I'm SO with you! I just bought Custom Knits (mainly for the Audrey sweater, in which photo the model IS appropriately dressed, thank goodness!) But I totally agree, like I was really awkward with my husband finding it on the kitchen table, let alone my 3 young boys. I love Wendy's blog and patterns, but you're right, the sex-sell doesn't need to be there, and it's kind of annoying!

However, I do like the whole English country estate thing done by Rowan--it's right up my alley!

Well, I think it's a stretch to call the photographs in Custom Knits "porn". They are sexy pictures, but I think that's okay. The sexy pictures don't just have to be in the sexy-themed knitting books.

True, most of the girls appear to have lost their pants somewhere along the way but it's happened to the best of us :)

When I first looked through Custom Knits I thought "I guess sex really does sell anything." I think the photos really distracted from the knitting. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

A TON of her patterns are that way. Now, I'm not trying to start a bashing of Wendy, i'm just stating an opinion. I don't think the book needed to be done that way. I totally agree with you. And I'm young...24. But I don't look like that, nor would I want to prance around in a sweater and swimsuit. How impractical!

While I agree with Amy that I wouldn't classify the pictures as anything beyond sexy, I do get annoyed when they don't show realistic representations of how you would actually wear the knit item. It would be nice to know, for example, if the hot pink sweater is cropped above the waistband or not. With the model stretching out and not wearing something with a normal waistband, it's impossible to tell. Then of course there's the fact that I am not a size 4 and would also really like to know how some of these items look on someone my size, or even just someone with a generous bust. *sigh*

I just bought the book...I did think it was a little odd that one would be wearing a knit sweater to the beach (either too hot for the sweater, or if one is cold enough to wear a sweater to the beach, wouldn't you want to be wearing a wetsuit? but I digress). I have to admit that the photo styling did not bother me that much. In fact, until you pointed it out, I really didn't notice it that much! Except the sweater at the beach. That really did bug me. but the sweater is gorgeous!

I haven't opened that book yet, just seen the cover, but my first thought upon doing so was, "Alpaca sweater after surfing? Wrong cling, wrong warmth, and ew! smell of wet dog!"

I love alpaca, but not when it's wet!

So, odd from the get-go. I totally am coming from the same place you are in seeing those photos. Strange photo styling going on for my tastes. Beautifully photographed, but that doesn't mean that the photographs are appropriate to the subject matter, or that they make me want to knit or wear the items being photographed. Which (making people want to knit and wear the items) should be what it's all about, not someone's idea of being cutting edge as far as knitting/photo/fashion. But perhaps it does have that effect on some....just not us.

I agree Alison--it's clearly a marketing ploy, but a poor one and ,frankly, a bit tasteless...
but Wendy's sweaters are very chic so I hope it doesn't detract too much from her work.

I think it's for the warm weather climates. If it's too hot for handknit sweaters just remove your pants, socks, and shoes. Then you can stay cool enough to wear the sweater.

LOL. I say that jokingly, but I find the photos a bit disturbing even though I like a number of the patterns.

We had a good laugh over Custom Knits at our shop too. You have to get several pages into it before anyone is wearing pants. A bizarre styling choice to say the least.

I have to agree with the above...it's definitely a stretch (did you pull anything) to call the Custom Knits pictures "porn". While they are a little, I guess, provacative, I think most of them are cute. I bought the book, as I too love Wendy's patterns, and I don't look like the models in her book.

I wonder how much input herself Wendy has on how her patterns were photographed? Like was the sexy layout her idea, or was that all the publisher and by the time she got the proofs back there wasn't really a lot she could do about it? I have no idea how much involvement the actual author has with the creation of the book other than the actual patterns...Did you have control over all the layouts in your book Alison? I know it was mostly kids stuff so there's probably not too much you could do to screw that up, but did you have a lot of input on what you wanted to see?

I cannot agree with this post enough. As a knitter, I want the photos to be clear representations of the knitwear. Having someone lying down, stretching, or hunching over distracts from the garment. And while I don't mind a bit of flirtation from the photography, I don't want to feel like I'm reading Maxim.

GREAT post. I do love those patterns from Custom Knits (which I own) but I agree with your assessment!

