In this colorful guide, designer Barna (Design Doubles) offers 21 patterns that take the guesswork out of using rare or hand-painted yarns. Barna organizes her projects--most of them are accessory items--from easiest to most difficult, beginning with a "Technicolor Dream Cowl" and "Lilac Leg Warmers" for beginners. Intermediate projects include several shawls, while a "Bluebird Cardigan" is for experienced knitters. Along with listing the specific type of yarn she uses for each project, Barna also covers common knitting abbreviations, and illustrated step-by-step directions for more complicated stitches appear throughout. (For those times crafters find themselves stuck, Barna advises watching YouTube tutorials, as "You can pause them whenever you want and you can watch them over and over again without the teacher ever losing patience.") Knitters of all skill levels will thank Barna for her ability to make "luxurious yarns" exciting and accessible. --Publishers Weekly, February 2021
Toby Roxane Barna is an independent knitwear designer in the Hudson Valley of upstate New York, USA. She studied knitwear design at the London College of Fashion, where she learned how to conceptualize, curate, and produce a collection of knitwear. Since 2012, she has published over 60 patterns in publications such as I Like Knitting and Knit Edge.