Men in Knits: Sweaters to Knit That He Will Wear

Rating:
Summary: Forget the Men
Review: Beautiful designs, easy-to-understand instructions. I think I'll knit several of these sweaters for myself!

Rating:
Summary: A bit of everything.
Review: I was so excited to get this book, as I love the sweaters featured in Interweave Knits. Every sweater in the book is beautiful, and I would be proud to finish them all as gifts for the wonderful men in my life.

The book has a checklist for "unsure knitters" to help them narrow down the sweater style appropriate for the recipient. About 1/3 of the sweaters I can see my 80 year old Grandfather wearing, the next third would be worn by my conservative 60 year old father in law (sweater vests, and Mr. Roger's cardigans), and the last third will be appropriate for my 35 year old husband (Aran sweaters, and more chunky loose fitting jeans sweaters).

My husband flipped through to select a pattern for me to make, and I was surprised to hear that he thought many of the Aran style patterns were too busy for his tastes. Oh. Maybe my guy just doesn't appreciate the art, but I will still make some toned down versions for him.

So, the key to Knit That He Will Wear is really knowing your target audience and selecting the best design for his personality.



Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Patterns
Review: Men are notoriously difficult to knit for--they want neutral or dull colors (hard to see when knitting) or those impossibly colorful Australian sweaters favored by Bill Cosby. What should you make your MAN (or even yourself, if you are a man who knits?) Most of the knitting magazines have few men's patterns per issue, so it's nice to have a collection of things that men probably will like.

Most of the sweaters are texture-stitch style (Aran knitting, cables) but there are a few simple argyle-banded pullovers, a fine gauge vest or two, and a few boys' models. There is a helpful table to match fitting issues (barrel chests, tall torsos, tapered physique, round shoulders) to the corresponding sweater that will suit the figure. That's a worthwhile feature, as you can apply the ideas to other sweaters you might dream up in future.

What you WON'T find here are many colorwork models, nor that shawl-collared jacket so many men like to wear at home and in the yard, nor other popular styles such as Cowichan style thick knits, Icelandic yokes and the most mysterious omission of all--the Mr. Rogers style, complete with zipper. Perhaps the designer Tara Jon Manning doesn't like zippers in knits (I don't either, for that matter; the zipper tape is not as elastic as the knit fabric and that is a nuisance when you sew it in) --but you can hardly offer to knit a sweater for a man and not get a request for a cardigan like the late Fred Rogers pulled on when he stepped into his foyer.

If you like texture knitting, and if you want to knit for men and boys, this book is a good choice, especially for the useful fitting guide. If you want colorwork or zippers, you will need another book instead.

Rating:
Summary: He might just say "Ooooh! I would wear that."
Review: Men in Knits has clearly written, well-photographed patterns that are up-to-date without sacrificing classic style - the sweater you make him won't be out-of-date before you're finished knitting it! The variety of textured knitting and other projects makes this a book that will continue to be valuable to a knitter as their skill level increases. Not only do *I* like nearly every pattern in this book, the Cabled Rib cardigan was the first pattern my husband saw out of all that I showed him (after saying "I want to knit you a sweater") that actually made him go "Ooooh! I would wear that." Very glad I have it in my library; it's a worthwhile investment.

Rating:
Summary: Great for all aged men
Review: My husband fits the late 40 age group and he would wear every single one of these sweaters. I also have a son who is 22 who would wear them. There is even a pattern in there should I get a grandson some day. I am finishing a sweater now but one of these is next for my husband. They are extremely updated from the rest of the patterns out there. They actually are better than the ready made choices. A page showing where to find the yarns is in the back which will prove helpful. I hate knitting books that do not include that as the sweaters are designed for the yarn and substitutions rarely work. This is a keeper. I hope the binding holds up as I plan on knitting a lot of these! Why don't they ever make knitting books on spiral binding?

Rating:
Summary: Great for all aged men
Review: My husband fits the late 40 age group and he would wear every single one of these sweaters. I also have a son who is 22 who would wear them. There is even a pattern in there should I get a grandson some day. I am finishing a sweater now but one of these is next for my husband. They are extremely updated from the rest of the patterns out there. They actually are better than the ready made choices. A page showing where to find the yarns is in the back which will prove helpful. I hate knitting books that do not include that as the sweaters are designed for the yarn and substitutions rarely work. This is a keeper. I hope the binding holds up as I plan on knitting a lot of these! Why don't they ever make knitting books on spiral binding?