Vogue say: "The newest volume in Vogue Knitting's must have series"
Is it a must have? That's for you to decide. Perhaps this review will help you to make a decision.
The introduction makes clear the distinction between lace knitting and knitting lace. It's all about whether you yarn over on one side of the work or both. When you yarn over on both sides of the work, you are knitting lace.
The latest is in the "Stitchionary" series contains lots of practical information on knitting lace. There are full page descriptions of abbreviations, Yarn Overs, and a glossary.
And while yes, Vogue does not use the lace symbols we are used to, the symbols it does use are actually clearer. Instead of the usual backward and forward slash for K2 tog and SSK, the symbols used has a little dash under the slash. So instead of relying on an aging brain to remember which way the slash is leaning, you can much easier see the direction in which the slash is leaning.
The glossary is definitely up to Vogue's standards of excellence. I especially like the Technique Tutorial on Yarn Overs. Most of the time I manage to execute whatever the pattern demands, but Vogue describes and illustrates what Yarn Overs look like: between two knit stitches, between two purl stitches, between a knit and a purl stitch, between a purl and a knit stitch, at the beginning of a knit row, at the beginning of a purl row, multiple YOs and etc. In other words, they explain every instance in which one might encounter a yarn over.
The photography of the stitch samples is superlative. In fact, at first glance, I actually thought there was white knitting yarn threaded through the yarn overs. That's how crystal clear the illustrations are! The cool blue and gray color palette used for the pattern samples makes the illustrations literally pop off the page.
Eye candy yes, but this book includes lots of new lace patterns. It does not recycle patterns we know from other books. The editors have even managed to come up with new ways to do the basic and all time favorite of lace knitters - Feather and Fan. This is not your mother's or your grandmother's lace book. There are new, different and unusual patterns. And I am happy to see the chapter on edgings which makes lace books complete. Many of the patterns have a full page devoted to the picture of the pattern, row by row directions, and a chart.
The book takes a broad view of lace knitting, including cable and lace patterns and Fair Isle patterns which include lace. Some of my favorite patterns are "peacock tails", "argyle" and the piece de resistance - "parachutes". I had fun playing the game of "How did they come up with the name of this pattern?" Sometimes it is not as obvious as you might think.
So is this a necessary inclusion in one's knitting book library? Again, that's for you to decide. As for me, I adore the Stitchionary series, and I am as smitten with knitting lace as most knitters are these days. I could not imagine my knitting book library without this!