summary: fun & funky!
Review: This book is a world tour of cultures around the world, boiled down into knit bags. Bags of all sizes, from the classic French mesh grocery bag to an adorable fish-shaped felted bag fill this book from cover to cover! The "Folk" series is a high-quality, high-content series, and this book is a great new addition to this respectable series. Knitters, you will flip through the book for *hours* trying to decide which project to make first! I plan on making some as holiday gifts this year--but they're all so original and cute I don't know if I'll be able to part with any of them!
Rating:
Summary: Lovely and interesting
Review: This is a lovely book, I enjoyed the stories about each bag, and the photos. There is a good variety of bags, with skill levels from basic to advanced. I probably will never knit most of them, but I learned a lot from reading the directions. The style of the bags is definitely ethnic, most are brightly colored, they may not suit everyone's taste.
Rating:
Summary: Did I really need another knitting book?
Review: Yes I did. I needed this book. The stories about ethnic fiber traditions really interesting and the patterns are inspirational. My head is spinning from being unable to decide which project to start first. I'm also getting ideas about motifs to use in sweaters. All of the 30+ knitting books I own this is in my top five list.
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