Cool Stuff - Winter 2007

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By Jillian Moreno, Amy R Singer

SR [Finished chest measurement for sweaters] = the smallest chest measurement to the largest chest measurement we could find in the book. There may be only one pattern with the smallest or largest size, but it's in there.

Books are softcover unless noted otherwise. All prices USD unless noted.


	The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes Potter Craft, $30.00, hardcover SR= 30-46 Knitters are notoriously curious people. How do you do that? Why? What happens if I do this? The Knitter’s Book of Yarn satisfies knitting curiosity on the most basic level – yarn. It’s what we hoard, what we love, dream about, painstakingly plan around. But do we really know yarn, beside what we like? Do we know how to choose a yarn that will make the design we love sing? Here we learn about fibers -- protein-cellulose-synthetic; how yarn is made; the how and why of ply; all at a depth and breadth that would make a PhD candidate salivate. There are 40 patterns, each chosen to illustrate the characteristics of the yarn used. This is a book I want to sleep with under my pillow hoping all that all of its knowledge will seep into my brain as I sleep. It’s a love story from one yarn geek to all the others. Thank you, Clara. It makes our knitting richer. JM

Available at Knitting Universe	Great American Afghan XRX Books $12.95 I’m not an afghan fan – go figure, since it’s a bunch of swatches sewn together and I love swatches. But there’s something I like about this one -- the earthy colors, the weird way the squares go together when they shouldn’t. A cast of world-famous designers has created the blocks that make up the quilt. The directions are clear. Thanks to XRX for making charts big enough to use without the reader having to enlarge them. My favorite square is the tilty square by Joan Schrouder. It reminds me of the movie Vertigo. JM

Available at Amazon	The Yarn Lover’s Guide to Hand Dyeing: Beautiful Color and Simple Knits by Linda La Belle Potter Craft $30.00, hardcover While most yarn dyeing books focus on one style of dyeing, this comprehensive book covers 6 different techniques. It also covers the difference between dyeing protein and cellulose fibers, has patterns for each style of dyeing that are designed to showcase the dyed yarn and interviews with some of the best known and loved production yarn dyers - including peeks into their studios. The meat of the book is the actual dyeing. The instructions are understandable for humans, not scientists, with words and photographs easy to follow and completely inspiring. The photography is gorgeous – rich, clear and exciting. This is a book to savor. JM

Available at Amazon	Knit Couture: 20 Hand-Knit Designs from Runway to Reality by Gail Downey, Henry Conway St. Martins $29.95, Hardcover SR= 31-50 Gail Downey has designed knitwear for John Galliano, written about fashion for the New York Times, and runs the Weardowney knitwear label. Can you see this isn’t going to be your typical knitting book? It’s a book for knitters who are interested in how knitwear relates to fashion. There are 20 knitting patterns from the Weardowney line that have a seemingly impossible feeling that is simultaneously romantic and very modern. But the unique aspect of this book comes in the first half – a scholarly history of knitting, profiles of couture designers who are known for their knitwear, the technology of knitting for the fashion industry and the place of knitwear and knitting today. JM

Available at Amazon	Pretty Knits: 30 Designs from Loop in London by Susan Cropper Potter Craft $30.00, hardcover SR= 32-42 Filled with the garments and accessories that have made Loop the knitting destination in London, Pretty Knits captures the knitting joie de vivre that exemplifies modern knitting. Calling on some of the most inventive designers, the patterns are anything but the same old thing. In the hands of Nicky Thompson, a pillow becomes a bold floor cushion that looks like a playing piece from a children’s board game. A purse from the brain of Leigh Radford looks like it’s a living thing undulating with texture and color. There are sweaters, dresses and a bounty of accessories none of them hard to knit, but all of them full of imagination. JM

Available at Amazon	Knitting Little Luxuries: Beautiful Accessories to Knit by Louisa Harding Interweave Press $21.95 This is one of those knitting books you want to escape to – a lovely little seaside cottage where there is nothing to do but knit and wear beautiful knitting. These accessories are all about choices: the style you knit -- quirky, modern, feminine or folky; the yarns you choose; the embellishment you prefer. Using these basic patterns, you can create unique and individual expressions of knitting. JM