Sorry to shock some of you with the use of the word "porn" in the title of my post. Sex does sell a headline, doesn't it?! ;0) Sort of like the cover picture of Amy Singer's last book No Sheep for You (which I loved!), it's a good teaser to get you in the door. But the rest of Amy's book is filled with knitting pics that are more sensible than sensual and I hope that the rest of my post is more sensible as well.

I definitely don't want to do any "bashing of Wendy." I love her stuff! Her patterns are always flirty and fabulous and in all her blog pics, she seems to be wearing pants! :D I don't know how much input she had on the photos, but even if she controlled every shot, she should be proud of them - they're beautiful, fun pictures. I'd just find them more relevant in a book of more sensual knits. They're the kind of pics I sort of expected to see in Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits book, where the emphasis is on curves and keyhole openings and such. Here the pictures seem unnecessarily sexed up. The first one or two are cute, but after the tenth one, they start to ruffle my feminist can-we-not-use-naked-women-to-sell-everything feathers.

Thanks for this post. It gave me a laugh, while allowing me to feel fully validated in my similar feelings about this type of marketing/selling sex all over the place...even to knitters of basic fair isle sweaters. My feminist can-we-not-use-naked-women-to-sell-everything feathers were ruffled too! And then throwing the half naked man in there cleaning the pool -- oh dear!

Hear hear!

I couldn't agree with you more. I don't have anything else to add except that for a lot of women knitting was a kind of statement of intent. They started knitting even though they knew people would think they were domesticated, or grandma-y, or uber-feminine and they wanted to prove that a woman could choose and enjoy any craft, any hobby, anything without having to fit into these stereotypes.

I can only imagine what they're thinking now that sex is being used to sell knitting patterns. I don't know what it's about but somebody in the layout department thinks that the life that the women in those pictures are living is what most knitting women want to have. The book is, as far as I can tell, geared towards any knitter who wants fashionable knits she can customise to her own taste and body shape. So their idea is that average knitters are sad, lonely, man-desperate, under-pretty, and over-weight? It must be the case if they think that that life style is going to make us all go "Wow, I really want that sweater!".

It's kind of sad really.

(And I'm totally with you on the Rowan thing as well...)

You totally cracked me up!

I guess it's so ubiquitous that I've stopped noticing, because I never even realized that half the women in Custom Knits are half-dressed. I also never noticed that there were any men in the pictures--shows you where my priorities are, right? All I saw were the knits.

But I'll tell you this: my husband saw my copy of Knitting Lingerie Style on the table and stopped dead. Then he said something I never thought I'd hear his say: "Are you going to make that? Do you need any yarn?"

Funny, Suzanne! :D One of the Knitsmiths did speculate that some of the sexiness of the styling in Custom Knits might be an attempt to get men to buy the book for their knitting spouses for Christmas.

If I published a knitting book, the pictures would all be of me! Well, unless I designed a doggy sweater or something...

If I published a knitting book, the pictures would all be of me! Well, unless I designed a doggy sweater or something...

Have we crossed some sort of line here? Have we gotten so used to ice cream and Ritz crackers being sold to us with subliminal sex messages that now we need our craft projects bumped up a notch? I'm not so offended by Rowan't models in fantasyland. I'm too used to that kind of advertising to think anything of it. And I sort of live in a nice fantasyland of my own. But I would like to think that my fantasyland is different and a huge notch better than, say, Britney Spears' (sorry Britney if I'm reading you wrong.) So I agree with you. It's more than the cognitive dissonance (yikes, I've been watching Woody Allen movies) of an alpaca sweater in the surf, it's that trying to sell me with sex tells me something about how that art director underestimates his/her audience. So there. Now back to the baronial manor for me.

It doesn't seem much like porn to me but it does really annoy me. I mean why use sex to try to sell to an audience that is almost exclusively women? An audience that, as someone pointed out, wants more than anything else to see clear appropriate photos of the garments? I doubt that Wendy had any influence over the layout of the book. And I do really like that short sleeved sweater. Can anyone tell me the size range of her patterns? So I can decide whether to put her book on my Christmas wish list.

