Extremely friendly and inspiring: knitting books that treat patterns more like recipes than laws are my favorite, and this is a particularly excellent example.

This wasn't quite what I was expecting based on the title. Not a bad thing, just a surprise. In essence, this is a stitch dictionary with instructions for combining various stitch patterns to create the shawl or wrap of your dreams. Think of this as a "choose your own adventure" for shawl knitting! There are also 20 complete recipes for beautiful shawls utilizing this method so if one of those suits your fancy, you're all set! But I know I usually have changes I want to make when I knit a design and with this method, changes are simple - just plug and play. Each stitch pattern includes a photo, written instructions and a chart. The stitch patterns are split up by stitch count (2, 4, 6, etc stitch repeat) and there is a nice variety of stitches represented. Of course, once you know the magic, you can also use stitches from your favorite stitch dictionary to come up with even more designs. 

I love when designers make the process of designing your own item more accessible to the masses. Having written a few of my own knitting/crochet patterns, I understand the work that goes into it. This book would be an amazing resource for budding designers as well as the average knitter who has an idea for a shawl/wrap floating around in his/her/their head and doesn't quite know how to get from idea to creation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

I'm used to seeing "modular" used to describe smaller pieces of a bigger whole, like the patterns of Frankie Brown or the Aranami Shawl pattern. I suppose in a broader sense these are modular. It was just unexpected (but not bad).
I did appreciate the information on shaping and the stitch patterns included. I also appreciated the mathematics of the stitch counts. 
Some of the photos felt sloppy with the pins still in the sample swatches.

This is a great book but you need to be aware that it's essentially a stitch dictionary. It's one specifically for modular shawls and offers stitches for a lot of triangles, borders and straight panels you can place between the triangles.

There are some patterns but they only tell you 'Use triangle X on page Y, combine with border Z' so if you want to knit one of them you'll have to leaf forth and back a lot. (Well, you'll have to do that anyway if you want to combine any of the patterns...)

This book is the shawl knitter’s equivalent to being a kid in a candy store!  It’s totally unique in that all the stitch patterns are charted out with the increases to make a triangle, saving the knitter a whole lot of trouble in designing their own shawl.  The stitch patterns are gorgeous and there are tons to choose from;  main stitch patterns, horizontal insertions and knitted edgings.  There are complete instructions for making a variety of different shawls from start to finish.  It’s basically a choose your own adventure shawl book and is sure to become a classic!
I received an arc copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Melissa Leapman has created a book for the knitter or budding designer that likes to create their own shawls.
The book is set up into sections that take you through each part of the process. Deciding on a shape, choosing a cast on stitch for the main body of the shawl, a border and then a cast off. There are several finished shawls pictures along the way to show you how a certain pattern will look when completed. A great little resource with plenty of stitch patterns to choose from. This book will definitely get your creative juices flowing!

Thanks to Net Galley and Storey Publishing for the advance copy!

Great book! Lots of very fun and interesting looking project to do, something for all levels to try with easy to understand instructions!

This new instruction book from Melissa Leapman shows knitters how to create their own personal modular shawls, wraps and stoles.  Each section includes written and graphed instructions, and also has a sample knit shown so that you know in advance what it will look like should you include it in your pattern.  It is basically a recipe book, giving you as a knitter flexibility which simple guidelines, so that you end up with exactly what you'd like.

This is one of the worst instructional craft manual I have ever seen. The layout is like the shawls. Start at the end.

I am not going to review this online because it is so awful it would take an hour to catelogue all its faults.

Storey you should pick out this book and reknit.

This is a complete guide for making amazing shawls.
Love the modular shaping to get the modern styles and out of the ordinary long rectangular ones we are used to. 
The different stitches and designs will feed your imagination for new patterns and awesome projects.
Easy to understand and follow instructions.
This is a perfect gift for any knitter.

The big picture concept is fairly simple: combine triangular shawls to make larger garments. Many of us love to knit shawls but end up having too many of them. This concept helps with figuring out what to do with all these shawls.

An unexpected surprise of this book was all the many, many stitch patterns on offer. I’m always looking for a fairly straightforward (and easy to remember) stitch to give my work a little kick, and this book has plenty. Honestly, the value of this book is more in the patterns than in the concept of combining various shapes of shawls to make bigger ones. Lots of ideas for making and designing your own shawls.

This book is full of great ideas.  So many fun and interesting stitch patterns can be combined to make beautiful and interesting shawls.  I love the way it walks you through choosing your patterns for the body and edging so you can make something completely unique.

