The
ProjectBag
by BagSmith
This is one very cool bag.
It's big, but not too big [12"H
x 12"W x 9"D]. It sits politely
at your feet, by your chair or on a table.
Made of canvas and supported by a collapsible
metal frame, this bag is sturdy but not heavy.
And it's got pockets up
the wazoo! Pockets on the outside, pockets
on the inside. Pockets of all sizes. I love
pockets.
The Project Bag will hold
a good-sized sweater in the works, plus the
yarn to make it, and you can take it with
you to your knitting night.
Mostly, the price is right.
The dang thing retails for just $22. Amazing.
The
Knitting Experience,
Book 2
The Purl Stitch
by Sally Melville
XRX Books
$19.95
I love Sally Melville. The first book in this
series, The
Knit Stitch, is a good part of the
reason why.
As she tells us in this
new book, The Purl Stitch, "I
started this series 5 years ago, when few
were learning to knit and yarn shops were
closing." We know how much the knitting
world has changed since then, and Melville
makes sure to take full advantage of it.
The new book offers new
meditations on why we knit and why it is so
enjoyable. I especially like her essay on
flow [page 5].
But this isn't just a book
of writings. The patterns are a delight. Many
of us were gobsmacked when we read her first
book -- suddenly, we found ourselves craving
her garter-stitch-only garments. Now that
she's brought the purl stitch into the learn-to-knit
repertoire, the design options are wide open.
Melville is a master at making a simple garment
fabulous and worth the time to create. The
cover dress is a cute, flippy, fuzzy thing.
There are vests, shells, shawls, pullovers,
everything -- each with just enough zing to
make you anxious to finish it and slip it
on. First on my to-make list is the Not Your
Mother's Suit Coat, a lush hyperbulky jacket.
Just as with the first book
in the series, The Purl Stitch is
excellently photographed, showing all techniques
step-by-step to help the new knitter. And
just as with the first book, experienced knitters
could learn a few tricks, too. For knitters
like me that learned to read patterns before
charts became popular, pages 148-149 will
be invaluable.
This book is one to pick
up, grab a warm beverage and find a quiet
spot where you can take some time and savor
it. You'll find yourself running for your
needles soon enough.
All right.
Just how many books on finishing techniques
does one knitter need?
As many as
you can get, if you ask me. Every knitter
does things their own way. That's why Stitch
& bitch gatherings are so much fun --
learning how everyone else does it. And that's
how I see these books. The Interweave
Compendium of Finishing Techniques covers
more than just knitting, while Nancy Wiseman's
Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques
concentrates on our craft. Both spiral bound
[an essential feaure when your hands are full
of yarn], each is full of juicy information.
Wiseman's book
clearly has the advantage for knitters; it
covers everything from cast on to bind off
and nearly everything in between. Clear pictures,
good illustrations, helpful descriptions.
Despite the name, it's not just a finishing
techniques book, but a good book that covers
all aspects of knitting. I particularly like
that she lists benefits and drawbacks of each
technique. Very cool.
If you're a
multi-crafter, McEneely's book is worth a
look. She parcels finishing techniques together
into chapters for edges, seams & joins,
braids & trimmings, embroidery and such
[and then sub-categorizes them by craft: knitting,
crochet, embroidery, knotting, weaving]. The
photos are colorful, illustrations are helpful
and text is clear. If you're looking for a
new edge treatment for your latest project,
you might find it in here.
Folk
Bags
30
Knitting Patterns and Tales from Around the
World
by Vicki Square
Interweave Press
$21.95
As Knitty readers know, people everywhere
knit. This book takes that literally, and
shows us 30 projects inspired by the cultures
of people all over the planet. Some follow
traditional shapes like the French Market
Bag. Others use surface design characteristic
of a specific part of the world, like the
bags from Peru and Bolivia. Some are just
fun. The Irish Creel is my favourite.
Men
in Knits
Sweaters
to Knit that He WILL Wear
by Tara Jon Manning
Interweave Press
$28.95
Okay, the guy
on the cover is cute. But so is the aran he's
wearing.
This book is
full of stuff for traditionalists. And since
most guys don't wear technofur, that's a good
thing.
Cables, rib
and yes, even argyle are here. But Manning
has updated the traditional with modern styling.
A good addition to your library for those
times when you need a project for your personal
guy. Or maybe even for you.