There was an interesting article on MSN a couple of weeks ago about the pornification of america. It spoke about some of the issues around girls striving to be hot instead of beautiful, also about the poses and emotions used to sell things online and in print. This book (which i own and whose patterns i love) seems to suffer from this same disease.

Does this reflect who we want to be?

heehee

I think the picture in the kitchen with the bowl you know where is super porn-y in that it's lewd--not sexy or flirty.

I agree with your comparison Alison! Second book is innocent sexy with people wearing clothes intended to be sexy. First book includes flirty sweaters on people without pants in a obvious attempt to boost sex appeal.

I'm coming out of semipermanent lurkdom to comment here...I thought the pictures were a joke! How silly!

I know a knit book who needs a new designer...not of the knits but of the photos.

OMG I laughed so hard I nearly peed myself when reading your descriptions of Custom Knits! I have the book and LOVE the patterns but thought a bit of the same thing when it first arrived! Like yeah I'm going to be prancing around in my hand knits and panties! I do think I remember reading somewhere where Wendy didn't get to pick any of the layouts for the book.

eek, that is a bit much.

I'm showing my husband your post. You should hear him go off on the motherhood maternity ads - why do they look like they're in a bar, and that guy is checking out that pregnant woman, while his girlfriend angrily looks on?

Maybe the publishers think boyfriends will buy the book for their girlfriends, wink, wink.

Sad.

I agree....totally stupid photos!!! Unnecessary.

Silly me, I noticed the "pool man" before the hand knits. :-)

I was beginning to think I was the only one who wanted to actually knit sweaters for warmth. The book rocks and I have it on my Santa wish list two. I too am no longer 20 and honestly don't remember the last time I fit into a bikini. Although more firemen in the book would work for me!! Hee hee

Alison I think you are on to something! I have bought a bunch of Wendy's patterns because they are so adaptable to all sizes and always so fashionable. When the book came out I had no desire to buy it and I'm a knitting book fanatic. I leave my knitting books out on tables and I can just imagine how much my teenage grandson would enjoy Custom Knits.

I completely agree, and I'm so glad to hear someone else say it--I thought it was just me. I have the book, and I love it. It's full of really good information, and for the most part, you can see what the sweaters look like (which is not always the case with some books). But I had a similar feeling as I was going through the book for the first time--from "what a great sweater", to "if it's cold enough to wear that sweater at the beach, shouldn't she have sweatpants on, too?" to "hey, wait a minute. Why isn't anyone in this book wearing pants?" Still, I like the book, if not the photo styling.

I totally agree!
And in the not-so-distant past, it really would have been called 'porn.'

Girl, I was just having this same conversation with a friend of mine about this book. It's like soft porn for knitters. I don't get it. There's no need to sexualize EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of our lives, even our hobbies.

*snicker* Maybe the next book with be all about pants, lol.

my fiance just commented that it's one of the few knitting books i own that he has leafed through a few times. :)

Designers usually have little say in how their work is displayed as a final product, especially when publishers and other media agents are involved. I've been reading Wendy's blog for a long time and she seems like a down to earth woman, so if you must judge her, do so over what you see directly from her and not what others have done with her work.

Secondly, if you feel so strongly against the way the knit items are displayed in the book, why did you make it's title an affiliate link? It's wrong for her to have the book turn out that way, but it's okay for you to make a profit from people buying it?

I like your blog, but you're throwing stones now and that just isn't very nice.

I have to agree with the person above me. It's not like Wendy styled those photo shoots herself! It's simply in keeping with a theme.
Personally, as a 30-some mom, I'd rather look at knits in a book with cool styling and a subtle hint of sexiness than a frumpified version of the beautiful fair-isle (as an example) paired with... hmmm, mom jeans?!!

I completely agree with J...what a mean-spirited post. You've put an awful lot of energy and "wit" into bashing this book...which actually has a lot of well done designs. I wonder how this would make Wendy feel...if you wanted to hurt someone, I guess you've reached your goal...not nice...not nice at all.

Hope you enjoy your profits from the sale of the book you bashed.

I did not get any feeling of this post being mean spirited. Alison was only giving her opinion on how the knits were photographed. I completely agree with her. I find them distracting and unnecesary. I am not aware of this designer but through all of this, Alison and others have commented in favour of her designs. Sorry, but the sex would not sell the designs for me. I totally don't understand for one what the point of the half-naked man in the background is?

