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Jump to... Quick Picks • New in Paperback • Spinning |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
The Knitter's Book of Wool: The Ultimate
Guide to Understanding, Using, and Loving this Most Fabulous
Fiber This book is an encyclopedic overview of wool yarn so detailed
and readable, it could have only been written by a knitter
as passionate and obsessive as Clara Parkes. |
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This book takes knitters (and spinners) inside their wool yarn, explaining how it’s grown and processed, spun and dyed and what makes it soft and lofty or sleek and hardwearing. Then we’re taken on a magical mystery tour of 37 sheep breeds, where you can put your newfound knowledge of how yarn is made to use. The breed section is divided into five categories and each is described in loving detail about their history, what yarn made from the breed is suitable for and different criteria like: fineness, staple length and crimp. There are photographs of yarn created by each breed, and in many cases of a lock of fiber. All of this wonderful, factual information is written in a way that makes for compelling, inviting reading. You will never look at your wool yarns the same way again. Plus at your next knitting get together, you’ll drop phrases like “my merino yarn has a micron count of 17. What about yours?” Please don’t think that this is just a reference book. There are 20 lovely patterns showcasing different wool yarns including socks from Cat Bordhi, mittens from Nancy Bush, a family’s worth of sweaters from Sandi Rosner, a transcendent beaded shawl from Sivia Harding, an everyday cardigan from Pam Allen, and a quick-to-knit pair of mitts from Clara. It's a one-of-a-kind book bringing depth and breadth to our world of knitting. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Hattitude: Knits for Every Mood Cathy Carron gives us 40 women’s hat patterns that
will fly off of your needles. She approaches hats like a
chocolatier with the understanding that simple changes to
a good base can create astonishing variety, like her Asymmetrical
Beret or Rippled Cap. JM |
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Coco Circular Needle
Case by Lexie Barnes Dimension: 8.5” W x 6” H x 3” D $69.00 Buy now
at Lexie
Barnes JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Knitting a Kiss in Every Stitch: Creating Gifts
for the People You Love The chapters are divided into Kids, Girls (Women), Guys and Special Friends, which includes gifts for everyone, including pets. The patterns range from very simple to advanced and even though this is not a how-to book, there are helpful instructions in the back for techniques that you may not be familiar with. |
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As I turned the pages, I was impressed by the wide variety of gifts. I saw the perfect baby gift for my two cousins who are pregnant: the Reversible Hoodie, a superwash merino jacket that’s extra warm because it’s two sweaters in one. The Pampering Spa Cloths, embellished organic cotton washcloths, would make the perfect gift for my mother. Or the Creatures of the Night caps which are two hats that allow a tween or teen (or you!) to declare allegiance to Team Edward or Team Jacob. What could be more perfect this holiday season? I also appreciated the attention to detail with the patterns like the shawls that have arms, like the Diamond Rib Wrap and Lace Friendship Shawl, that stay on better for people with limited mobility and keep them warmer, the Gentry Lap Throw that has a pocket for stowing an eyeglass case or tissues or the Kiss Me Wrap-Around, a washable merino cover for a microwavable neck pad cover. The overall emphasis of this book is about giving to others including charity and at the end of the book there is a comprehensive list of charitable organizations that take hand knit items and what their specific requirements are. KG |
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Interchangeable Bamboo Needle Set Buy now at WEBS I'm a 100% circular needle knitter, so I have a checklist of things that are important to me when choosing a needle to knit with. When I got my hands on the new Interchangeable Bamboo Needle Set from WEBS, I ran down the checklist and was very pleased with the results. Here goes: • what are the tips made of? • what's the cord like? • what about the join? • what are the tips like? • how do you store them? |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Haiku Knits: 25 Serenely Beautiful Patterns
Inspired by Japanese Design The designs in this book are inspired by modern simplicity
by way of Japanese aesthetics, the cover sweater, Chrysanthemum,
