March 2009

Review: Sock Innovation

by --Deb 03.29.2009
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Have you ever wondered what you really needed to know to be able to design really fantastic socks? How to work in a stitch pattern, how to coordinate the placement of the heel, or the elasticity of the cuff? Maybe you’ve been looking for a nice, thorough guide to explain everything you need to know?

Or, maybe you’re not at all interested in designing socks, and you just want beautiful socks to knit. You want all the hard, thinking parts taken care of and just work off the sheer inspiration of meticulously crafted patterns.

Where, oh where, can you go to find all that?

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New and Upcoming Books: March 2009

by --Deb 03.24.2009
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I haven’t done one of these handy-dandy lists since December, so here are some of the new books coming up, as well as some of the recent ones that have come out in the last couple of months

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Review: Fiber Gathering

by --Deb 03.22.2009
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Well, welcome to Fiber Gatherings. This book is devoted to the idea of fiber festivals, specifically ones in the United States. Each chapter looks at one, specific festival and explores what makes it special, and different from all the others. But, more than just describing what makes each gathering unique, she looks at what makes them the same. In a good way.

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Review: Knitting On/Over/Beyond the Edge

by --Deb 03.18.2009
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So, there I was, thinking about what kind of border I wanted to put on the afghan I was making. I had an idea in mind, but needed a stitch pattern, and since it was for an edge treatment, I automatically pulled all three of Nicky Epstein’s books off the shelves and sat down to flip through them. I didn’t even pause at the Barbara Walker collections, or any of the other stitch dictionaries. I went right for these.

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New Poll: The Icons

by --Deb 03.16.2009
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New poll up about the icons on the front page…

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Interview: Wendy Knits

by --Deb 03.12.2009
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Visiting today, we have Wendy D. Johnson from Wendy Knits. Let’s give her a warm, Knitting Scholar welcome, shall we? (sound of knitting needle applause) So, you’ve got a new book , Socks from the Toe Up, coming out, and I gather by the title that it’s about, well, socks? What made you decide to [...]

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Review: Wendy Knits

by --Deb 03.12.2009
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If you read her blog (and I recommend it), you already know Wendy’s tone of voice, and this book feels like a nice, long chat with her. Some of the details you may have picked up on her blog, but there’s a lot to be said for a nice, cohesive story … especially when interspersed with knitting patterns.

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New Interview!

by --Deb 03.11.2009
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Coming soon … an interview with Wendy Johnson from Wendy Knits!

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Review: For the Love of Knitting

by --Deb 03.08.2009
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This book is described as “a scrapbook of stories, essays and memories that celebrates knitting and knitting heritage,” and it does a fine job of it. It’s pleasant and easy on the eyes, and a reminder of all the different things that make knitters knit. Creativity. Therapy. Relaxation. Necessity. It’s all in there. Kind of like just about any knitting circle you can think of.

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Review: Simple Style

by --Deb 03.02.2009
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These designs stick to the basics, usually only having one real “design” element to each, but even those are subtle. They’re not fancy, elaborate design elements that make your eyes pop and your jaw drop … and that’s exactly the point. They’re elements that you don’t even see unless you’re looking, because they’re seamlessly integrated into the designs.

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