About.com Rating



I think there's a bit of a misconception when it comes to knitting for men that most of them only want really plain projects that aren't too detailed, colorful or warm. Yes, there certainly are some of those men around (and if you happen to be knitting for one you need to read Knits Men Want by Bruce Weinstein), but there are also men who aren't afraid of stripes and cables, or who like things that look a little more fashionable.


If you are or knit for one of those men, Erika Knight's Men's Knits: 20 New Classics is for you. Yes, it covers the basics of pullovers, vests and cardigans, but it also has bold ribs, stripes, even argyle and herringbone.

About the Book

• Pages: 144
• Format: paperback with flaps
• Number of patterns: 20
• Skill level: none given, but most are suited to advanced beginner to intermediate knitters (there is an argyle project, which is a little more advanced)
• Sizing: garments are all for men and offer three or five sizes, to fit from around 36 to 44 inch chest measurements (thought most of the projects are roomy)
• Illustrations: full-color photographs
• Knitting lessons: none, but there is a little advice about yarn and garment care at the beginning
• Publication date: September 2009
• Publisher: Potter Craft

The Patterns

The projects in Men's Knits are designed to appeal to a range of men, in terms of style as well as age group. Knight says she learned that the same sweater should be comfortable to a man whether he's 17 or 71, and she shows that in the photography in the book, which uses men of different ages and sizes in the same garments.

The book is divided into basics, casual favorites, modern classics and accessories, though the categories are somewhat arbitrary. For instance the New Classic V-Neck and Crewneck Sweaters are pretty close to the original basic, but they use fully fashioned shaping, which makes the visula a little different. A set of vests is called new classic, too, probably ebcause of the choice of colors on the argyle.

In all there are 14 sweaters, two vests and a couple of hats and scarves.

Your dull-knits only guy will want the Week Day Sweater of Casual Cardigan. Guys who like color and won't be driven crazy by non-matching stripes and color pooling will like the Striped Full-Zip Cardigan (worked with self-striping yarn) or the Hand-dyed Sweater, while the Multi-stripe Sweater is perfect for the true color-lover.

The Funnel-Neck Sweater might be a good compromise if you're trying to get a guy to be slightly more fashionable, and the details on the Simple Vest make it fun for the knitter but not too outrageous for the wearer (unless you knit it in the bright red that's shown in some pictures).

The simple hats and scarves are perfect gift knitting for any guy (or more conservative girl) on your list, too.

Bottom Line

All in all, the collection in Men's Knits is a nice one. It has plenty of classic shapes and colors tempered by a bit of color and whimsy to make it more interesting. This could be a sort of gateway book for the man you knit for, too. Start with one of the basics and then work through to some of the more interesting patterns if you think he's up to it.

And of course there's no reason you couldn't knit some of these with an eye toward taking them back from your man when he's not looking!

Publisher's website

Projects on Ravelry



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.