Marlize: A new Direction in Knitting by Anna Maltz
Self-published in 2018.
$28.50 £21.50 € 25.00
ISBN: 978-0-9955994-1-3
I want to begin by saying that this is my favorite knitting book of 2018 so far. As a huge fan of her previous book - Penguin: A Knit Collection - I was looking forward to this release, and I wasn't disappointed!
What is this ‘Marlisle’? Marlisle is a word she made up for this technique of knitting. It blends ‘marl’, the term for two yarns being worked together and ‘isle’ from fairisle for the stranded colourwork aspect of it. Anna's extensive research did not uncover any mention of the technique, probably due to lack of a name, so she decided to give it a proper name. It is true that we've seen patterns using this technique here and there, like Marianne Isager's Newspaper pullover pattern, but by thinking of it as a new technique, it opens up vast new design possibilities - this truly fascinates me.
There are 11 new patterns included in this book, featuring Marlisle technique's bold geometric design elements. Deciding on which one to knit first is difficult, but my favorites are the Ess shawl (a striped triangular shawl with cool fringe), Kraai mitts and Trembling round yoke sweater. All patterns showcase previously unimagined yarn combinations, sometimes material-wise, sometimes color-wise - who would've thought combining orange with dark chocolate yarn would make such a winsome fabric?
Another reason I am so passionate about this book is because I enjoy Anna's witty stories about choosing yarns, design ideas, and descriptions of new techniques. Additional tips for improving your knitting, such as advice on cast on and cast off, are included throughout the book.
I recommend grabbing a copy at your local shop! Add a new treasure to your book-stash!