New Books

I got word this morning that some of my new knitting books will be arriving tomorrow. Hooray, I will have some fabulous new books to browse through during the long weekend.

So you are probably wondering what books I chose. Well, here they are.

1. Lace Style: Traditional to Innovative, 21 Inspired Designs to Knit
2. Weekend Knitting: 50 Unique Projects and Ideas
3. Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book
4. No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo & Other Delights

I am so excited to get these books. I haven’t seen any of these books in person, but I already know of two patterns I want to knit from them and I ordered the yarn this morning. Like I need any more yarn, but I really don’t have any summer knitting projects with cotton, everything I have is wool, so I decided to go ahead and take the plunge.

The two patterns I want to knit are the Katherine Hepburn Cardigan from Lace Style, and Tomato from No Sheep for You. I am so excited to start both of these sweaters. I previously mentioned that I wanted to start Wicked, but I have decided to knit Green Gable first, along with these other two sweaters. This will give me plenty to do this summer and I will even be able to wear them as soon as they have been completed.

I am also thinking about making the Dollar and a half Cardigan from Interweave Knits, but the yarn I want is currently on back order until next months, so that will have to wait.

Birthday Fun

Okay, so my birthday was Monday, and I got lots of knitting goodness. By the way, don’t ask me how old I am, not because I don’t want anyone to know, but because I can never remember half the time. Recently I was at a doctors appointment for a physical and the doctor asked me how old I was I told her 34. She looked at me then looked at the computer and said that the computer says you are 35. I looked at her with a puzzled look on my face and said, I guess I am 35. So I guess I am now 36, although I still feel 25. The way I look at it is that you are only as old as you feel, RIGHT!

Okay, so on to the knitting goodness. Awhile back I decided to set up an Amazon.com wish list, and it was probably the best thing I could have done, because for my birthday I got two new books and a gift certificate.

Steve got me these two of the books that where on my wish list, Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac and Knitting Workshop. I just recently read about these two books and added them to my wish list. I am currently reading Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Without Tears and now I am looking forward to reading these two books next.

My mom also sent me an Amazon.com gift certificate. She told me that after looking through everything that I wanted she just couldn’t decide what to get, so she sent the gift certificate. Now I have the same problem, I can’t decide either. I have so many books on my wish list that I can’t decide what books to get first. So I plead for your help, let me know what knitting books are in your library that you can’t live without. You can also check out my wish list and make your recommendations. I have put a direct link on the side bar for your convenience.

By the way, I have been knitting. I have been meaning to take some pictures of my works in progress, but every day when I get home from work I get right to knitting and always forget to take pictures. Then I remember the next day when I am at work and promise myself that I will take some pictures at lunch, but then I forget again. I guess I am getting very forgetfull in my old age.

Anyway, I have been working on the little baby jacket for a friend of mine, who’s baby was born a few weeks ago. It is almost finished. I have completed all the pieces now I just need to assemble it and do the detailed trim. I am also working on some little matching socks. I am trying to create the pattern as I go and it hasn’t worked out as I expected. Does anyone know the length of a baby’s foot? I am so glad I got the sock pattern wizard software. I would have no clue what size to make the dang sock. I hope to have both of these projects finished by the end of the week.

I still have not done the kitchener stitch on the socks that I completed a few weeks ago. What is holding me up, I just don’t know. I guess I should get that done soon too. I have also been working on my sock pattern for the Hill Country Sock Pattern Contest. I thought I had my stitch design all worked out, but I have decided to change it up a bit so I have been doing more swatches to see what I like.

I have also done some work on the Roll the Dice Felted Bag that I mentioned back in March. I have finished the body of the bag, and started to sew up the bottom. I don’t really like how it is coming out so I think I will rip out the seam and start again. After that all I have left to do is the handles.

I am also almost finished with my French Market Bag. I am very close to the top of the bag, I think a few more rows should do it, then I will do the handles and felt it.

Then there is the almost forgotten Brown Ribbed Sweater. This sweater has sort of been put on the back burner because the weather is warming up and I probably won’t be able to wear it until fall. I haven’t worked on this project in more than a month, maybe longer.

With so many projects on the needles I am starting to get frustrated that nothing is getting finished, so my plan for the next few weeks is to finish up all these projects before I begin another one. I so want to start my Wicked, which will be the short sleeve version, so I am hoping that this desire will propel me to finish these other things so I can get started.

I hope to have some FO by the end of the week, because who wants to see a WIP when they can be surprised and see the FO.

