Knitting from the British Islands: 30 Original Designs from Traditional Patterns

Rating:
Summary: I got my first Alice Starmore book for £1!
Review: It's hard to believe now when I see the triple-digit figures secondhand Alice Starmore books sell for, but I got this one for ... in a used book shop in a lovely tiny village in north Norfolk, England, when on holiday a couple of years ago.

I'd never heard of Alice before, but I was extremely impressed by what was clearly a different and refreshing attitude toward traditional knitting, especially as the book was published in the early 1980s when popular clothing was completely mad, especially in Britain. These designs are classic, but some inject interesting thoughts on colour combinations, obviously with an 80s slant. This book doesn't have the fabulous production values of some of the later AS books (such as Fishermen's Sweaters, which is breathtakingly beautiful whether or not you're interested in knitting), but I'd definitely recommend it, especially to the Alice Starmore purists, who will find this early work vital to complete the picture of the body of work.