tells this tale beautifully. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Vogue Knitting Shawls and Wraps JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Rowan's Greatest Knits: 30 Years of Knitted
Patterns from Rowan Yarns For the past 30 years, Rowan has enchanted knitters with
a knitting wonderland – the style, the yarns and the
dreamy dreams of strolling across the moors
or running away in a caravan. |
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As a wonderful and useful supplement to each pattern, there is a brief bio of the designer and a yarn substitution suggestion if the original yarn has been discontinued. JM |
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Knit Kits Buy now at Knit
Kit Jewelry Art jewelry designer Joyce Goodman shares her wire-knitting secrets with us in these gorgeous kits. Everything you need to create the bracelets shown is inside, including full instructions, all materials, and wire-knitting techniques, tips and tricks. I've tried to knit with wire before, and didn't have much luck, so I was interested to try one of Joyce's kits. I chose the buckle bracelet, because it's in my favorite colors...and off I went. Everything you need to knit the bracelet is included in the kit. The instructions are clear and thorough. Contrary to my contrary nature, I followed them carefully. There is more than enough wire in the kit to practise knitting with wire, and Goodman urges you to do this before you start the actual bracelet. There's a little learning curve to using this stuff, and it's great that there's no worry about running out before you finish your project. In fact, after finishing several test swatches and the full project, I likely have enough wire left to knit a 2nd bracelet! I'd just need to find another buckle or closure.
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One of the things I learned through my practise swatches [see one at left <--] is that there's really no frogging in wire knitting. I snapped the wire when trying to unknit the end of a row and then several stitches further back. However, fixing the stitch immediately before the one you're currently knitting is very workable, even if the stitch has come apart a little [it would be a dropped stitch if it were knit in yarn]. Just reloop it and slip it back on the needle. So to get a tidy result and avoid errors, I found it's important to watch your work as you knit. You're working with three super-fine strands of wire, and staying alert helps you keep them where they're supposed to be. But I didn't find the knitting stressful at all, the wire is easy on the fingers [even when tensioned around my right pointer finger, like I do with regular yarn], and the whole project took maybe 4 hours of knitting, spread over 2 nights. The pattern suggests that you put the three spools of wire in a plastic zipper bag to keep them tidy, but I found the clear plastic pouch the kit came in worked really well -- there's a convenient hole at one end to thread the wire through, and the spools sit in the pouch tidily. The pattern is simple and the finished product is very wearable -- weightless, almost! Once the bracelet is buckled, you can slip it over your hand easily [the knitted wire fabric gives a little], so you don't have to do and undo the buckle. I was very pleased with this kit, start to finish, and am looking forward to using the techniques I learned and the leftover wire in another project! AS |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
The New Stranded Colorwork: Techniques and
Patterns for Vibrant Knitwear Do not fear color knitting and do not fear the steek! Plunge
in and let Mary Scott Huff lead you to
color knitting glory with this book stuffed
with techniques and tips to make color
knitting stress free. She’ll
set you straight on standing, tension,
hems, sleeves and presents steeks in a
section called “Steeks
are our Friends” [and they are!] JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Cardigans JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Lily Chin's Knitting Tips & Tricks:
Shortcuts and Techniques Every Knitter
Should Know This isn’t your average ‘tips and tricks’ book. Lily Chin approaches her tips and tricks with the same depth and intensity she does when teaching her classes. She never expects her students to want the quick and easy method of anything. Quality comes with thinking knitting. Throughout this book she gives the whys along with all of the hows. She takes you through the basics from choosing needles and yarn to buttonholes and seaming, as only Lily Chin can, with depth and attention to detail. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Crafty Superstar: Make Crafts on the Side,
Earn Extra Cash, and Basically Have It All A handy dandy guidebook to becoming a craft businessperson.