Knitting Books

Lately, I have been obsessed with buying knitting books. Some books I have bought because someone else recommended it, or because I like the cover, or because it looks like something I would get a lot of use out of. Most of these books I have purchased online through Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, or Crafterschoice.com. Which means many times I haven’t had a chance to flip through the book before buying it, but I figured there would be some interesting or new information enclosed and no matter what I would get something out of it.

When the book arrives I typically flip through it, looking at all the different patterns, and I dream of making some of them. Then the book will immediately goes into my bookcase. Sometimes, if the book is really amazing, I leave it on my coffee table for a few more days and flip through it a couple more times before it finds it’s home in my bookcase.

So far I haven’t found time to actually read the books I have purchased, except one, but that is all going to change. One of my goals is to actually read the knitting books I have before I purchase any more. Okay, so that probably won’t happen because there is bound to be a great book released before I can get through the 30 or so knitting books I already have, but I am going to certainly try.

Now mind you, I am not planning on actually reading the patterns, just the introduction and the front part of the book, which gives different tips and special techniques that are included in the book. At least that is my assumption of how a knitting book is laid out, it is based on the one and only knitting book that I have actually taken the time to read, which is "KnitWit" by Amy Singer.

I decided to purchase this book because when I first met my friend Amanda, from knitting club, she had started making a sweater from this book. She has since abandoned it for more socks, but that is beside the point. I secretly hope she starts knitting on it again soon, because I really would like to see it when it is completed.

Anyway, I got a quick glance at the pattern from across the room, but at the time I was to shy to ask if I could look through the book. So I bought the book myself. I know many people would probably be very happy to loan out their book when they aren’t using it. But, I just have to have my very own copy. Those of you who know me, know I don’t share well with others. When I find something that I like I don’t want to just borrow someone else’s I must have one for myself. And I typically don’t like to loan out my books, rubber stamps or anything else that I might want to use the moment it walks out the door. I do, by the way, share very well, when the object to be shared stays within my reach, because you just never know when inspiration is going to strike. 

Okay, so the real point of this post was to actually tell you what I liked about this book "Knitwit", but I have swayed from my course. So let’s get back to that.

This book is great for any level of knitting skill. Even some of the beginner patterns are so cool, that advanced knitters will want to take a break from their elaborate projects to whip up a quick and simple one. The author has included some basic knitting information in the front of the book for someone who is just getting started. Having already known how to knit before reading this book I don’t know if it contains everything a knitter must know, but at least it will get you through the projects in the book. By the way, I am not sure it is possible for a knitter to know everything about knitting, because so many new things are being invented every day. Anyway, I am getting off topic again.

I found the book to have a great layout, with a built in A-frame stand so you could prop the book up on a table while you knit, or just for display purposes. One thing I found interesting is that it showed you some ball bands and how to read them. I guess I am a real ditz when it came to choosing yarn and I always got confused with all those symbols and charts. They try to include so much information on the little ball band that it can get jumbled together and difficult to understand, especially if you are a novice knitter and don’t know any better.

So whether you are a new knitter or one who has been knitting for many year I recommend this book. Not that my recommendation is going to make you go out and buy it, but maybe you will think about it.

I would love to hear what knitting books you are reading and what you think about them, because I need more knitting books.

On the Needles

Okay, this is only my second post and I am still trying to figure things out.

I have been doing a lot of knitting the last few days and I promise to post some pictures really soon. When I joined a local knitting group at the end of December a lot of the ladies encouraged me to try socks. To that point I had only finished one sweater and was working on another. Socks intimidated me. The ladies recommended the book Sensational Socks to get started, so I took the plunge and bought the book. To my surprise, socks aren’t as hard as I thought they would be. I did stumble a little with the wording of the pattern, but with the help of my local yarn stores “Ewe-nique Knits” and “Have You Any Wool”, I worked my way through it and completed two sample socks.

Now, I am working on a pair for myself. Even on size zero needles these little guys seems to work up so quickly. They are so much fun, and so easy to take wherever I go. If I love them as much as everyone says I will, I believe I will always have a pair of socks on the needles and ready to travel.

In true knitting style, I have other projects on the needles as well; two sweaters are currently in the works. One of the sweaters is very close to being finished. I had been waiting to take a finishing class before I completed this one. The class was at the end of January and I have just been putting it off. Anyway, all I have to do is sew up the seams and knit the collar. Maybe I will work on it this weekend and have a finished object to show you on Monday.

The other sweater is just two arms away from being finished. I am trying something new with this one; I am knitting both sleeves at the same time. Being fairly new to knitting I had never done this before and it really makes a lot of sense.