*I received a review copy of this book from Interweave; all opinions are my very own!*

If you are ready for some serious coziness, Weekend Wraps is a book you'll want to check out! The book I reviewed last week, New Heights in Lace Knitting, was full of intricate, airy lace shawls; but the shawls, wraps and almost-sweaters in this book are all about warmth--and style. And best of all, I've got a copy to give away--read on!

Weekend Wraps includes 18 patterns for quick knit cowls, scarves, shawls, wraps and almost-sweaters, and features some of the most popular designers in the industry (Bristol Ivy, Thea Coleman AKA Babycocktails, Kristen TenDyke, Tanis Gray, etc etc). Every pattern uses worsted weight or heavier yarn, hence the title--just a weekend is all you need to finish these quick projects (unless you're being constantly interrupted by children asking for snacks and milk and please make a helicopter out of Legos, and where's my red car with wheels?).

The projects are divided into 4 chapters: cowls, shawls, wraps and not-quite-sweaters. And in terms of techniques, there's a little something for everyone: cables, lace, stripes, textured stitches.

The book closes out with a lengthy techniques section--it won't teach you to knit, but you probably won't have to stop knitting to look anything up on Google, which is always a plus.

The styling in this collection is gorgeous--I suddenly want to rent a cabin in the woods with a fireplace and spend the next month there (except it's, you know, July). Everyone looks so cozy and relaxed, all the pieces seem to fit together, and the collection feels very cohesive, which is sometimes not the case with these curated collections.

Of course, I have a few favorites:

Leila Raabe's Bias Cable and Lace Stole--cables, lace, knit on the bias, it's got it all. A cozy all-purpose scarf/shawl/stole that I can see carrying with me year-round (some people seem to be under the impression that an air conditioned building should feel like the Arctic; I disagree).

Bristol Ivy's Nonotuck Wrap--is it a shawl, is it a scarf, is it a lap blanket? Use it however you like, it's gorgeous. And that yarn! Fibre Co Tundra.

Amy Christoffer's North Star Cardigan--I think I'd use a yarn with a crisper stitch definition, but this looks like the perfect around-the-house sweater that you can also toss on to run to the store or take the kids for a walk.

Melissa LaBarre's Getaway Poncho. Yes, a poncho. Apparently they're a thing again, and this picture just looks like the epitome of fall. A dramatic improvement over the limp, acrylic ponchos of the early '00s. Love it.

The 2 pieces in this collection that are actually shaped (a bolero and a shrug) include a variety of sizes; all of the wraps, shawls and stoles are a single size, which is standard. The 4 not-quite-sweater patterns also include schematics. I personally think some of the shawls would've benefited from schematics as well, to get a better understanding of the direction they're worked and their final shape, but it's not a deal breaker.

Overall, for both beginner and experienced knitters interested in heavier weight shawls and wraps, I think this would be a great addition to your pattern book library. I think gift knitters as well will find some gift-worthy pieces here that work up quickly and will impress the recipient.

You can check out all the patterns in this collection over on Ravelry. Weekend Wraps retails for $24.95--quite a steal for 18 patterns. And it's actually on sale right now, just $16.55!

But what's even better than a sale? FREE! I have a copy of this gorgeous collection to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment below by August 5.

All photos courtesy of Interweave/F+W

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