I have to disagree with the last few commenters. If you read all the comments, you'll see that Alison herself commented that she wants to be careful not to let this become a Wendy-bashing session.

Alison, and many others, have made it clear they love the patterns here, but that the style of the photos do nothing to enhance them for her.

Honestly, I'd love to here Wendy's view on all this. She has a lot to be proud of: lovely patterns, and an attractive book (even though I don't care much for the sexy styling).

I think that Wendy does have a great deal to be proud of. The designs are beautiful and I think we can all agree that the photo styling does not do much to sell the sweaters to the intended demographic. But the sexy poses and silly amount of skin displayed in order to catch the eye diminishes us all when we let them get away with it. Use sex to sell "intimate" lubricants, not alpaca hand-knits. I hold the publisher responsible--not Wendy.

Nothing to add to the discussion here except agreeing with Alison's tactful commentary. As a footnote, Wendy herself, in her blog, has stated that she doesn't wear her own knits as it's too hot in California, but she loves to design/knit them.

I'm coming out of lurkdom to say that (in my opinion) you should feel safe dismissing your ruder commenters. The tone of your original post was clear and too many of us spend far too much time reading the worst into what someone writes. So pfft on that.

I really appreciate your comparison of this photo series with the Rowan shoots, and I think it's very apt. Now, I love the Rowan fantasy-land photo shoots, actually, and I'm left cold by the more overtly sexual tone of these pictures. But I can (mostly) see the fantasy construction for what it is, and I'm sure it appeals to lots of people!

(In fact, if the presence of hand-knits on a beach weren't so incongruous, I could probably even get behind it myself. After all, there are sure some days when I'd rather take a trip to a fabulous house with some hot guy cleaning the pool than deal with another round of 3-year-old whining spiked with 3-month-old angry crying.)

Even though the styling leaves me cold, though, I'll likely buy the book and make the sweaters for all the reasons mentioned already. Which I suppose is a long-winded way of saying that I really enjoyed your commentary, but don't see the styling as that different than the styling in any other book or magazine.

Hilarious!! Thanks for making my morning!

Just want to say I disagree with your views on the Custom Knits photos. I think it's a fun way to market patterns by a California knitter: bikini bottoms, surf boards and pool boys.

you go girl! i really love the patterns too, but why oh why do they have to be modeled like that?

It's most probable that Wendy herself had no or little say in any aspect of the book, other than the creative input in the patterns. Sally Melville had the same problem with XRS, which is why she is no longer publishing with them. Her last book- Color, is styled as if it is the mid-80s. Sweaters that are gorgeous in person and meant to be worn by normal women 30+ are modeled by 18 year olds with random skinny belts thrown on and bright lime green and orange colors. The stylist went for a particular look, but it went completely against the designer's wishes. Unfortunately, hers were the wishes that were ignored.

Well that really brought people out. No matter what your take on this, a post topic on a well-traveled blog has a higher standard of care so no matter how much you wrap the post with drops of praise, it comes across as bashing. As for the photos, I think they're a departure from old feminist thought and more along the lines of french or standpoint feminism. The models are in charge of their own destiny and not put out there for men. You don't have to wear frumpy clothes to be a feminist.

I'm right there with ya! Good post. Thanks.

J, you say "if you must judge [Wendy], do so over what you directly see from her." Might I ask you to give me the same consideration. Please read what I have written. I have not judged Wendy at any point, except to repeat that she is an excellent designer. I have even said that "I don't want to do any bashing of Wendy". I emphasized that her patterns are exceptional and the book absolutely worth the $28 price tag. And I do not, as you say, "feel so strongly against the way the knit items are displayed"; I question the excessive use of sexuality to sell knitted garments. I stated that I can appreciate the wit of the pictures and that they are well done, but wonder at why all of the pictures are so sexual in a book aimed at women.

Carol, so I cannot post opinions on my blog because someone might actually be reading? I should refrain from posting my thoughts because no matter how honest, open, humorously-written and fairly-minded they might be, it will be taken as bashing? No, you certainly don't have to wear frumpy clothes to be a feminist, but you should let other women speak their opinions.

