It Girl Knits by Phoenix Bess

Softcover, 144 pages

List price $19.95, currently available on Amazon for $19.95.

Sixteen year-old designer Phoenix Bess' debut book, subtitled "30 Fresh Styles for the Young and Fabulous", targets a somewhat-overlooked group -- teen knitters.

The 30 designs use simpler knitting techniques worked in soft yarns -- bamboo, cotton, silk, wool, and alpaca.  Worked mostly in the round and with little seaming and finishing, most of the projects are suitable for an advanced beginner who is comfortable with simple increases and decreases and picking up stitches.  A few of the projects use more complicated techniques such as basic lace knitting (YOs paired with a decrease) and short rows. 

The projects range from accessories to tops and, of course, several of Bess' signature bottoms.  Presented in 4 chapters -- Sunny Days, Days Off, Play Days, and And Night, the book offers:

• 6 sweaters / tops
• 3 skirts
• 3 pants
• 3 outerwear
• 2 dresses
• 2 bikinis
• 3 bags
• 4 accessories

Many of the projects use trims, beads, straps, buckles, jewelry findings and ribbons as embellishments.  There's lots of room for a young knitter to show her individuality with these designs.

Most of the garments feature a figure-hugging silhouette, and Bess makes liberal use of yarns with some stretch in them to make fitting a little easier.  A note on sizing - the garments are presented in sizes Small through XL, with an XL coming in at 31 - 37" for the waist, 36 - 42" for bust, and 42 - 44 for hips.  The book doesn't list recommended body measurements or suggested ease, so the sizes lists may fit a larger range of measurements given the stretch fibers used in the designs.You'll want to keep this in mind if you're knitting for a larger size.

The patterns all feature schematics and callouts to talk you through the embellishing techniques; you'll also find "It Girl Style Secret" notes where Bess suggests how you can wear and pair the design with other items in the book or in your own wardrobe.

You'll find quite a few bottoms and dresses in the book.  The Flirty Short Skirt is knit from the waist-down and features a handkerchief hem; the Comfy Cotton Pants are worked in a soft and drapey bamboo/cotton/elite yarn and showcase a rolled hem and low-riding 2x2 ribbed waist; the sweet and flirty empire waist dress in a silk/rayon/nylon blend is worked top-down to allow for ample fittings while you're knitting.

 Some of the more unique items in the book include a couple of bikinis and even a pair of boots.  The Aussie Boots are felted and use an optional outdoor-wear sole (if you do make these, please be kind to the bunnies and use a faux fur); the Tankini, with its keyhole halter and i-cord tie, is worked in an acrylic/stretch polyester that Bess notes will not sag when wet.

One of the areas where this book really hits its mark is in sharing the techniques used for embellishing and accessorizing.  While it's not a learn-how-to-knit book it does teach you how to execute any of the special treatments; an appendix in the back tells you where to get some of the more unusual findings such as the outerwear soles for the boots, the jewelry findings and the leather trimmings for the bags.

As I paged through the book I found myself thinking 'Why wasn't something like this around when I was a sixteen year-old knitter?"  I would have loved to have had a book like this -- one that gives me a lot of the simpler techniques in fashionable designs and lots of opportunities to make it my own unique interpretation.  And as a (ahem) mid-30s knitter I even found a few items that I'd like to make for myself.