Knitting is a practical skill to have, but useful doesn’t have to mean dull. It’s also a great way to express yourself. With the right skills, you can create imagery through yarn, adding a bit of whimsy to a blanket, scarf, sweater, and more. Australian designer Jake Henzler, aka Boy Knits World, does just that by incorporating architecture into his creations. Using stranded colorwork and intarsia knitting techniques, he forms tiny windows, colorful roofs, and other building details. And best of all, he’s showing you how to emulate his charming designs in his new book titled Knit the City: Building Blocks.
Iconic cities, including London, Paris, Copenhagen, and New York, served as inspiration for the book’s patterns. In each design, Henzler selects a memorable building from a city’s architecture and transforms it into something knittable. In Amsterdam, for instance, he recreated grachtenpanden, or 17th‑century canal houses, that seem to represent the city itself. Sydney’s terrace houses, built in the mid-to-late 19th century, are especially important to Henzler, as they recall the “sharehouses” he had with others in his 20s and 30s. Whether it’s historical or personal, the designer finds a way to connect to all of the architecture in his book.
Every pattern in Knit the City is modular and can be created as separate blocks or joined together to complete one of the three projects included in the book: a large blanket, a baby blanket, or a pillow cover. Henzler has guidelines for yarn amounts and the number of blocks needed for each project, making it easy to get your supplies and get started.
Knit the City: Building Blocks is now available through Bookshop.org.
Learn how to knit architecture with Jake Henzler, aka Boy Knits World.
Using stranded colorwork and intarsia knitting techniques, he forms tiny windows, colorful roofs, and other building details.
He’s showing you how to emulate his charming designs in his new book titled Knit the City: Building Blocks.
Iconic cities, including London, Paris, Copenhagen, and New York, served as inspiration for the book’s patterns.
In each design, Henzler selects a memorable building from a city’s architecture and transforms it into something knittable.
Every pattern in Knit the City is modular and can be created as separate blocks or joined together to complete one of the three projects included in the book: a large blanket, a baby blanket, or a pillow cover.
Knit the City: Building Blocks is now available.