I have a similar problem when Vogue Knitting was modeling a lot of sweaters a few years back with no obvious undergarments. I could understand it if they were showing a knitted bikini, even if it wasn't something I'd make, but they were doing this with cardigans that were appropriate for a corporate work environment. I am pretty sure that shirts or dresses are considered necessary parts of the work attire.

My hubby would buy something like this for me, probably with the yarn for one of the sexy projects he would want to see me wear. Still not how I'd want my knitting to be marketed to me.

You've missed the point. From the comments, I don't think people have read this as open, honest, or fair-minded. That's why all the comments are divisive. And I'm not preventing anyone from stating an opinion - only putting forth that perhaps more care should be taken over the words chosen. You have full freedom of speech but you can't yell fire in a crowded movie theater.

I take great care when I write posts like this one. I did not write it hastily. I chose my words deliberately. No amount of care, however, will guarantee that everyone will understand my intention. There is the question of how much care they take in reading as well as their general attitude towards me or the subject I'm writing about.

I hope you're not likening my post to yelling fire in a movie theater. I'm not yelling at all. Mostly just having a think about the role of sex in selling knitting books, with a few jokes thrown in, which is how I, personally, talk and think. But to keep your analogy, then imagine me yelling sexism in the movie theater. And in this case, it's there.

And can I just add to my last comment, that when there is sexism in the movie theater (or magazines, or books, or wherever), I don't feel that the movie theater owner is to blame, or the photographer, or the author, or the stylist or even the person consuming all these media. All of us are to blame because we see this stuff all the time and never openly question why things are being sold to us in the way they are.

So I say, hey, I'm buying this book, because I love the patterns, but it's a too little sexed up for my tastes. And I wonder if all these funny little pictures of sexy women in knits might add up to some sort of bigger less fun picture about how we're selling knitting patterns.

For those of you who were wondering in previous comments, Wendy was at the photo shoots. See her blog archives dated 7/07 and 8/07.

The movie theater comment refers to Oliver Wendell Holmes and whether or not an action goes beyond guaranteed rights of speech to become reckless or results in an obvious outcome. It does not refer to actual or imagined yelling. The debate would have been better illustrated by choosing numerous examples from a wide range of books instead of just Custom Knits.

I don't think complimenting the patterns makes up for mocking the book layout. If you follow Wendy's blog you will see that she is actually quite proud of her book. It saddens me to see one knit book author criticizing another's book (even if it is jut the layout). The entire book is a part of her.

I have tears rolling down my cheeks from laughing so hard. I agree--it is nothing against Wendy's patterns (which look adorable), but why so many half naked men, and what's up with NO pants--anywhere? What market segment are they trying to reel in?

I guess I can kinda see the "beach theme", but in my opinion, it is more skin than necessary. Love the sweaters, don't care for the lack of pants.

Allison is certainly entitled to state her opinion on her own blog. I think she did it respectfully and with no insult to the designer.

Thank you for stating all of this Alison. I find it bemusing, too. You speak for me!

I'm with Christine. You might not think it's bashing because you say some nice things, but basically your comments began a chain of commentary the tone of which I'm not sure YOU'D be happy hearing about your own work.

Yes you do have the freedom to say whatever you want on your blog, but don't kid yourself that you're saying something kind here or that you'd have said if she was standing in the room when you took that book out.

I'm no Tim Gunn but I'm fairly certain pants don't equal dowdy.

I wonder if a letter or email sent to the publisher would have any effect. I have read more than once in many places that lots of knitters want clear, well lighted pictures and leave out the marketing, but otoh, publishers do not operate in a vacuum. The marketing departments study and research all the time.

I may be inspired to share my opinion with them. Just in case they care.

Certainly breaks the stereotype of someone who knits and wears handknits, doesn't it?

WHOA

Alison, I do hope you are not disheartened by some of the commentary. This is your blog, and you are entitled to your opinions which I, and many others apparently, find interesting and fun to read just about every day.

Ditto Mary K.

I have mixed feelings about the styling of the book. I thought your comments were apt and extremely funny.