However, I don't know that I'll ever really follow through and make any of these.  It is just between designing your own and knitting a pattern, and I think most of us who don't do design work really want to end up with something just like the sample pictures, which is hard to do with a choose-your-own-adventure type book like this.

It is a good resource for budding designers and people who want to better understand how different shawl shapes can go together.

I cannot give higher praise for this lovely book.
Chocked full of so many designs for shawls or wraps, and with well written instructions.
The designs could also be used for anything you like - baby shawl or blanket.
Let your imagination loose with this well photographed and written book.

Holy crap, why is publication for this so far away!! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy, this book screams "leaf through me at your leisure to perfect your projects", urgh I just can't wait.

A beautiful and very detailed book on knitting modular items. There are 20 full pattern project at the end of the book which would suit all abilities. The rest of the book shows swatches of knitting patterns to either mix and match or use the overall pattern to make lovely shawls, wraps or stoles. Most have a lace pattern, but having said that, there is enough of ideas to make the article and modern or as traditional one wants.
If you haven't knitting with this wedge technique before, it will take a little practise, but the instructions a good and each design swatch has its own page with both written and graph instructions.

I received a free copy of Knitting Modular Shawls, Wraps, and Stoles by Melissa Leapman in exchange for an honest review.  In this book, the author explains how to create top down shawls of different shapes beginning with a two-panel triangular to many-paneled cape by increasing the number of pie-shaped panels knitted.  It also shows how to create trapezoidal and rectangular shawls by knitting individual panels and sewing them together.  Of course, there is logic and math involved, but the author does a lot of the math for you.

This is a great reference book because it ALSO demonstrates how the increases should be worked for tons of stitch patterns.  The author provides several example patterns but encourages the reader to make up their own combinations.  I highly recommend this book to those who like to create their own shawl patterns or tweak existing ones!

#KnittingModularShawlswrapsandStoles #NetGalley

So many possibilities! That's what struck me as I looked through this book. There are endless combinations of parts to create finished pieces. As an intermediate knitter, I found the explanations clear and the notes, tips and charts very helpful. This is definitely a book I would consider purchasing.

As a knitter, I get very excited when I see new books from certain knitting authors.  This is a great example  of that type of book.  This book presents a different technique for knitting shawls, wraps and stoles. While there are patterns, even better are the diagrams and instructions for creating the many motifs included. 

What always excites me about this type of book are the opportunities I will have to create my own designs.  However, for those who want to create the styles displayed throughout the book, there are instructions to guide you through the process.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book that was provided by NetGalley and Storey Publishing. However the thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

A shawl book, along the lines of the Knitter's Handy Book series by Ann Budd, presents the basic framework for designing a personalized shawl.  In a plug and knit style, the book is broken down into easy to follow pattern.  Step one begins with picking the type of shawl, number of wedges, type of shaping.  Step two pick the pattern used in each section of the design and finally picking the edging.  Samples are presents for each basic shape of shawl and the books ends giving the basic instructions for these pictured shawls.  Great book for intermediate to advanced knitters.

Knitting Modular Shawls, Wraps, and Stoles
An Easy, Innovative Technique for Creating Custom Designs, with 185 Stitch Patterns by Melissa Leapman
This book concentrates on making shawls using a modular form in 7 easy steps.
Make a lot of these for others at nursing homes and for other religious charities.
Tips along the way that you can use in most any pattern you have used or will use in the future.
There are so many variations even in the edgings and starting rows.
Helps you decide on the shape you want.
Some of the colors of the finished items are in dark yarns with dark background-hard to see what it is you are looking at.
Like diagrams and charted stitching guides. Like how briefly the 7 steps are discussed then next chapters are more detailed.
There are charts along the way that show what you should select as per the yarn you choose and needles.
Found the book confusing as you have to go to many different sections in the book to finish one piece as they are broken up into modeular wedges.
Good thing is you can customize the sections to what you want to achieve. Gallery of shawls is included along with all the information you need to get the supplies to make one for yourself. 
Resources include glossary of knitting techniques, shown in diagraoms along with written words in how to make them: how to read charts, finishing your shawl and an index in a foreign language.
Problem I have is I hate sewing smaller pieces up, rather do a one piece design-there are some of those as well.
Received this review copy from Storey Publishing, LLC via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
  #KnittingModularShawlswrapsandStoles #NetGalley