Grace Dobush walks you through the craft
marketplace in general terms. From the
basics of setting up shop, pricing, and
where to sell, to surviving craft shows,
marketing and having a life beyond your
craft biz, this is a well-rounded book
for getting your dream business off the
ground. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Itty-Bitty Toys: How to Knit Animals, Dolls,
and Other Playthings for Kids This is the new go-to book for toy patterns. JM |
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 Buy now at Ravelry |
Unleash This is a new fresh scent from SOAK that washes your knits
and supports Ravelry. That’s right, a portion of every
purchase of this new scent goes to keep all the fun at Ravelry
going. Unleash is light and fruity/citrusy. I smell green
apple and grapefruit... yum. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
AwareKnits: Knit & Crochet
Projects for the Eco-Conscious Stitcher 31 wearable and useable knit and crochet patterns featuring
organic and environmentally sustainable yarn let you stitch
while honoring the earth. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Inca Knits: Designs Inspired by South American
Traditions I’ll start by admitting I’m a fan of Marianne
Isager’s books. Her strong base in Scandinavian style
combined with the inspiration of an entire country or continent
makes for compelling sweater designs. Inca Knits is no exception.
JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Fearless Knitting Workbook: The Step-by-Step
Guide to Knitting Confidence A book to build the knitting confidence of beginning-ish
knitters and knitters looking to expand
or refine their knitting chops. Through a series of swatching
exercises Jennifer Seiffert teaches basic shaping, cables,
lace, knit and purl combos and the basics of circular knitting.
She explains how to read charts, the secrets behind special
stitches, how to fix mistakes and how to read your knitting. JM |
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 Buy now from Ysolda |
Whimsical Little Knits 2 It's another gem, full of the same classic style, elegance, and even whimsy that we've come to love from Ysolda. This book includes 12 patterns for mitts [both fingerless and flip-top], hats, the unique Peak's Island Hood [defies description, but to say it's a lovely multitasking piece of head-and-shoulders knitwear is a start], simple shawls with just the right amount of lace, and fuzzy creatures like the adorable hedgehog she's named Smith. Affordable delight crammed into 58 beautifully designed pages. AS |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece: Custom-Color Your
Favorite Fibers with Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting, Tie-Dyeing,
and Other Creative Techniques |
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The studio section really centers on safety. Let’s face it, these powders and concoctions can be dangerous. Callahan stresses the importance of protecting your skin, lungs, and eyes first. Wear your respirator, wear your gloves, and wipe up those spills. We all want to live to dye another day. Want to get started right away? Head for the Warm-Ups section. Practice on some paper towels, start out with some grocery store dyes (sugar free drink mix or food coloring), and set the dye in your microwave. Since you’re using materials that are safe for human consumption, it’s okay to use your regular measuring cups, spoons, and pots. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it isn’t difficult to begin. Just bring your sense of adventure and get going. There is a section about color and using the color wheel. Callahan wisely hooks you into the color before bringing up the technical stuff. She uses a great concept called a color grid and provides some exercises on how to use it. I love this gentle approach and she really won me over with it. What I really appreciate about this book is its emphasis on trying a technique and then thinking about why you like it (or not). For example, Callahan examines different plies of yarn and why a single looks different from a marled yarn. She’s done a ton of experimenting with colors and provides pictures of the yarn, the knitting, and the weaving so you can SEE what she’s talking about. As we’re heading into the bleak winter months here in the northern hemisphere, Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece is really a great companion to keep the color in your life. Following Callahan’s steps to create a safe dye studio, you could work your way through her exercises all the way to spring and keep yourself content with all the good stuff coming out of your dye pots. CKI |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Color by Kristin: How to Design Your Own Beautiful
