Stefanie Japel: Fitted Knits

If there's one book which I have continuously looked at at the book store, browsed through, found everything lovely, and put the book away again, it would be this one. I must have held Fitted Knits: 25 Projects for the Fashionable Knitter a hundred times before I finally ended up buying it a while back. Why the back and forth? Simple - I'm not much of a sweater knitter, and to buy a book with just sweaters seemed like a waste. So why did I buy it? Well, I've made a few sweaters lately and am getting the hang of them, plus I just couldn't pass all that information on how to make your knits flatter every body type, plus there's this adorable shrug pattern in the book!

But I haven't yet. I haven't knit anything from the book yet. I've read it through a few times, looked at the patterns and thought about what yarns from my stash could I use to make them. I've also read and studied the instructions on how to make the knits fit (but I have to admit, I don't get all of it just yet!)

I won't worry though, I'm sure I will knit something from the book sooner or later. I mean, the patterns are very wearable and many can be easily modified to suit my fit and/or style. There are tops, sweaters, cardigans, shrugs and even a dress and a coat in it! I really like how they all look (well, most of them at least) and can totally see myself wearing some of them.

I especially like the two-tone ribbed shrug, the textured tunic, the v-neck pullover and the crisp rectangle tunic top , which I all think would flatter my not-very-typical figure (I am apple type with a bit of waist curves but a big pot belly and small boobs - not the typical "feminine shape").

There are many patterns in the book I most likely won't make at least for myself, as I know they won't look good on me. Others I'm not sure yet, so I might just give them a try, like the puffed sleeve cardigan. Do you think, if the peplum was to sit on the hips, a bit lower than described in the pattern, it would look good even if the wearer has a big belly? I might just give it a try someday.

But to end the ramble, I really like this book. I love looking at it and reading the patterns, thinking what would look good on me and what I could knit for my niece, who has the perfect "model figure" of a 15-year-old! The book has loads of different patterns with different gauges and yarns, for different purposes and seasons. Plus they're all knit top-down in the round! No seaming! Got to love that.