fellow knitwear designer alana dakos is in the process of publishing her third book, this one a collection of garments and accessories inspired by plant life, entitled botanical knits.
leaves, vines, berries, and branches twine over and travel across the surfaces of twelve pretty pieces—four sweaters, fingerless mitts, hats, scarves, and socks.
the color palette featured within the book’s pages is autumnal, a composition in rich greens, rust, gold, and taupe—a look that is warm and comforting when the weather drops in the brisk zones it has been lately (right now, it’s much too cold for springtime where i live).
but if i squint my eyes, i can totally see these pieces working equally well in all natural colors, such as the palette in our collection of bare naked wools.
or for springtime, an array of garden colors like celery, apricot, wheat, and sky blue, knit in soft cotton or silk for more temperate weather.
with botanicals, you just need to choose a season and look around to find a set of alternate colors that would work.
everyone who loves leafy motifs will be pleased by the designs featured on these pages—from the simplest application to ones that get more elaborate, there is something for everyone.
deep texture, sheer openwork, eye-catching trims—sometimes a little and sometimes a lot; they are each interpreted in a way that makes you want to reach out and touch (i like that in a book, don’t you?).
alana is one of a whole wave of contemporary designers who is comfortable producing and promoting her own compilations. as with her earlier books, this one is self-published, which means you can purchase it directly from her (a nice win-win) in hardcopy or eBook format.
hardcopy may be preordered now and will begin shipping in mid may. for a limited time, early birds who pre-order the book will immediately receive a free eBook copy with their reservation (this bundle offer ends in may).
purchasing the bundle will also entitle buyers to a free additional garment pattern as a thank-you from the author. the eBook is available for purchase by itself, for those who prefer a green option that does not require expensive shipping.
preorders are a crucial component in the self-publishing equation; with some idea of how many knitters are interested in buying the book and what version, producers can make informed, cost effective decisions about how many copies to print. preorders also help fund the print run and initial promotion work, providing the author with income during these stages, as well as the ability to plan and budget the distribution of the work.
and if all that wasn’t enough, here’s some awesome sauce to go on top:
alana has offered a free eBook version of botanical knits to one lucky knitspot reader. leave a comment at the end of this post by 9 pm EDST on sunday, march 24th. we’ll draw a winner on monday or tuesday morning and let you know the results.
david and i will be on the road most of today (friday); when you next see us, we’ll be transmitting from upstate NY and have we got a weekend planned for you. not only a look at alana’s beautiful designs, but tomorrow the release of the next installment of bare naked wools—our new stone soup blend, in both fingering and DK weights, which would be lovely in a number of the patterns seen here.
so don’t wander too far—you don’t want to miss the excitement!
287 thoughts on “botanical knits”
I really didn’t think anything new could be done with leaf motifs until I saw Botanical Knits.
Stunning!
love Alana’s designs, and I’d love to win a copy of the new ebook!
(and I can’t wait for the next BNW “reveal,” even though I am on a no-buying-new-yarn diet for the rest of the month!)
The designs in this books look amazing – thank you for the chance to win a copy. Happy travels.
I would love tohave my name entered into the draw!
I’d love a chance to get the Botanical Knits ebook. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures.
I really love the Pressed Leaves and Oak Trail hat! I also really like the Autumn’s End sweater (maybe in a nice green or beige?) Thank you for the opportunity!
Would love a copy of her book. Love her designs.
Yes, Please! I would love to have this collection of patterns with all the leafy designs for spring.
It is wonderful we have these contemporary designers. We need to support their work. Thank you for the offer of the e book. Lovely designs!!!
I could knit every single one of these delicious patterns!
The patterns are beautiful! I would love to have a copy of this book.
These are so beautiful!!!!
All of these patterns are lovely!!
Beautiful choice of pattern and fiber. I can see any of them done in BNK yarn!
Love the designs and the colors are great! My book diet is about to be compromised.
Love the designs! I see several that I would love to make. Also love the idea of an ebook; very ecological. Thanks for highlighting this new resource here.
These are lovely patterns and would work very well with BNK ….if I can ever catch up would love to make several items.
I love Alana’s designs, and I would love to win a copy of her patterns! Thank you for hosting the giveaway!
I would love a copy of this wonderful book…and so excited that more yarn is arriving! I will get my order in early this time. Thanks, Anne!
Beautiful patterns! I’m in for the book giveaway – B
Oooh I remember seeing a preview of this somewhere and fell in love with so many of the patterns. Very nice!
What pretty designs, I’d love to win.
These patterns are just delightful. I would love to win this book
Would love to win this book!
All of these patterns are gorgeous!
What a colorful display of knitwear just in time for spring!
Lots of lovely patterns in there! I’ve already got some favorites.
What a beautiful book. Thanks for the opportunity for an e-version.
And I appreciate your explanation re: preorders and some of the business behind the product.
Gorgeous patterns!
Lovely patterns!
Beautiful designs!
Yummy–I can’t wait to see the book.
I am such a big fan of Alana’s and would certainly be honoured if I was able to win this ebook! Thanks to you, Anne, and also Alana for this opportunity!
What a great prize! I have been drooling over the patterns since I saw a friend’s Oak Trail hat.
a beautiful book full of beautiful designs!
What lovely knits. I’d love to knit a leaf.
I love all these patterns and the earthy yarns/colors they were made with!
The designs are breath-taking! I didn’t see any that I wouldn’t want to begin immediately. Choosing a first would be much more difficult.
I have been watching for this one to come out…..
Why is it that leaf designs are so appealing? I simply love them and it seems I’m not alone. These are beautiful!
Love all the designs I think they’d all look great in the breakfast blend yarn.
I’ve been thinking about purchasing this book since I first learned about it — unless I win it here, of course! The designs are beautiful.
I keep seeing more and more about this collection. I think I will probably end up convinced to get it by the time the hardcover version comes out.
great looking knits! i can’t believe this is the first i have heard of this book. thanks for sharing.
Wow! I think also the Bare naked wool could deserve a lots of paterns in this book
What a beautiful collection! I have a copy of Coastal Knits (Alana Dakos’ collaboration with Hannah Fettig), and it’s a lovely book with great, well-written designs. I’m sure this one will be the same–thanks for sharing, Anne!
Oh what lovely patterns! This is definitely on my must-have list.
Oh, there are so many lovely patterns in that collection! I particularly like the sweaters… and the accessories are great too. Really, it’d be hard to choose what to knit first!
I would be very excited to win a copy of the book. I would definitely start with the golden cardigan.
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