Available at Amazon	Harmony Guides: Lace & Eyelets: 250 Stitches to Knit Cables & Arans: 250 Stitches to Knit Knit & Purl: 250 Stitches to Knit by Erika Knight (Editor) Interweave Press $22.95 each Yes, yes, I have quite the thing about stitch guides. I never think twice about buying one. In my opinion, even if two books show the same stitches, the presentation -- photography, yarn choice -- helps tell the tale for any particular project. The Harmony Guides have been around since the 1980s boasting 440 stitches of teeny pictures showing stitches knit in lovely shades of harvest gold, avocado and mauve, knit in yarn that looks scratchy from 20 yards. These updated guides boast stitch patterns selected by British design guru Erika Knight – 250 down from the original 440. This allows for large photos of each stitch pattern, knit in lovely smooth yarns with nary a harvest or avocado in sight. The book binding is perfect, heavy and one that will lay flat instantly without cracking or causing pages to fall out after a use or two. I like that the new guides are cataloged by stitches – knit/purl, lace, aran; the originals were full of a little bit of everything. There are two places that opportunities were missed, a minor one and one that may be a deal breaker for some. In the lace book the British knitting term "yarn forward" wasn’t replaced by the North American "YO":, causing this knitter a couple of rows of irritation. The bigger gap is the lack of charts. There are no charts. Every stitch pattern in each book has line-by-line instructions only. JM

Available at Amazon	Inspired Fair Isle Knits: 20 Creative Designs Inspired by the Elements by Fiona Ellis Potter Craft $35.00, hardcover SR= 35-52 Putting her own personal spin on Fair Isle knitting, Fiona Ellis brings a collection of patterns inspired by the four elements. If you are looking for traditional Fair Isle sweaters you won’t find them here. This Fair Isle is looser and less structured. Many projects have just a touch of Fair Isle knitting combined with lace or other texture, visually creating a feeling of the elements. On the practical side, it creates projects that are quicker to knit than a traditional Fair Isle. JM

Available at Amazon	101 Designer One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant Storey Books $18.95 SR= 32-48" Drag out your single skein stash...it’s knitting time. There couldn’t be a better time of year for this book, it’s the secret weapon of holiday gift knitting. Given the size of most of these projects, they'll only take a night or two. Accessories galore, and charming and well-thought-out projects that can wait until the last minute. And with 101 patterns, there has to be something for nearly everyone on your gifting list. JM

Available at Amazon	Kaffe Knits Again: 24 Original Designs Updated for Today's Knitters by Kaffe Fassett Potter Craft $35.00, hardcover SR= 32-44" There are no new patterns in this book. There, that’s out of the way. But the real test of a great designer is time. These patterns by Kaffe Fassett still make my mouth water and my fingers itch, and some of them are 20 years old. The designs have been updated in terms of color, and yarns. Some of his patterns have been incorporated into additional designs -- like the Foolish Virgins scarf -- that may not take as much time as a garment, but are still mind-blowingly gorgeous. JM

Available at Amazon	Son of Stitch 'n Bitch: 45 Projects to Knit and Crochet for Men by Debbie Stoller Workman $15.95 SR= 38-58" The best review that I can give this book is that the husband took it out of my hands and looked through it, the whole thing page by page. Then he said, “There are a lot of cool things in there.” That has never happened before, ever. JM

Available at Amazon	150 Knitted Trims: Designs for Beautiful Decorative Edgings, from Beaded Braids to Cables, Bobbles, and Fringes by Lesley Stanfield St Martins $21.95 Have you ever finished a sweater and it’s just ok, or maybe even blah? This book will cure what ails your project. Edges, insertions and trims are what this book is about. Lace, bobbles, curves and cords are photographed up close and personal so there are no surprises when you’re done. You’ll never knit blah again. JM

