Review: The Book of Haps

It’s here. It’s here! At long last, Kate Davies and Jen Arnall-Culliford’s The Book of Haps

This project, like her last, Yokes, is an excellent amalgam of informative essays and patterns. You can read my review of Yokes here.

As Davies explains in her first essay, “Making Meaning,” the word “hap” can be both verb and noun; originally, it was typically used as a verb “to hap,” which means “to enfold, to cover, and to warm” (7), but the term has taken on a life of its own to become an object that’s worn. The majority of the 5 main essays are authored by Davies, with the exception of “Documenting Haps,” written by Roslyn Chapman who is a lace scholar. In addition to the essays, there are a whopping 13 patterns that all bring the hap into the modern world.

Some of my favorite essays are “Haps: An Illustrated History” and “Knitting the Tree of Life”–which is a bit of a mystery story about Mrs A. Hunter’s hap . . . I’ll leave the puzzle unsolved for you.

The patterns are varied enough that there is something for every level of knitter. Several of them also include both charts and written instructions for the pattern: for example, “Uncia,”(pictured below); it’s also one of my favorites.

Designers include Bristol Ivy, Lucy Hague, Romi Hill, Gudrun Johnson, and Carol Feller, among many others. Kate Davies is, of course, included as is her co-editor, Jen Arnall-Culliford.

In sum, Davies has brought all of her excellent scholarly skills to another wonderful book; but this time, she has included so many fun and innovative designers that this could just serve as a pattern book, especially if you are into shawls and wraps–indeed, haps!