Successful Lace Knitting: Celebrating the Work of Dorothy Reade

Donna discovered the little known pioneering work of Dorothy Reade in the field of lace knitting patterns. Dorothy developed her own charting system for lace patterns using mainly just 10 symbols. Her first book published in 1968 was spiral bound with 25 original designs for lace knitting and cost $4.50. I bought that book years ago at Knitting camp. Donna contacted 16 designers giving to each one a pattern of Dorothy's and asked them to design a knitting project using that lace pattern. Donna begins with a short biography of Dorothy and then an intro to her lace knitting patterns and finally an explanation of the techniques used. All the 20 designs have been written out but with charts in a more modern chart used today. First project is an actual stole designed by Dorothy Reade. There are 4 more shawls. Also included are socks and hand warmers, baby cardi and blankie, wimple, 5 sweaters, afghan, etc. Yarns used also vary from the finest to chunky. Book includes designer bios and index. Book is rewarding on two levels: first as good knitting history and second for the lovely projects. Recommended to all.

I bought this book sight unseen which was a mistake. The introductory chapter on Dorothy Reade is excellent. The patterns are to my eye, very very basic. I am a fair to middling lace knitter, no expert. There is nothing here I'd suggest to anyone who has any lace skills. I do think it would be an encouraging book to give beginners who fear lace work. While some of the patterns are classic and simple there is one that is tremendously ugly (Cherry tree (?) shawl....a mess of color and variegated yarn with a lace medallion and fringe. Ugh.). I allow every book an ugly pattern so I'd not rate the book only on that.Lace charts made lacework much easier for most of us and the book does a good job exploring the history of lace patterns. In the beginning, there are some photos of lovely lacework by Dorothy Reade. I particularly liked a circular motif in one photo. Sadly, nothing like that is in the book's patterns. I'll not keep this book but will probably gift it to a beginner.

I am so happy that I purchased this new book by Donna Druchunas! I live in Alaska and have taken her Arctic Lace class, which has set me on a path to higher levels of lace knitting. One of my fiber friends, Alice Scherp, has the most beautiful item in this book, a Quiviut lace shawl. Handspun, hand dyed, and handknit, it is a testimony to the ageless beauty of lace, and to Alice's skill and willingness to teach and share her patterns with us.

I've always loved anything Donna Druchunas has designed. Her instructions are easy to understand and easy to size. Her lace instructions are the most sensible I've seen. I've been frustrated by lace instructions from other authors, but my results look like Druchanas' when I use her patterns.

It's okay. I'll probably only make the shawl, which is what I bought it for. Other interesting pieces, just not my "cup of tea"

If you love lace patterns, you’ll love this book. The patterns are appropriate for intermediate to advanced knitters.

Nice patterns great ideas in all a great add to my knitting library

This is a good book if you are into the history of lace and any thing ypu can find that is different.

I had never heard of Dorothy Reade before I bought this book. I have been a convert to charted lace recently, mostly down to the number of errors in written patterns in books and magazines so I thought I would buy this book to learn about the development of charted lace & to get some nice patterns. The photo's of the original bits of knitted lace that are supposed to be so treasured by her daughter seem to have been demolished by moths in some photos, others where I liked the basic pattern on the original, like the wall hanging with the cats on it, I thought were unimpressive as the pattern clearly went wrong somewhere & the point where the patterns met in the middle is all out of kilter. So based on this ladies developments of some slightly iffy lace patterns that show promise but don't look impressive in the photos in the book, they have used some of these charts she developed to make some garments that are meant to be current. Dorothy Read was an excellent spinner, she produced cobweb fine wool from fleece and one pattern is based on this wool, not very helpful, others are just not that good. there is a horrible jumper with a strange split up the front in a cheap yucky yellow wool, a strange multi-coloured shawl, and the cat pattern that showed promise is incorporated into a thick & rather basic jumper that looks like your gran knitted it. There are one or 2 acceptable patterns but none of them are great, a cardigan with a strange stripe down the back, the blue one on the cove that just does not lie right once completed and a pretty blanket. For the cost of this you could buy a short subscription to a knitting magazine that would have as many patterns as this in each edition & you would have more chance of finding stuff you liked. The useful bits of info about the difference between ssk & k2tog etc could probably all be googled the rest of it isn't worth having in my opinion, the odd lace pattern might be worth incorporating into your own design, or into a generic but whether that is worth the price of this book - I doubt it

This book has some very nice patterns and it was fascinating to read all about Dorothy Reade and her work with lace.

There are loads of patterns in the book based on Dorothy Reade's work, all by different designers. I enjoyed reading as a history book actually.

this is nice for my bisnes and my good frends for look for patterns my freand love it so muts