Available at Kristin's own site	Kristin Knits: 27 Inspired Designs for Playing with Color by Kristin Nicholas Storey Publishing $24.95, hardcover SR= 36-52" Kristin Nicholas is a knitting hero of mine. Back when I started knitting, she ruled the world of knit design. She was one of the cool kids whose designs were always exciting, alive and fun -- ethnic patterns revisioned in bright colors. I was sad when Kristin took a break from knitting, but now she‘s back with a collection of knitting patterns that are as fun to knit as to wear. There are socks and mittens that will warm you by their colors alone. Embroidery and other embellishments are scattered over projects to give them depth and texture. Each pattern is an explosion of color and represents what the joy of knitting is about. JM

Available at Amazon	How to Make Books: Fold, Cut & Stitch Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book by Esther K. Smith Potter Craft $25.00, Hardcover Can’t find the perfect knitting or spinning journal to fit your particular way of cataloging your obsession? Make your own. This book walks you through making 7 different kinds of books. Not ploddy and boring like some book-making books, this one distills the how-to into step-by-step illustrations. Then it gives you just what you want – inspiration in the way of samples of the books from the folks at Purgatory Pie Press, the company that created this fabulous booky book. JM

Available at Amazon	Boho Baby Knits: Groovy Patterns for Cool Tots by Kat Coyle Potter Craft $27.50, hardcover Want a little something different to knit for the kiddos in your life? Boho Baby Knits forgoes the cutesy bows and ribbons that a lot of baby and kid knitting books hold as sacrosanct. Not that the designs in this book (and the kids) aren’t adorable. The designs, like the title, suggests the bohemian, the artsy, inspired by musicians, writers and painters. The colors are bold the designs as unique as the kids you know. JM

Available at Amazon	Sensual Knits: Luxurious Yarns, Alluring Designs by Yahaira Ferreira Sterling $17.95 SR= 28-52" Camisoles, cardigans, pullovers and wraps in luxury yarns made of silk, cashmere, merino and alpaca. These yarns are soft on the skin yet frequently have little spring. I applaud this book for listening to these yarns, and taking advantage of their drape; not expecting crispness in a design. Not every project is a lace project, which many designers do when faced with this type of yarn. Note too that the sizing goes larger than many books, so women of all shapes and sizes can wear these patterns. JM

Available at Big Sky Knitting	Cables: Volume 1: The Basics by Janet Szabo Big Sky Knitting Designs $29.95 I think that Janet Szabo’s brain grows in cable and bobble shapes. This book may say ‘Basic’ on the cover, but it’s anything but simplistic. It is a primer on cables and an amazing cable stitch dictionary. It teaches cabling without a cable needle, how to fix cable mistakes and how to design your own cable pattern. Two things that are stellar here that I’ve not seen in any other aran/cable book: a discussion of woolen and worsted types of yarn, and a discussion of yarn ply both in regard to cable definition in your knitting. My most favorite part of this book is the part where it says ‘Volume 1’ in the title...bring on more cables! JM

Available at Knitting Out Loud	Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller, read by Debbie Stoller Audiobook abridged, 3 CDs, 3 hrs 19 min Patterns not included $19.95 Knitting Memories: Reflections on the Knitter's Life Edited by Lela Nargi, read by Kymberly Dakin Audiobook abridged, 4 CDs, 4 hrs $29.95 America Knits by Melanie Falick, read by Christine Marshall Audiobook abridged, 4 CDs, 4 hrs 56 min Patterns not included $29.95 Cool idea, no? Knit while listening to knitting. Not just podcasty knitting which tends to be opinion, and not always linear or well edited. All of these best-selling knitting books have been abridged. Audio books are a very personal thing. It’s not just content but the voices. For me, it was fantastic to hear Debbie Stoller read Stitch ‘N Bitch, even though I’ve read it a couple of times. I love Lela Nargi’s style so Knitting Memories was a joy. America Knits was ok; it’s a different book without the magnificent pictures. One thing I do find about audio is that it’s a unique experience. Even though I’ve read a book, with no plans to read it again, I will still listen and thoroughly enjoy listening to that same book. Now can we get Alan Rickman to read something? JM

