--Deb

Review: Best of Knitscene

by --Deb 11.07.2011
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This collection begins, “Simple, stylish knitting for the free spirit; this is the Knitscene mission. From its debut in 2005 as a special issue to its progression to quarterly status in 2011, we have sought out fresh projects, up-and-coming designers, unusual yarns, and fun ways to photograph them. This anthology celebrates the best of those efforts from the magazine’s first five years.”

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Review: Knit One Knit All

by --Deb 10.28.2011
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Garter stitch, while easy, has never been my favorite stitch. I’ve always preferred smooth stockinette to its bumps and ridges. So when I heard Schoolhouse Press was coming out with a new EZ book devoted to garter stitch … I was torn. One the one hand, it was Elizabeth Zimmermann who is considered a master for good reason, but on the other … how much did I really want a book about garter stitch?

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Review: Weekend Hats

by --Deb 10.24.2011
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The authors write: “We love knitting hats. They are small, portable projects, great for tucking into your everyday bag and knitting on trains and buses. Hats are the perfect little knits for passing time in waiting rooms or stitching during meetings. Hats provide the opportunity to try new techniques without committing to a bigger project, such as a sweater. They allow us to indulge in luxury yarns that we might not invest in for larger projects. Best of all, hats can be quickly knitted and make great handmade gifts.”

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Updating Host

by --Deb 10.22.2011
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Hey, folks, I’m in the middle of updating webhosts, so if Knitting Scholar goes briefly quiet … don’t worry! It’s only temporary!

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Review: Alice Starmore’s Charts for Color Knitting

by --Deb 10.20.2011
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This is a treasure-trove of charts. Collected by origin (Norway, Russian, Celtic, Birds & Flowers, and so on), it doesn’t so much as tell you what to do with them as give them to you to do whatever you wish. You can knit with them, embroider, stencil, mosaic … anything you like. The possibilities are endless.

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Review: The Knitter’s Book of Socks

by --Deb 10.11.2011
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This is Clara Parkes we’re talking about here. She’s already established herself as an expert on yarns with her reviews at Knitter’s Review and her two earlier books about yarn and wool. You would expect a book of hers about socks to not simply be a collection of patterns. You would expect more … and you’d get it.

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Review: Knitted Dinosaurs

by --Deb 10.03.2011
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I was never much for dinosaurs when I was a kid. I had a hard enough time with monsters like King Kong or the Cyclops without thinking about honest-to-god monsters that used to be REAL.

But this collection? It could make me change my mind.

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Review: Custom Knits 2

by --Deb 09.28.2011
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First, the facts: Title: Custom Knits 2: More Top-Down and Improvisational Techniques Author: Wendy Bernard Published by: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011 Pages: 160 Type: Patterns, this time for the whole family. Chapters: 1. Preplanning the Perfect Sweater: Begin with the End in Mind 2. Basic Training: Simple Alterations and Add-Ons 3. He Said, She [...]

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Review: Craft Activism

by --Deb 09.24.2011
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Crafts aren’t just about dressing babies and making things cute. With the right mind at work, they can become powerful tools for making the world a better place. The point to this book is to take a look at the things you can already do, and the things you already know about what’s right and what’s wrong in the world, and then using your own native creativity to put them together to make something remarkable.

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Review: 2 New Knit Picks Yarns

by --Deb 09.24.2011
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A new bulky yarn and a shimmery sock yarn from Knit Picks!

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Review: A Life in Stitches

by --Deb 09.15.2011
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Rachael really is a lovely writer, and this book of pieces about her own life is the perfect illustration. This book tells 20 stories, all with the common theme of how knitting is a vital, burning part of her life–one that has kept her warm, sane, and comforted through some of the most difficult (and joyous) times of her life.

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Review: Contemporary Irish Knits

by --Deb 09.12.2011
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I admit to a fondness of Aran-styled, Irish-inspired knitwear. I adore the intricacies of Celtic knots and interweaving cables, so it’s no surprise that I was ready to love this book. Luckily, though, it does not disappoint.

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Review: Best of Knit It

by --Deb 09.05.2011
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Featuring both knit and crochet patterns, there are lots of designs to choose from, though most of them are aimed at women as either sweaters or accessories–not to mention home decor–with an assortment of patterns for kids and babies, too.

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Review: Spin Knit Fall 2011

by --Deb 08.31.2011
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First, the facts: Title: Spin Knit: Fiber, Needles, Spindle, Wheel Published by: Interweave Press, 2011 Pages: 24 articles Type: E-Magazine The In-Depth Look: Another great emagazine from Interweave Press. I’ve mentioned before how impressed I’ve been with their emags, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Details about this issue of SpinKnit: 10 Videos—plus an extra video [...]

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