I'm just going to flat out say it: this book is completely deranged.  Like, seriously whackadoo.  I don't think there's a single thing I would ever make in here, but I love flipping through it just for inspiration.  Just look at the cover!  The models are wearing scarves which are oversized fuzzy mohair interlocking loops of chain.  What!  That is way too many adjectives to describe any one garment.  

Which isn't to say that there's nothing in here that ANYONE would want to knit.  Actually several of the sweaters look quite fetching.  According to Ravelry, the biggest breakaway sweater hit from this book was the Lace Leaf Pullover, with 214 projects.  The most popular item overall was the Ballet T-Shirt, with 390 projects.  (I found this surprising, since "hand-knit" and "t-shirt" wouldn't seem to go together, but clearly I'm wrong!)  And the most popular accessory is the corkscrew scarf.

It's no coincidence that the popular patterns are also the simplest ones. Out of all the sweaters, the Lace Leaf Pullover is the one with the most straightforward design and construction.  Durham has put a lot of work into her more avante garde patterns, like a sweater which zips together out of six pieces of knit fabric.  But beautiful and fascinating as they are, most of us want something that we can WEAR.  Like, to the STORE.

I just looked up that particular pattern, and it made me smile, the way it always does.  The pattern is "artistic" in the best possible sense of the word.  And surprisingly useful, given the parameters.  The book includes pictures of it with various pieces not zipped on, and I have to admit that it looks pretty fetching as a bolero or even as a one-armed jacket.  It's called the Zip-Off Color-Block Yoke Sweater, and only ONE person in all of Ravelry has attempted it.  (She did a great job, too.)

A useful pattern for the knitter to study is Durham's Cabled Riding Jacket.  The shaping is handled almost exclusively by the design of the cables themselves - which are twisted more or less often, depending on whether the jacket is moving in or out.  The effect is both technically interesting and visually striking.  (But be warned if you try this pattern, as I have it on good authority that it's chock full of errors.)

As for the ethnic balance, there are about four pictures of non-white people in the entire book.  Or about one in fifty.  Not so good!  The book is clearly trying for an English, Rowan-y sort of feel.  But need I point out that non-white people can be English, too?  Born and raised, even!  For heaven's sake.

Is it worth the $29.95 cover price?  Well, maybe not.  I actually picked it up for free, so I don't have to worry about regretting the price.  If you can find a used copy, or even borrow one from the library, it's definitely worth looking through at least once.  The photography is gorgeous, and the patterns really have to be seen to be believed.