Knits |
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Color by Kristin has made my fingers itch, in a good way. From the cover filled with swatches of her designs to the gorgeous pictures inside, this book is chock full of swoon inducing color. Yes there is discussion of the color wheel, but Nicholas is very gentle and holds your hand all through her examples of how to combine colors to get exactly what you want. There’s a short section of how to knit Fair Isle (which I wish was around all those years ago – the tips on maintaining tension are worth the price of the book alone). She’s also included a section on the mystery of steeking. Keep breathing, she’s no nonsense and very practical about why it’s easier to steek and provides pictures and step-by-step instructions. Still nervous? Check out the patterns. Seriously, if you can’t find one pattern that makes you want to put down the book and swatch, maybe you should check your blood pressure. From her practice project of a door/window snake to a big patterned shawl to a sweet baby afghan to a way cool java jacket that will keep your French press coffee pot warm there’s bound to be something that makes you want to knit with color. Want something small? There are four different projects for your hands alone! Ready to jump into the color with both feet? There are three child sized and three adult sized sweaters for you. My absolute favorite is the Op Art Ottoman. It’s gorgeous and practical at the same time. Nicholas even provides instructions on building your own ottoman to cover! Many of the patterns also include alternate colorways – absolute genius. There was a surprise for me at the back of the book. Nicholas has included a Designer Sourcebook that includes custom edgings and (wait for it) Fair Isle patterns. Beginning with 2-stich repeats and going all the way up to 30-stitch repeats in addition to a section earlier in the book on designing your own. Truly this is a self-contained book designed to get you knitting with color and loving it. My old kit may be gone forever, but with the instructions in this book combined with my abundant yarn stash, I can finally indulge in my dreams of color. I plan on starting small – maybe something with a corrugated ribbing. CKI |
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Daisy The Daisy bag can be used as a knitting bag or as a market bag. There are six generous pockets around a large center compartment. The bottom is wide, slightly padded and flat – it stands up on it’s own if the bag is full or empty. Here’s the amazing and amazingly functional part – the bag is fully reversible – the six pockets can be on the outside of the bag surrounding the center drawstring compartment or reversed with the six pockets safely tucked inside the drawstring compartment. |
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This bag is made of beautiful vintage-looking fabric, but don’t let the prettiness fool you; this bag is made to work. As a knitting bag, it can hold a sweater, a huge needle case, a book and a the huge variety of ‘must haves’ that I carry around in my knitting bag, and that’s not using the six pockets into which I put the yarn needed for the sweater I’m working on. It would be a fantastic bag for a color knitting project because each color of yarn could have it’s own pocket. As a market bag, Daisy is tough. It will hold six bottles of wine or six 15 oz cans of tomatoes with nary a groan from the fabric or stitching. Now that’s a hard-working and beautiful bag! JM |
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Imagine signing up for a knitting
class and having your knitting teacher at
your beck and call 24/7. A knitter's dream
come true, right? That is exactly what Stefanie
Japel’s
online classes are. There are scheduled live chats
with Stefanie and the class and a forum to
ask questions day or night. There are galleries
to post pictures of finished and in progress
projects and a slew of PDF handouts, so thorough
that I didn’t
need to take one note. JM |
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 Buy now from Leethal |
Game Knitting You’ve played TV show drinking games before -- now
Lee Meredith applies that same thinking
without drinking to your knitting. |
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A quick example
of the fun to be had: using a hat Base Pattern, eyelets as
my Game Pattern and Buffy as my show, I’ll knit my hat
following the pattern and any time one of 24 triggers happen
(there is a fight, someone mentions Angel, etc) I make an eyelet,
repeat until the hat or the show is done. That’s it!
