INTRODUCTION

Cool Stuff

by Claudia B. Manley, Amy 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.
We are provided with samples to review for free, and we do not publish reviews of products that do not perform well in our testing. We are not paid to review any product.

Browse the whole list of books reviewed this issue at Bookshop which gives 10% of their profits to independent bookstores across the US, and a 10% commission to Knitty for every purchase.

We also provide links to purchase on Amazon, and they give us a commission when you purchase as well. Thank you for supporting Knitty!

Grand Shetland Adventure Knits
by Gudrun Johnston and Mary Jane Mucklestone
Laine Publishing
$41.00 USD (hardcover)/$38.00 USD (digital download)

Buy now from Laine

Gudrun Johnston and Mary Jane Mucklestone have made names for themselves in the world of Shetland Island knitting. For many years they led trips for knitters to the Islands, and this volume serves as a kind of book version of those tours. More than just a collection of beautiful designs, it is a travelogue that is manifest in the patterns within.

The design of the book is gorgeous. I appreciate the full-page colour photography, which allows an immersive experience for the reader. Many of the images are close-ups of various plants or geographic features, and they remind me of the kinds of photographs one might take to remember a special place. There are four travel stories intersecting the patterns, and through these, we hear Johnston and Mucklestone’s distinct voices.

The patterns do not disappoint. There is a good balance of colourwork and lacework featured, and the instructions for lacework are both written and charted. The all-over colourwork of the Island to Island Vest plays off the rocks of not only the Shetland Islands but of Maine, where Mucklestone lives. The Riggies Cardi is a single-colour cardigan whose oversized fit has an easy and cozy, yet sophisticated look.

With fourteen patterns to choose from, ranging from gloves, to hats, to pullovers, and more, and the beautiful images and words contained within, there is much to recommend this book.

CBM

Three Skeins of Caledonia Blue
by Elizabeth Duvivier
Soliden
$22.00

Buy now from the author

The second book by Elizabeth Duvivier, Three Skeins of Caledonia Blue is an engaging novel, perhaps a perfect beach read. Following the story of Mathilde, a mid-50s woman reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, the story employs the acquisition of the titular three skeins as a vehicle for self-discovery. In some ways, the skeins serve as a kind of carrot for Mathilde, encouraging her to go outside her comfort zone in her pursuit, which frequently results in lessons about herself and an expanded sense of possibility.

Beyond Mathilde’s actual journey, this is also the story of how women support each other, sometimes by simply inviting one to an everyday ritual that ends up lingering long after the excursion. Duvivier creates a world where all are welcome and fills it with people we either know or wish we knew. The three skeins ultimately bring Mathilde back home and back to a confident and strong sense of self.

CBM

The Cordsmith
by Autumn
Handle 4.5" long, 1.25" wide (at widest point)
Total length with hooks 6.25"
$25 for one or $20 each for two or more

Buy now from byautumn.com

The Cordsmith is a handy tool for creating i-cords. While I don’t mind knitting i-cords, once I got the hang of the Cordsmith, I wanted to make more and more. Thankfully, there are plenty of suggestions on the website. The possibility of making a plant hanger out of i-cords is appealing to me.

It took me a minute to figure it out, but once I understood how it worked and got over my fear that the whole thing would come off every time I pulled the yarn up and over, I found it addictive. Even when a loop would come off a hook, it was not the end of the world. Autumn has videos and links available that guide you through not only the general use of it, but how to use it to create an attached i-cord bind-off.

Each Cordsmith is made by hand in Ohio, and by purchasing one, you support a small woman-owned, family-run business.

CBM

Knit a Box of Socks
by Julie Ann Lebouthillier
David & Charles
£16.99 | $24.99 USD

Buy now from Bookshop.org | Amazon

Knit a Box of Socks is an accessible guide to knitting socks. Lebouthillier starts the reader with the basics, including how to measure one’s foot for proper fit and how to adapt patterns for size. She also provides instructions on how to change a pattern from cuff down to toe up and vice-versa.

The book includes 24 different patterns in addition to a basic pattern provided in the intro section with the tips and techniques. Some employ texture, feature stranded colourwork, or suggest simple embroidery. One pattern, Candy Mountain, is a pattern designed for scraps or mini skeins, which most knitters invariably have.

Pattern difficulty is noted by a scale of one to three socks (one being the easiest and three being the most difficult). The book features 11 one-sock patterns, 10 two-sock patterns, and 3 three-sock patterns, which makes this a great book for beginning sock knitters. Most of the patterns are for adults, but there are ten patterns that are either designed for toddlers/children in mind or include instructions for those sizes.