Wendy has a sexy flirty thing going on, and she often complains about the practicality of being a California knitter, so I saw the book as being consistent with her style. I like the idea that knit books can look all different, they don't have to all be practical -- the point is customization and you don't necessarily need the most instructive photos. Also, not having other clothes can show off the item. That seems like a stretch but it can be true, a sweater with jeans is a different look than a sweater with a plaid wool skirt. A sweater with nothing can just be a sweater. Also the pictures are kind of fun and upbeat--its a happy book.

On the other hand, I do get tired of women being paraded around undressed. This is not what most women look like and here's another generation of girls receiving barely concealed messages about what they should look like and be like. I wish I could get away from that.

So, mixed feelings about the styling. Positive feelings about Wendy's content. And very happy to read and enjoy the post!

Lol! You're so right!
Checked out Custom Knits at a friend's, liked the patterns, but now that you mentioned it - there was something throwing me off, but I couldn't point my finger at it. That's how much they distracted me with the knit items;-)
Thanks for pointing it out!

I have to disagree with those who seem to think that writers/designers must be protected from criticism (which is not a negative word) and should only hear glowing, favourable opinions their work -- with the exception, apparently, of the writer of this blog.

What is the world coming to if people can't question the format of a book or say they disagree with something without being accused of being mean-spirited, irresponsible, or stretching the boundaries of freedom of speech?

I didn't read any "bashing" in this post at all. Or anything to suggest that women must dress in frumpy manner to be feminists. The observation that the book designer(s)/stylist(s) went for the "sex sells" theme -- and questioning if that is necessary -- is fair comment, and certainly nothing akin to yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre.

Speaking for myself, I'm certainly not offended by the book's photos; they are beautifully shot, and I find several of them amusing. But as other posters have pointed out, some of them aren't very useful in helping knitters picture how the garments will work in real life.

Am I more likely to pick a design because of a hot pool boy in the photo? I suspect not. Do I find all the "pantlessness" unnecessary? Yes. Would that stop me from buying a book if I loved several of the designs inside? No.

Thank you, Astoria! What you say makes a lot of sense. What got me thinking about this was that I couldn't figure out WHY every picture is so overtly sexy. It's not a "naughty knits" type of book, so with no apparent reason for all the naughtiness, I've got to ask the question why no one is wearing pants. But I think you make a really good point that Wendy's own flirty style, coupled with her own California perspective put it more into context. I couldn't see the connection between customizing knits and infusing so much sex into the scenes, but then again, I'm from the cold, puritanical Northeast. In sunny Southern California, I'm sure a lot of things (the knits and probably also the women!) look a lot different. I can see the images as more of a natural expression of life in knits in that area.

Like I said in my first comment, I got a kick out of the cover of Amy Singer's last book, because it was using the sex thing in a witty and eye-catching way that tied in with the idea of the book. I'm glad to hear a couple of reasons why the theme of these pics makes sense for this book and for many of you. It's sexy pics of half-naked women that seem to contain NO reason for them being half-naked that gets me worried about these images of women being passed off as "normal".

I looked at the book a while ago and never noticed.

I must be dead.

I was wondering why I did not buy the book yet, although I love the "customize" approach. I had been looking up the book a few times, and each time I decided against buying it. Now I think I know why, that is because I can not imagine myself wearing an alpaca sweater in combination with bikini bottoms, and therefore the more or less conscious grading of the pattern as nice but "not-for-me".

Easy one. It's all about the business of hooking into your fantasies and procuring a sale. Fantasies don't age much. Only after certain life experience does the ruse become more obvious, but there's no guarantee you'll notice even then.

To much underwear and skin would turn me off to a pattern book. I wouldn't want to reward them.

good

I respectfully disagree with you and your post. And being a feminist doesn't mean covering up - its about celebrating a woman and that includes her body. Porn? Hardly. Artistic? California? Yes. Its about an author and an artist's choice to display their creativity in a way that reflects what THEY want and if a consumer feels discomfort, they have an option to choose as well.

A. I was also annoyed by all the semi-nakedness. B. I didn't notice the bowl. C. I put it down to that California-ness. C. I did buy the book, but might not buy the second one.