Simple to do and the outcome is exceedingly cool. JM |
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Interchangable
Steel Needle Set Fine gauge knitters, are
you ready to be happy? How about an interchangeable
needle set that goes from US 8 all the
way down to a US 2. Before I even held
this in my hands I was happy. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Swing, Swagger, Drape: Knit the Colors
of Australia This book is full of dramatic sweaters in true XRX style, often with interesting construction schemes. Miters, texture, whimsical Australian-style intarsia are some of the different styles featured in the book. What got me most excited, though, was the extra information at the back of the book. Not the stock "we put these same 10 pages about how to cast on and bind off in the back of every book", but Jane's own solid, valuable information about how to choose your own colors for these projects, technique information for each of the styles mentioned above, as well as fit and style tips so your finished garments look their best on you. |
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At the very end, there's an interesting and lengthy narrative colophon that gives you more information about Jane, the country that provides inspiration for the book, the process of photographing the sweaters, and much more. This book was clearly a labor of love. AS |
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McCoy Overnighter Walking in the door, we were greeted with a happy sight -- Lexie's entire fall line in all three colors/prints. I'm thrilled to report that Knitty's favorite Lady B is back again, as are the Darling, Echo laptop bag and the mini pouches. The new Coco needlecase is reviewed above. I had coveted the McCoy as soon as I saw it previewed on Lexie's site. The yellow/blue sample at left was a test of a possible new fabric, and since anything pale blue is my color, I asked if I could test that one. [It's identical in structure to the current lineup.] Conveniently, since I was on a trip at the time, it was a good time to give it a workout. Before I go further, Lexie fans need to know this: Lexie has brought back the nearly bulletproof laminated fabric we all loved so much when she introduced her line. Coffee merely runs off the outside without staining anything [ask me how I know] and a simple wet cloth can clean up any mess that remains. The first thing I noticed about this bag is that it's deliciously huge <-- see picture at left of Denny cramming skein after skein into the bag, with room for more! It was big enough that my travel ukulele fit inside the main compartment bag completely flat [see 4th picture at left], leaving tons of room for my travel paperwork, book, glasses, on-the-road snacks, knitting project, spindle and fiber, and more. I could have fit my laptop in there as well, if I'd wanted to. Despite its capacity, it fit easily under the seat in front of me [and I flew on small planes that trip]. Inside, it's stripped down, in comparison to the craft-dedicated multi-pocketed Lady B. One wall has two huge pockets [see pic at left], big enough for large-format paperbacks, a water bottle, a sock knitting project -- all at the same time. On the outside, there are three zip pockets that run the entire length of the bag. I found that the single pocket on one side was a great place for my passport and plane ticket [easy access when I got to security]. The other side has two stacked, deep zippered pockets. I ran out of things to put in them, the bag was so cavernous. The McCoy also has the handy hidden key pocket under the handles, introduced a few years ago...which could also work very well for a small wallet. Not easy for someone other than you to get at it! |
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So yes, this is a travel bag. But as a knitter who travels, I like this bag as an all-around great knitting/travel companion. On a knitting-heavy trip, an entire sweater in progress could fit in the main compartment, still leaving me room to store reading material, paperwork and almost anything else I'd want to carry on the plane with me. I love this bag. AS |
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 Buy now from Signature |
Anodized Aluminum Sock Blockers These sock blockers are a smart cookie of a design. You can block a pair of socks at once and part of the blockers’ design is a loop in the center that you can use to hang the blockers from while socks are drying. These blockers have the largest airflow area I’ve seen, so socks dry quicker. These blockers are wide in design, but they are light and skinny so they can be stored behind a bookshelf or couch. JM |
