Knitting is Sexy!
Review: Naughty Needles by Nikol Lohr
There’s some good stuff in Naughty Needles: Sexy, Saucy Knits for the Bedroom and Beyond. The author Nikol Lohr begins with the delightful statement that “Knitting is sexy.” She explains that “it fuses vision and skill into a creative superpower. Doing something resourceful and productive feels like magic because it is.” She also points out that not everyone knows how to knit so it’s mysterious too.
Writers can relate to the genesis of the book. After being misinterpreted and misquoted in an interview Nikol decided to crochet the journalist a baby blue ball gag. (I can think of a couple of folks I’d like to send one of those to.) The ball gag got her to thinking along the lines of…well, you know, so she developed the patterns in this book.
Nikol enjoys knitting her racy creations in public. She says that “when the old man on the bus asks what you’re making and you get to answer ‘vibrator cozy,’ it makes knitting that much more fun.” I’m not sure I’m that bold but perhaps others on this blog are.
This book is definitely not for prudes. The language occasionally veers into an R-rating and there are indeed patterns for vibrator cozies, ball gags, pasties and condom critters (which I thought were kind of cute). However, there is also a very alluring lace-up bustier, a beautiful felted cape, and a straitjacket which can be easily converted into a stylish sweater. (She offers a pattern for socks too but you know how I feel about knitting those.)
The patterns range from “easy-peasy” to intermediate and are clearly explained. There’s a glossary with excellent photographs for the occasional advanced stitch. Included is a detailed demonstration of the kitchener.
My biggest problem is with the photos. There are lots of them and although the pictures are professional and colorful, I found them off-putting. They are surprisingly tame, given the theme of the book, but something about the models and their poses is unattractive. I didn’t look at them and think, “Wow, I’d like to knit that!” In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’d like the book better without the photos. The author has a fun, sassy voice which is not well-served by the retro, kitschy visuals.
If you’d like more information about Nikol and her book, she has several websites: NaughtyNeedlesKnitting.com, ThriftyKnitter.com and DisgruntledHousewife.com. The first two offer extra patterns and photos of her more recent creations.
There’s some good stuff in Naughty Needles: Sexy, Saucy Knits for the Bedroom and Beyond. The author Nikol Lohr begins with the delightful statement that “Knitting is sexy.” She explains that “it fuses vision and skill into a creative superpower. Doing something resourceful and productive feels like magic because it is.” She also points out that not everyone knows how to knit so it’s mysterious too.
Writers can relate to the genesis of the book. After being misinterpreted and misquoted in an interview Nikol decided to crochet the journalist a baby blue ball gag. (I can think of a couple of folks I’d like to send one of those to.) The ball gag got her to thinking along the lines of…well, you know, so she developed the patterns in this book.
Nikol enjoys knitting her racy creations in public. She says that “when the old man on the bus asks what you’re making and you get to answer ‘vibrator cozy,’ it makes knitting that much more fun.” I’m not sure I’m that bold but perhaps others on this blog are.
This book is definitely not for prudes. The language occasionally veers into an R-rating and there are indeed patterns for vibrator cozies, ball gags, pasties and condom critters (which I thought were kind of cute). However, there is also a very alluring lace-up bustier, a beautiful felted cape, and a straitjacket which can be easily converted into a stylish sweater. (She offers a pattern for socks too but you know how I feel about knitting those.)
The patterns range from “easy-peasy” to intermediate and are clearly explained. There’s a glossary with excellent photographs for the occasional advanced stitch. Included is a detailed demonstration of the kitchener.
My biggest problem is with the photos. There are lots of them and although the pictures are professional and colorful, I found them off-putting. They are surprisingly tame, given the theme of the book, but something about the models and their poses is unattractive. I didn’t look at them and think, “Wow, I’d like to knit that!” In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’d like the book better without the photos. The author has a fun, sassy voice which is not well-served by the retro, kitschy visuals.
If you’d like more information about Nikol and her book, she has several websites: NaughtyNeedlesKnitting.com, ThriftyKnitter.com and DisgruntledHousewife.com. The first two offer extra patterns and photos of her more recent creations.
posted by Nancy Herkness at 8:31 AM
3 Comments:
Thanks for reviewing this book. I nearly purchased it but decided to go with Domiknitrix instead because from what I could gather from the write-ups Naughty Knits had very little in the way of stuff that I would actually use. And some of it was just ewww and I don't consider myself a prude. Neat idea, just not for me. Domiknitrix has some silly things, like the Mohawk hat that I'd never knit, but the majority of the projects are sexy and fun and things I will knit as my skills improve.
I have to agree with you on the photos in NK. I haven't purchased the book but the pics I've seen on the website for the free patterns and over on Amazon really put me off and were the reason I deleted the book from my order. They looked like something out of a cheaply made dom/sub porn film. Eh, not that I've seen one ;)
I loved visiting the linked sites. The writer has a fun, breezy style and I love her enthusiasm. Don't know about all the pictures in the book, but I do like the cover -- I like that pin-up style.
LOL on seeing that film, Laurie!
Cindi, I really liked Nikol's style too but the pix just didn't do it for me. The cover's probably the best of all of them. That and the back shot of the bustier which I posted with the review. However, not everyone shares my taste and I'm glad you enjoyed the illustrations.
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