I say, give me the fantasy! What I like about the styling here is that the projects are treated as fashion. Elevating the craft, in a way. I got a chuckle from the pose with the little bowl--I told my friends that's exactly how I would wear the vest! I'm fifty years old, and that's not how adult fun usually happens in my household, and it's not how I would look dressed like that, but I can dream! I also like how the Rowan magazines resemble the European fashion magazines that sell for a premium on the newstands. To their credit, Rowan has shown their sweaters styled in a more conservative way. I think a few issues back they showed sweaters worn by women of diffent age groups and body types--brilliantly done.

Hey, i do really understand Wendy as a sexy woman with sexy work.
And why not presenting sexy knits in a sexy content?
And hey! Thank you for showing nice manly bodies ;)
So, of course here are lots of comments. Me, as an european woman close to the 40 enjoy this pictures.
And, we ARE all sexy woman, aren't we, and knitting might be sexy, too. It must NOT be a victorian life as a knitter- simply staring at patterns!
So, try to enjoy and being easy about this theme.
We are in the 2008 and not in middleage.
Everything is possible!
So, have a nice weekend and enjoy manly body :D
Best wishes, Eva

This book and the layout is totally targeted at me - I DO wander around the house in panties and a sweater, all the time. Seriously. My torso gets cold but my legs want to be naked and free (I'm at home, after all).

Then I kill all the sexy by adding some handknit socks, too, and I just look strange and not so alluring...

I've only read through a few comments, but they resonate for me. I love Penny's (I think Penny) comment that the art director underestimates the audience. Maybe. And with that layout, at 50 I am not the target audience apparently. Although I can't remember ever sitting on the counter half dressed having breakfast. While I am generalizing, I think it is fair to say that most of us don't knit for the sexy factor. But maybe AmyJo has the right idea - a play on CA - surfers, beach, etc. There are as many reasons to knit as there are knitters. But I'm not sure that sex appeal is one of them. So we really don't need sexy images to sell us on the desirability of a knit design. Wendy did a great job designing the knitwear. Let's hope the photostylist for her next book takes a different approach.

agree (1)

The Undies concession for that shoot would have been quite lucrative. Yes, I agree that the pattterns are great, but do wonder about the photography. Why the half nekked shots? Wendy's work should stand alone, without the benefit of the undies only shots.

My 11 yr old daughter commented on the lack of pants in the book--"What's that about?"--I believe she said.

I did have the same thought as some: alpaca sweater at the beach?

I am in my mid-twenties, and I might not wear a sweater and a bikini as I live in the northeast (but maybe a summer-weight sweater with a bikini, if on vacation) but I'm not opposed to the photos in this book, and certainly not offended by them. It's portraying knitting and knitted items in a different light - and I think that's great! I agree with what someone else said in a previous post about allowing you to visualize a knit item anyway you might want to wear it (yes - a sweater will look totally different with jeans vs. dress pants vs. skirt).

I don't want another book that looks like Fitted Knits -- I already have Fitted Knits. The publisher/creative director/whoever, had to come up with a different look to distinguish it from other top-down/seamless type knitting books.

Wendy has said on her blog that she was present at the photo shoot, but did not have input.

I will add that this book did catch my husband's attention when I had it out from the library.

The patterns and other directions (how to make your own raglan/round yoke/sweater with set-in-sleeves, etc) in this book are great, and I hope I get it for Christmas.

LOL. let me just say that I agree with you...but I also know that it's called "Marketing" and unfortuently in this day and age, in our western society...Sex Sells and that is why I go and buy a sweater from Victoria Secret, even though it would never look on me like it looks on the model.

and yes the custom knits, a bit far fetched with all those bathing suits I guess they didn't want to get a chest cold.

Maybe it was pants-off Friday when they did the photo shoot ??

Seriously I didn't pay much attention to the pants-lessness BUT I'm an Aussie and I surf and let's get real you would never/ ever be wearing some wooly sweater AND a bikini AND carrying the surfboard as if you just came out of the water. Just looks wanky. Ain't gonna happen, you're in a wetsuit or rashie or bikinis (if much younger and non-endowed unlike me).
Having said that, i love lots of the patterns in the book but would be wearing them to work/ school run/ grocery shopping etc WITH pants on