Knit Couture Planner
by Knit Couture
$60.00

Calling all knitters who are organized or just wannabe-organized knitters!

This big honking binder is an anal knitter’s dream come true. Knit Couture's huge silk-wrapped three-ring binder comes with a generous pile of Project Pages, already stashed in protective plastic sleeves. The sleeves can also store your pattern so you can keep track of your projects. The best part is the pockets for a photo & a gauge swatch on every Project Page.

The Planner is divided up into sections, so you can do the same with your projects – On the Needles, Finished Items, Wish List & Gift List. There’s also a Reference section for keeping track of your stash, needles, etc.

The Knit Planner comes wrapped in a fab silk binding -- available in 6 different patterns.

-JM

Knitting: A Novel
by Andrea Bartlett
Houghton Mifflin
$23.00us [paperback]

I usually have a difficult time reading about knitting. I'd rather do than read about it. But this novel changed that for me

This book is a is a novel first. And a novel by a talented writer. It tells the story of a friendship between two women who are brought together by the love of knitting and all things fiberous. While it seems hard to have a story about two women, one a new widow, one considered rather an "outsider" to the "normal" community not turn into something sappy, this one stops just short of being a Lifetime Movie of the Week. Pay close attention to the bags that Martha always carries, that was my favorite part.

-JM

Textured Knits: Quick and Easy Step-By-Step Projects
by Julia Cooper
Krause Publications
$24.99us [hardcover]

I was drawn to this book by the cover sweater, a simple, single color chevron, zip-front jacket. Texture is my dream knitting, especially simple texture that makes a big impact.

This book has 17 of those types of patterns. The styles are of the, "I would wear that every day" variety. Nearly half of this book is knitting technique, for the beginner-almost intermediate knitter. But the information is solid, everything is illustrated in close up photography, and we all need a reminder now and again don't we?

-JM

Flowers To Go: Flower Brooches Knit Kit
by Pick Up Sticks

A kit with everything you need to make 3 different simple single flower pins, including the knitting needles. The yarn is soft, cozy and easy to knit with Cascade 220. All packed into an adorable to-go container. The flowers are designed to be felted or not. The directions are easy to follow and easy to knit and the felting is done in the washing machine. Warning: Knitting these cute flowers is totally addictive. I have already been raiding my single ball stash and knitting more flowers for everyone I know.

Pick up a to-go container and knit up some flowers.

-JM

Felted Alpaca Flower Pin
by Knitwhits
$5.00us [pattern only]
$18.00us [kit]

A girl can't have too many flowers, can she? This flower kit makes one large, gorgeous, layered flower. The yarn is sultry Cascade Indulgence (70% alpaca/30% silk), which after the optional felting gives you a luxurious flower with a soft halo.

Felting instructions are for hand felting in a sink, which is my favorite way to felt. I never get over the magic of watching it come together.

-JM

The Unlikely Flying Object
Lelooni
by Susan Docherty
Susan Docherty of Alba Ltd
[paperback]

All I need to say to you is Planet Intarsia is inhabited by the Sweaterheads and you'll buy these books, right?

But what if I add that 90% of the "illustrations" in the book are knitted? The characters and most of the backgrounds are knitted in fine detail.

The stories are charming and funny appealing to the kid in all of us. In The Unlikely Flying Object the Mothership gets lonely on Planet Intarsia and begins creating the Sweaterheads (she's a knitting machine, after all) starting with Salvador Dali because he loves color.

In Lelooni , Leooni, the mischievous moon of Planet Intarsia, learns that practical jokes are not the way to make friends.

All knitters will enjoy the detail and skill that went into creating these books. Creative knitters will be inspired to knit their own book.

-JM

Viva Poncho: Twenty Ponchos and Capelets to Knit
by Christina Stork and Leslie Barbazette
Stewart, Tabori and Chang
$16.95us [paperback]

Still doing the poncho thing? Think most of the patterns available are a bit tired?

Well, faster than you can say "Free Martha," Viva Poncho can get you out of your poncho slump. Divided into one-piece ponchos, two-piece ponchos & capelets there are twenty fresh, fab & fly designs to choose from. Extras include a bit on sizing, add-on extras and even a dog poncho. Plus the price is right (less than $20) & the book is cool knitting-bag sized.

-JM

Cozy Crochet: 26 Fun Projects from Fashion to Home Decor
by Melissa Leapman
Chronicle Books
$19.95us [paperback]

This is one of the least intimidating crochet books that I've seen. It has a bunch of patterns that have huge variety both for crochet ability and time to complete project. Patterns that are cool and stylish enough to tempt you to try something new or explore next skill level. I'm a total crochet moron and I found the how-to directions and illustrations really easy to follow.

Of course, I had a feeling that this book would be good because the author, Melissa Leapman has been designing cool crochet patterns long before crochet became the latest trend.

-JM

The Knitted Rug: 21 Fantastic Designs
by Donna Druchunas
Lark Books
$24.95us [paperback]

Knitted rugs are another stop on the path to completely covering your world in knitted things. This book is chock full of information beyond the 21 patterns for actual rug making. There is a history section, a gallery of contemporary knitted rugs, knitting how-to - for the beginning and forgetful, directions for finishing and backing rugs, care of hand knitted rugs and guidelines to make coordinating pillow and wall hangings.

The one thing she doesn't tell is how to afford making an alpaca-silk loop rug to put next to my bed so I can sqoosh my toes in it first thing every morning, wouldn't that be a fabulous wake-up call?

-JM

Yarns to Dye For: Creating Self Patterning Yarns for Knitting
by Kathleen Taylor
Interweave Press
$21.95us [paperback]

In 30 pages, Yarns to Dye For, unlocks the secrets of self-patterning yarn and teaches you how to do it yourself. Really. Even someone with the attention span of a gnat (that would be me) can get it.

It's just enough information, spelled out simply and accurately you can read and be up to your elbows dying in an hour (if you have the materials). No part of your stash is safe. There are directions for several types of effect dying -- graduated, zigzag, stripes and fair isle.

Did I mention that there are knitting patterns too? Rather than leave you hanging with a bunch of dyed yarn and the game of hit and miss dyeing, until you figure out colors that work, this book brilliantly has 22 designed-to-use self-patterning yarn patterns. Along with each pattern is the recipe for how the yarn was dyed. Every piece of information you need, colors and dyes used, length of skein that was dyed and length and order of each color used. You can't go wrong.

-JM

Handknit Style: Contemporary Sweaters from Tricoter
by Linden Ward and Beryl Hiatt
Martingale & company
$34.95us [paperback]

From the same team that brought you Simply Beautiful Sweaters and own the Tricoter yarn shop in Seattle. While their style of design isn't always my style, I am always awed by how they convey an absolute adoration of whatever yarn they are using.

Their designs are simply shaped, but not simplistic -- there are subtle features, shaping, stitch patterns, color changes that showcase yarn. Their patterns are a lesson in design.

-JM