A recent visit to our fabulous local used bookstore (Title Wave) netted me a copy of a book I have been wondering about but had never looked at. This is Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan. It is not a new book by any means, having been published in 2006. It consists of 39 patterns designed around patterns and mathematical structures from nature, such as hexagons, pentagons, spirals and so on.

The patterns are mostly interesting. There are a few that seem kind of difficult to wear, though interesting to knit, such as the Cowl Pullover. There is a tendency for some of the tops to have structures that extend down on the sides and up in the front, leaving the wearer’s belly exposed while the hips have full coverage, such as the Coastline Camisole. That looks super cute on the stick thin model, but probably not so much so on my present shape. I think those patterns could be altered a bit if need be, but it is a little off-putting.

However, a lot of the patterns are interesting and do look wearable – the Snapping Turtle Skirt and the Ogee Tunic are two good examples. Also, it is an interesting read, especially if you are interested in insight into turning inspirations into projects. The photography is pretty good and shows the designs off pretty well. The patterns seem clear, and most of the items seems to have at least a couple projects on Ravelry. All in all, a good addition to the knitting library!