Metropolitan Knits: Chic Designs for Urban Style

METROPOLITAN KNITS is a collection of patterns for elegant, classic cardigans and tops--with simple but creative variations that make them interesting to knit, to look at, and to wear. A good example is the Meier Cardigan (shown on the book cover), a classic cardigan with a gently shaped stockinette body that is embellished with chevron eyelet side panels and sleeves.As Heidi Klum of Project Runway would say, "I'd wear that!" In fact, I'd wear every single one of the designs in this collection! Although the lines are classic, the patterns are adjusted to give the currently fashionable snug fit. There are also a few patterns for scarves, hats, cowls, and shawls. My personal favorites are the Meier Cardigan; the Open Air Pullover (a drapey faux-wrap top with gathers at the shoulders); the Cobblestone Hoodie (a long-sleeved, striped V-neck pullover with generous attached hood); the Atrium Cardigan (a minimalist V-neck cardigan knit in open-stitch lace); the Brooklyn Bridge Cardigan (a no-buttonband cardigan with lace panels along the fronts and around the edge of the neckline and generous attached hood); and the Grand Army Plaza Shawl (a pretty little half-circle shawl knit in open-stich lace).I can't make up my mind about the Carriage House Cardigan--usually I don't like tops with long triangles of knitting hanging at the sides, but this one drapes nicely and has an interesting drawstring detail at the back which also helps the drape. A design that has a fun surprise is the Secret Garden Tank, which looks like a plain Henley-neckline tank, but has a fancy lace insert in back (sort of like a peplum), knit in a contrasting color.None of the designs appear difficult to knit--intermediate (or adventurous intermediate) knitting skills are probably all that's needed. Most of the cardigans and tops are knit from sportweight yarn, although a few call for fingering or worsted weight yarn. The needle sizes vary from pattern to pattern (US 3 to US 7), but there is a fair amount of knitting required for all of them--these are not big-needle, make-in-a-day designs.The book's patterns are presented in three sections. FIRST, Heart of the City--Opera House Mitts, Uptown Scarf, Museum Sweater, Le Cirque Cowlneck Sweater, Meier Cardigan, Open Air Pullover, Skyline Tunic. SECOND, Urban Bohemia--Bleecker Street Cardigan, Magnolia Cafe Cardigan, Washington Square Cardigan, Washington Square Hat, Union Square Cowl. And THIRD, City Gardens--Cobblestone Hoodie, Atrium Cardigan, Brooklyn Bridge Cardigan, Sunday Henley, Carriage House Cardigan, Secret Garden Tank, Grand Army Plaza Shawl, Courtyard Pullover.

I love this book - I've made about 5 sweaters from the book so far. My fav is the pullover - I have two of these that I finished - and I always do something a little different for each one. If I could figure out how they do the chevron patterns on the cover but as soon as I get some time I'll do it. . Also made the hoodie - it's so sophisticated I made this with three colors, not the ones in the book. I picked out a khaki for the body, and magenta and dark blue for the other contrasting color. I've had so many compliments on this - I'd like to make another one. I found that getting the contrast stripes even on the body and the sleeves time consuming but definitely worth the time. The other heavy weight jacket with the green buttons really stands out and is super warm. I did a lace panel that I liked - not the one from the book.

There are several sweaters in this book that I would like to make. A couple of the cardigans are on my list. However, I have not yet made any of the designs from this book. The instructions seem to be clear and accurate, and there is a good variety of garments in this book. Nice designs.

This is an excellent book full of patterns I can't wait to knit. The designs are fashion forward without being weird, clothes you would want to wear all the time. The instructions are so clear and easy to follow, requiring knitting skills from adventurous beginner to advanced. Each pattern has been really thoughtfully designed in regards to yarns, colors, and design details, like the eyelet detail and back slit on the Secret Garden tank, or the contrast pocket linings on the Magnolia Cafe cardigan. I can't wait to knit the lace Atrium Cardigan for this summer, and the cozy Bleecker Street cardigan for the winter. This book is full of designs you'll love now and will wear for years.

Melissa is more than a talented knitwear designer, and to top it off, her patterns are written in a detailed, comprehensive manner that doesn't leave you scratching your head every ten minutes (or ending up with a lop-sided sweater). The attention to finishing techniques and small details that make these pieces wearable and durable is quite high, and the yarn selections are carefully thought out so that you are not spending $600 to make a simple sweater. I've already dog-eared more than half of the patterns as must make, which is a rarity in knitting pattern books these days. This book is totally worth every penny, and I hope she's offered many more book deals to come!

Just received this yesterday and love it already. I've tagged several items I'd love to make from sweaters to mittens! It's mostly for an intermediate knitter but a feisty beginner could do some. My favorites are Uptown Scarf (even a beginner could knit it), Skyline Tunic, and a great cabled cardigan that could be my favorite, Magnolia Cafe. Many of the yarns used I already have in stock and most of the patterns don't call for fussy, really expensive yarns even if I needed to buy them. This could become a favorite book.

When I received this big and beautiful knitting instruction book from Amazon, I was wondering why it only costed under $7.00. Then after I looked it completely over, I discovered why. Except for the simple knitting pattern like a scarf, all the other designs require using circling needles! Now the problem is this: I only knit with straight needles and hate circling needles! So be aware not to buy this book unless you like using circling needle for knitting. I am going to donate this book to my retirement living community, not worth the trouble to return it!

Bought this a while back. Great book, I have made many of the sweaters in this book, some more than once in different colors. There can be a few challenging construction techniques but that can be half the fun figuring it out. Love most of the sweater styles.