60 quick luxury knits Easy, elegant projects for every day in the Venezia collection from Cascade Yarns

The latest in this popular series focuses on sophisticated women's accessories, all knit in a merino-silk blend yarn with a soft drape and good stitch definition. Typical of collections of this size and scope, there are a lot of similar projects (cabled hats, cabled wristlets/fingerless mitts, small lace shawls), but standouts include a pretty beaded choker, a cloche with a bold faux-braided band, and a solid-and-striped infinity scarf. Many of the projects feature intricate cabling, lace, or colorwork, making them most suitable for intermediate knitters comfortable with these techniques, but there's enough guidance and information to allow adventurous beginners to tackle a variety of the projects in the collection with confidence. Written directions are provided for all patterns; charts are included as needed for lace, cables, and colorwork. VERDICT Like other titles in the series, the focus here is on attractive knitwear made with a widely available and affordable yarn, and the majority of the projects are small and quick enough to make them ideal for gift knitting-an ever-popular topic. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.