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from KnitDenise.com $39.95 What a great concept for us Afghan, Tunisian and Double Ended Crocheters! And great for knitters too! This set is the crochet enthusiast's sibling to the Denise Interchangable Knitting Needles set and what's more is that the two sets work well together! The crochet set is outfitted with an assortment of 12 hook heads: US sizes 3.75-15mm (F/5-19), as well as: 7 cords, 2 extenders and 4 end caps. Plus, as a nice bonus, there are basic instructions for Tunisian crochet included. The hooks themselves are a smooth lightweight resin that handle well on a variety of different fibers. The hook heads are too short for my adult hand to comfortably use on their own and adding the shortest length of cord makes it a length that required some minor adjusting. The joins open and close with a simple twist, and happily feel quite secure. While they are not super smooth, I didn't have to fight with them either. Overall the hook itself is quite good but the smaller sizes feel a bit too flexible for my liking. The esthetics of this set leaves a bit to be desired. While compact and tidy, the plastic on plastic presents a toy-like quality, and the embossed sizes on the case are a bit difficult to read. If you have both the Knitting Needle and Crochet Sets, just think of how much less fiddly it will be to pick the abundant amount of stitches of, say the bands of a cardigan, with a crochet hook on a cable and then just switch off the tips and get on with the knitting! Or picking up frogged stitches! Magical! And for the hookers (those of us who crochet), the variety of cables, the range of sizes, and the neat and tidy, booklike, carrying case will make it all quite flexible! Great concept, good product. JC |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Respect the Spindle: Spin Infinite
Yarns with One Amazing Tool |
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Abby
Franquemont has given spinners a encyclopedic
gift on the topic of spindles. In a single
volume, she will change the way you look
at, think about and use the spindles you
already own or will need to buy after reading
this book. She expertly and engagingly weaves
together the science, history, mythology,
technology of spindle spinning. She teaches
how to use each type of spindle for their
best and most prolific function. She teaches
drafting, spinning, plying efficiencies,
how to really get a lot of yarn spun. She
also gives us a variety of projects perfect
for spindle-spun yarn. JM |
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 Buy now at Amazon |
Drafting: The Long and Short of It Over an hour’s time, she explains and demonstrates everything about a multitude of styles of drafting. If you’re a new spinner, it will be an eye opener; it will change the way you think about and approach your spinning. Seasoned spinners can always use a refresher because, if you’re like me, you might be in a drafting rut, using the same style until something doesn’t work they way you’d like. Abby has an expert teaching style: calm, patient, nothing is ever rushed, and she makes every style of drafting look easy. |
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Along with drafting, Abby teaches about different fiber preparations and the effect of each drafting style on each fiber preparation. This is a brilliant DVD, my hope is that it’s only the first in a series. JM |
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Because you can’t knit all of the time |
Great techniques, clearly taught. Pretty book! |
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Become a human sock knitting machine with a simple wooden fine-gauge loom and this book! |
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 Cambodian twisted silk scarf by Lantern Moon $54.00 hand-loomed in rural households. twisting them after dyeing gives them a luscious texture 12 x 60" 9 gorgeous colors |
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5-foot-long tape. hand crocheted. |
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Hand sewn and groovy. |
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 Knit Penguin - PDF pattern by amygaines $3.00 |
 iphone 3G cover - Tranquility by axelhoney $15 |
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by Leethal $16.00 + shipping for 1 month [purchase a month at a time] each club package includes:
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 Wrist Hot or Cold Wrap by theferriswheels $18.95 soothe sore wrists. wraps for other body parts available -- different fabrics, too. |
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finally, a cute camera bag that also protects! |
  Taka the Ninja leather keychain by leatherprince $17.50 handstitched by a husband-and-wife team in Taiwan. must see the owls, sheep, elephants, pandas, pirates and more. Freaking adorable! |
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comes with 18" sterling ball chain |
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better than bubble wrap. |
what DO you do with all those Moo cards you collected at Rhinebeck
and Maryland and Stitches and SOAR and Estes
Park...? frame them in a black or white acrylic
frame, and move the cards around any time you
want. holds 20 Moo cards. |
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lots of crazy seaside prints |
7.9 long x 2.6 deep x 4"
high. |
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 Felt & zipper blue jay brooch by woollyfabulous $28.00 |
 Anne lace scarf crochet pattern [pdf] by mkcarroll $5.50 |
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 Knitty 2010 Calendar with photographs taken by readers of Knitty magazine in their Knitty knits $19.50 |
 New Knitty shwag! available at Knittyshop prices vary |
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sigg water bottles in two sizes! mellow, tangy, piquant
and extraspicy gear of all sorts! |
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