The On The Go knitting book series is quite popular, with over a dozen different volumes published. They are small, inexpensive, and, as the name would suggest, easily portable. The projects within are just the right size to knit on the go. The two most recent of these books are Shawls Two and Grannies.
Shawls Two picks up where the first Shawls book left off: “There were too many gorgeous designs to fit into one book of shawls,” the forward reads. There are a wide variety of styles to knit. Some of the more notable ones include: the “Textured Shawl” is a simple broken rib-stitch to create an all over textured pattern. The “Beaded Leaf Lace Shawl” is a simple diamond-leaf lace pattern that is neat and clean. The “Stained Glass Window Shawl,” with brightly-colored blocks scattered amongst black ones, looks more like an afghan than a shawl. The “Ruffled Capelet” is a bit juvenile – it’s tiny, fitting just about the shoulders, with rows of ruffles places sparingly. The “Scalloped Stitch Wrap” is a dense textured wrap with looping I-cord trim. The “Multi-Yarn Wrap” uses nine different kinds of novelty yarn to knit what can only be described as a headache.
Grannies is a traditional collection of crocheted granny squares, but the book shows off ways to turn grannies into a variety of clothing and accessories. This is probably better for the mature crocheter, as granny square designs do feel a bit old-fashioned. The “Tassled Hat” is cute, with small grannies around the foundation and finished with a crown of stripes. The “Ultraviolet Scarf” uses squares-within-squares and benefits from a wonderful color palette of greens and purples. The “Fiesta Poncho” is, well, hideous – no way to sugar-coat it. It is hugely over-sized, in a very open-weave design using half-grannies. The “Drawstring Skirt,” created of small grannies, might be attractive as a swim cover-up, but only in a different color scheme (as shown, it is a frightful combo of orange, brown, and green – too retro). The “Baby Afghan” is adorable, with a multitude of bright colored grannies edged with white to keep it lively. The “Rectangle Tote” uses large grannies crocheted in diagonal stripes, seamed together to create a diamond-shaped rainbow burst. It’s retro in a good way. The teeny-tiny grannies made into rings, accented with beads, are cute and fun, but the same can’t be said about the pendant, which looks like something made at summer camp.
If you love knitting granny squares, go with Grannies; otherwise skip it. Shawls Two has a wide array of beautiful patterns for every skill level or taste. That one is a safe bet for any knitter.
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