Knockdown Knits: 30 Projects from the Roller Derby Track Paperback – Import, 17 July 2008

My roller derby fan thought this was brilliant! Very unique, and some things a little bizarre...great inspiration for inexperienced knitters with some really simple patterns.Had some problem with delivery and amazon were brilliant, dealing with and sorting it out promptly.

WOW! Being a huge fan of knitting, and the various social off-shoot knitting circles that evolve from one of the most unlikely of fiber skills, I naturally had to scoop this one up. And I am so glad I did!This book was great for two reasons:1) the knitting of course, the patterns are fun and quirky (ex. frozen peas, a fun knit icepack cozy to wrap around boo-boos.) but really well done. Joan of Dark and her Roller girls takes their knitting seriously but enjoy every stich.2) The entire aspect, a general history and cultural signifigance of Roller Derby is explained in such a way I was aching to dig out my old skates and join up!Seriously, this book was so much more than I expected. A fun knittng book and a fun Roller Derby book successfully rolled (no pun intended) into one, as unlikely as that may be.

This is so different from the knitting books I remember from 30 years or so ago, when they were boring patterns that assumed everyone lived a Ken and Barbie life. They remind me a little of the Alice Starmore knitting books and especially the Celtic collection in that they explaini a little of the culture in addition to offering knitting patterns from that culture. With the Starmore books I own, they're all wearing apparrel and sylistic. With these, I've got some things to wear and a few things to knit for practical uses.I'm no roller girl, but I am over 50 and I can see lots of practical uses for some of those injury-related knitting projects. I wish I'd had that pea bag pattern when I had knee surgery a couple of years ago.To quote a friend of mine who doesn't knit or like roller derby but who read the book: What a fun book!

Some okay patterns but feel the book has been padded out with some not so good ideas. I bought it as gift for my sister who loves knitting and has recently joined a roller derby team, so it seemed too funny not to buy. Gift went down well.

Just getting started with this book, no projects completed yet. Love the fact that the author incorporates derby culture, reference facts and some derby history along with the fun projects!