Marcia Lewandowski

This is not a collection of traditional ethnic mittens. It is a collection of inspired-bys. As such, I found it disappointing but useful. Canada is represented here by Cowichan-sweater-inspired mittens as Ireland is represented by Aran-jersey-inspired mittens and the Channel Islands by gansey-inspired mittens. I can't speak to Ireland or Jersey, but the author really ignores a strong Canadian knitting tradition that makes real mittens in patterns that draw from several sources in favour of folk-mittens-that-never-were (failing, however, to give instructions for the traditional Cowichan method of colourwork which she briefly describes), and in my opinion does her topic a disservice. Nor does she present any pictures of her inspirations -- I would have dearly loved to see the Colonial New England mittens with knit-in text, which she claims actually existed -- and the lack impoverishes the book. It certainly doesn't approach the level of excellence achieved by Folk Socks, the companion volume by Nancy Bush. Still an interesting source of patterns and inspiration, but in my opinion better titled "Folk-Like Mittens".… (meer)

Marcia Lewandowski spent a total of eight years living in Bolivia during the 1980s and 1990s. During this period she developed a love for the hand-knit bags that the women wore as part of the traditional dress, and observed a decline in their usage as they were replace by mass produced items. In an effort to preserve the rich traditions represented by the patterns and colours of these traditional items, Lewanski “began a crusade which took me across five of the countries in the Andes Mountains collecting and recording the bags I found in the marketplace, in the countryside, in museums, and in private homes. I also listened to the stories and folklore associated with the bags I collected.”

The result is the wonderful resource Andean Folk Knits: Great Designs from Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador & Bolivia. Lewandowski collected traditional design, patterns and colours and created the bags and other accessories included in Andean Folk Knits. The first section reviews the history of the Andean people and their traditional folk bags, including: the difference between llamas and alpacas and applications for each type of fiber; the different type and uses of traditional folk bags; and the meaning of the motifs used in their designs.

The subsequent sections each review the styles and colours typical of the knitting in each of the five countries. Sprinkled through, Lewandowski reflects on the natural features of the countries she visited during her travels, providing a window into the life in the Andean Mountains.

While the bags may not be patterns most people wish to carry, Andean Folk Knits is a wonderful addition to any knitter’s reference library. Lewandowski has provided charts for all the symbols and patterns used in her designs and these could easy be adapted for use on sweaters or other garments fitting a knitter’s personal style.… (meer)