CBM

Dye Color Packs
by Wool Tincture Dyes
$17.00

Buy now from Wool Tincture Dyes

Coming in a charming little kraft paper envelope, Wool Tincture Dyes claims that this is “the simplest way to dye wool.” As someone who has dabbled in natural dyeing and has had my moments with Rit Dye, I was very curious to try this. Of the 25-colour palette available, I used one called Deep Water, which promised a deep teal.

Each packet comes with two pre-measured acid dyes (that look like little tea bags) with accompanying citric acid packets, which is enough to dye two 100g. skeins of fibre. I chose a skein of Corriedale wool that came as part of my subscription to Anne Hunter’s Breed of the Month Club (see our review of her book, Sheep, Shepherd and Land, in Issue 83) to dye, and I have to say, the dye adhered beautifully to the yarn and delivered the promised colour.

The process was indeed quite straightforward: heat some water, put in the dye packet, add wool, strike (bond) the dye to the fibre (by adding the citric acid). Since Deep Water is a darker colour, I left my wool in the dye longer as suggested by the instructions. If you’re using a lighter colour, you can be done in just a few minutes. All the dyes are non-toxic, and when you’re finished, you can simply put the dye water down the drain. I was pleasantly surprised that when I pulled my yarn from the dye bath that there were no drops of teal water or colour transference to my hands. All in all, a very easy way to dye wool and other protein fibres.

CBM

Modern Daily Knitting Field Guide No. 27: Sock Odyssey
by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne, Designs by Fatimah Hinds
$9.95-$15.95

Buy now from Modern Daily Knitting

Full disclosure: Claudia writes a column for MDK but was not involved with the production of this book

The latest in the Field Guide series from Modern Daily Knitting, Sock Odyssey is guaranteed to feed the obsession with socks that many knitters happily “suffer” from. This guide features four patterns, all of which highlight texture. The Toe-Up Knee Socks hit a certain note with me (secret preppy?) and make accommodations for varying calf widths, and I appreciate the mixture of cables and socks Hinds puts together in the Cuff-Down Tweed Socks.

The Guide starts with a brief orientation to the world of sock knitting contained within and ends with an interview with Fatimah Hinds. This provided me with an introduction to a designer with whom I hadn’t been familiar. In addition to designing socks, sweaters, and other knitwear, Hinds is also working to bring justice, equity, and anti-racism to the knitting world through her website, DisturbingTheFleece.com.

CBM

Hot Girl Crochet
by Rose Svane
Abrams Books
$24.99 US/$31.99 CDN

Buy now from Bookshop.org | Amazon

Hot Girl Crochet by Danish crochet designer Rose Svane features 15 different crochet patterns from a simple bag that went viral on social media, to a checkered lampshade, to a beach skirt.

Svane gives thorough instructions in the first half of the book, which makes it perfect for beginners. She covers areas such as choosing yarn, how to hold a crochet hook, basic stitches, reading charts, and finishing projects.

The second part of the book is dedicated to the patterns. There are three sections: Home, Accessories, and Clothes. In addition to a pattern for the mythic crocheted bikini, there is also a pattern for a backless crochet top inspired by the movie “Once Upon a Time in America.” If you’re getting a retro vibe, you’re not far from wrong. The designs in this book are youthful, and the clothing is not for the body shy. If you’re feeling you need a little “hot girl summer,” this book may have just what you’re looking for.

CBM

I got you something – embroidery kit
by Knitted Bliss Stitching
$38.00CAD

Buy now from Knitted Bliss Stitching

I enjoy embroidery, but I haven't had a new kit in a few years. I was delighted, then, when Julie Crawford of Knitted Bliss Stitching offered me one of her embroidery kits to test and review for Knitty when I ran into her at Knit City last month.

This is a delightful and exceptionally thoughtful kit with an attention to sustainability I haven't seen anywhere before.

The kit includes everything you need to make the sampler, including the design pre-printed on 100% cotton fabric, two fine embroidery needles and a needle threader, a magnetic needle minder, a bamboo hoop, and printed instructions to complete the sampler, including a link to a tutorial on Julie's website.

I got to stitching right away. I appreciated the needle threader in a recyclable paper envelope, and no plastic packaging anywhere. The bamboo hoop is the size to work the sampler and to display it when it's done, and the needle minder was very useful, super cute, and will be a useful tool on other samplers. Julie also included enough floss, pre-cut to size, to complete the sampler, with extra just in case. It came stored on a cardboard palette card with each color hand labelled by number.