Available at Offhand Designs	Zhivago Bag by Offhand Designs $220 Dimensions: 10.5"H x 18"W x 12"D Shown in Martini Sometimes a bag is more than a bag. Sometimes a bag is evocative of a bigger picture, little pieces of your imagination. The Zhivago Bag is one of those bags. The more technical specs are like this: It is HUGE – hold a whole sweater, a coat, even, plus – no problem – huge. It has two really deep pockets on the outside, six open & one zippy pocket on the inside. The closure is where it all starts for me, the dreamy escaping with my bag – it’s that snap open Mary Poppins type of closure.
I’ve been using and abusing this bag for two months now. It started with SOAR (Spin Off Autumn Retreat) where it was my schlep bag, everything I needed for every class except for my spinning wheel I stuffed in it. Some days it wouldn’t even close all the way, but the closure held even at halfway. Lately I’ve been using it to take my knitting to a charity knitting program I do with kids. That’s right, kiddos have been dragging, wearing, snapping open and shut, open and shut the bag. The closure hasn’t faltered once and the velvety fabric hasn’t gotten bald or weird at all. Now if the Mary Poppins type of magic really worked, I should be able to pull out a Vespa out of this carpetbag and ride off into the Italian sunset. JM

Available at Amazon	Baby Knits: 20 Handknit Designs for Babies 0--24 Months by Lois Daykin St. Martins $24.95 Cute, cute and more cute. 20 traditional baby designs for mostly girl babies. Knit entirely in Rowan yarns, the designs are of that British country house sensibility with lots of lace and cables. And the babies? So cute you want to nibble their feet. JM

Available at Walker Bags	Back Pack by Walker Bags, $77 Dimensions: 20” x 16” Feeling more like a Sporty Spice knitting bag? This Walker Back Pack may just be what you’re looking for. Lightweight yet made of bombproof nylon, this bag is perfect for carrying along your knitting on your bike, or anytime you want your hands free. It has nice, wide shoulder straps, like a seat belt shoulder strap but made of lighter nylon. Size wise it would hold a t-shirt sized project, plus all of the knitting extras. The nylon it’s made of is meshy so it’s an excellent bag to use if you have to carry not -quite-dry dyeing, felting or knitting projects. The mesh fabric comes in a variety of colors: black, lime [shown], multi, orange, purple, red, white and yellow. All of fabrics used in the bag are smooth inside and out, so the only grabbing of yarn that’s going to happen is from you, not your bag. JM


Knitting print digital print of an original illustration sheep! and bunnies! and knitting! by Elsita $20	vinyl self-adhesive sheepies put them on your window or wall. can be removed without leaving a mess, unlike real sheep. by pulcinopazzo $9.00
goat's milk sheepy soap how come it's not made with sheep's milk? i guess we'll never know. by JB Soaps $3.50	white sheep acrylic ring comes in black and other animals, too. create a pastoral scene on your fingers by soop $12
Original Knitzi keep your kids out of your DPNs! the end screws on! 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-inch sizes by Knitzi $28.99-29.99 sterling yarn ball earrings handmade and irresistable. available at Scout's Swag $45	round drawstring basket seagrass lined with silk in your choice of 4 different colors gift or store a big bump of roving! [bump shown weighs about 1 lb.] spin it right from the basket! by lantern moon $30
tiny bottle of Felix Felicis save it for a day when you really need everything to go right by tiffanybell $3.00	thought bubble barrrettes "save the drama for your mama" and other private thoughts on a clever hair clip by melbell $4.00
fused glass knitter pendant pretty glass with our favorite passion baked right inside! by chauncey $16.00	knitting needle bracelet retro-style needle permanently twisted into a bracelet. probably not suitable for knitting, but really cute. by LianaKabel $30.00
needle chain link bracelet clever! clever! little slizes of aluminum knitting needles become jewelry by sassafrascreations $24.00	emergency knitting bag never get caught without knitting again! fits in the glove compartment or other small spaces. save your sanity. by Spunky Eclectic $8.00
handknit orenburg shawls for too cheap you have got to be kidding. beautiful handwork, gorgeous materials and an exquisite FO. each one-of-a-kind. wow. by BestFromUkraine $50ish	socks knit from YOUR yarn on a vintage circular sock machine, in whatever size you choose. because sock yarn doesn't count as stash, especially once it's socks. by FernwoodWoolworks $13.00/pr

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