For two of the colors, I came close to running out, and as this is a new kit, Julie took on my feedback and will be adding more floss in those colors for future kits. Some might prefer full skeins of embroidery thread, but as there were so many colors in this sampler, I appreciated having what I needed and not a lot of leftovers. It made sense to me. Also, as I tend to cut longer lengths of thread when I stitch, which often can form knots as I work, having the embroidery thread pre-cut to appropriate lengths forced a bit of discipline on me that I appreciated.

Julie also included two different options for the skin color of the gifting hand, and that kind of inclusiveness made me like this kit even more.

I loved the actual design from both an aesthetic and a stitchability standpoint. And, as you can see, it turned out rather well.

I would absolutely buy and recommend any of Julie's kits. Such thoughtful attention to every detail makes the finished result feel even more special.

AS

Rogue Sacoche
by TOMBIHN
$72.00
Shown above in Zest, below in Sakura, available in many other colors

Buy now from TOMBIHN

I've been wearing small bum-bag style pouches cross body for a few years now, and they're great and cute, but they're stupid-small and hold only the barest of essentials. When this new bag from TOMBIHN came in for testing – the Rogue Sacoche – I was curious to see how much it would hold, what it would be like to wear a larger bag on a daily basis.

I was very pleasantly surprised with how versatile this bag is, and how much I enjoyed wearing it. It's a soft, flexible bag with just enough internal structure built in to accommodate the usual stuffs of life. Two big pockets sized for phones, wallets, makeup bags, eyeglass cases, small notebooks, for example, and a pen-sized pocket between them.

I loaded in my usual essentials and had room for everything with space to spare. So I pulled out my current sock project – a puffy skein of Regia sock yarn, needles and a folding knitting accessory kit – stored in a small TOMBIHN stuff sack (not included), and of course it fit as well.

What's inside besides my sock project: My wallet, a thick business card holder, a pen, a reusable shopping bag in its pouch, my sunglasses in their case, my smartphone, my huge bundle of keys (handily clipped on the included strap that's attached to one of the four (!) o-rings inside the Sacoche, my phone, my brush and lipstick. And so much room to spare.

At the top of this review, you see how the bag lays against a body when not overstuffed. When stuffed with my sock project, the darted seams allow the bag to expand just enough to accommodate the extra load.

The Rogue Sacoche easily rolls up into a tiny bundle that you could store anywhere when you're not using it, but you'll probably just wear it because it's about the perfect size for everything you'd want to keep by your side. Adjust the included strap to the length that suits you (from 31.5" at its shortest to 57" when fully extended) and you can wear it anywhere. I love that the nylon ripstop fabric TOMBIHN uses is washable in case you spill something on it, and that it can easily keep light rainshowers out of the contents of your bag. I know because it rained (of course) the first time I wore it out and it was dry as a bone inside. I have many TOMBIHN bags made of this amazing material, and I can attest that, as much as I wear them, they do not show wear. They still look as new as the day I received them.

The Rogue Sacoche from TOMBIHN gets a 100% recommend from me!

AS

On the Go
by Thread & Maple
3.5" tall at longest point, 2.625" wide folded, 5.25" open
$62CAD

Buy now from Thread & Maple

This sexy little leather case is a delicious accessory for the knitter, crocheter or embroiderer. Made of thick, smooth and soft leather, beautifully stitched, it closes with a secure magnet. Contained inside, you'll find a pair of small scissors, two different gauge darning needles by John James in sizes 13 and 14, and 15 steel ring stitch markers. The markers are in a tiny zippered pocket and can be removed by opening the zipper and tapping the case. You could also replace the markers with a little fabric measuring tape, or do what I did: put my magnetic needle keeper in there, making this an exceptionally handy carrying case for embroidery accessories. Extra embroidery floss can be tucked in the pocket behind the darning needles, and if you'd prefer finer-weight embroidery needles in the case instead of the knitting/crochet-weight darners, you can easily swap them out. It could also be a travelling sewing kit simply by adding a small nest of sewing thread and a few sharp needles to the kit.

Thread & Maple is a small woman-owned business based in Toronto and Montreal, Canada, and all of their products come with a 1-year warranty against craftsmanship and material defects. I love a good company that stands behind their products.

A lovely tacile treasure to tuck in your project bag, whatever the project is, and take everywhere with you.

AS