Competition Winner & Your Go To Books

Following my review of Knitting Green last week, all those who commented before end of Sunday were entered into a draw to win it in return for giving us their go to book. Here is what was suggested (click on the pics to go to the book's amazon page):

From Annette: A true classic. I also go to this one all the time.

 

"The first book I used a pattern out (tomten jacket) and when I have knitting question I almost always can find the answers in that book." 

From AlisonK: Another classic. SPM is a genius and she's working on a new book....

"Set out in clear terms a lot of hints & tips I just hadn't known with being a self-taught knitter who mainly works in isolation. This book is also responsible for the fact that I ever succeeded in knitting a sock, as the first one I did was to Stephanie's recipe." 

From Charlotte and Nocton4: One that got a lot of people back into the swing of things. 

"The book that got me back into knitting as a twenty year old. Now I pass it on to all my friends who want to knit, and we use the diagram pictures for them to learn a new technique. I can leave the book with them, and then next time we meet for a knit session, suddenly they have finished an item! Still occasionally look up kitchener stitch in it myself... "

"Always to hand and so great with clear advice."

From Katy: For £4.50 this has got to be a must-have book. I love my copy.

"So many projects of different types, so many useful hints and tips (though the instructions for a circular cast on defeated me!) It's the book I took away with me this summer and I didn't feel the lack of any other knitting book."

From Becky: An unusual one this but I can see that it would be handy.

"I knit stuff from that book all the time - when I need a quick gift, there is always something in there to help me out."

From Me! This is another by Ann Budd and I really do use it *all* the time.

So....without further ado the winner is....

Which is Nocton4 according to the list of commenters on that post. I've left a message on your blog so email me your address and the book is yours!

BTW - I am destashing some books and patterns myself at the moment on ebay. Pop over for a look and grab a bargain. All with free postage.

These are a few of my favourite things

There have been some brilliant blog posts recently. Here are my favourites.

• Knitting on the Green - Liz's review of KnitCamp

I foolishly thought the KnitCamp saga had come to an end but no, it rumbles on. Many people without refunds and the organiser went on a two week holiday straight afterwards and has posted a rather odd summary post on the official blog. But what was it really like for people who were there? Liz has written a 5 (so far) part review of the different elements. All are very well written and have brilliant photographs with them. I've linked to part 1 but you will easily find all the others. Stick around for her book reviews too. 

• Craftypod - Review of 'Brave New Knits'

I've seen patterns from this book creeping into the friend activity screen on ravelry and Sister Diane gives us a very good review of the book itself along with lots of pictures. 

• Color Me Katie - Cat Cafes in Japan

I genuinely thought this was my idea and have often talked to Pooch about wanting to create a haven for people who adore cats but can't for whatever reason have one at home. Am so gutted this is a reality in japan. Don't suppose anyone knows of any UK ones? Katie is also a brilliant photographer.

• Good Night Gracie - Friendship Bracelets

In my teens I had these wrist to elbow on both arms and was constantly making holes in cushions having safety pinned a bracelet to it. This is a Flickr set rather than a blog because it was featured in a CRAFT blog post. I'm really tempted to make one now. Mine were nearly as good as hers when I was at the height of my powers - but she has taken it to the next level.

• Andre Joseph's Sketchblog - How to draw a shoe

I absolutely love her illustrations. Her description of how she draws this converse trainer left me open-mouthed. The first step, which I am not giving away, is so simple and easy to do but I can hear generations of art teachers turning in their graves. But hey, it certainly works for her. 

• Craft Blog - Knitted Unravelling Calender

I tweeted about this yesterday. Craft seems to assume there is some mechanism unravelling it but I can only assume a non knitter wrote that. The only good thing about frogging is the tactile 'tink tink' as each stitch pops as it disengages from the last as you gently pull.

• Lixie Makes It - Most popular and knitted designers on Ravelry

In an addition to this post...at the Romford knitting group on Sunday we discussed this briefly and the very good point was made that the best designers are often not the best teachers. But I suspect that also the best and most knitable designers are not paid anywhere near as much as the 'knitting royalty'. Makes me feel positively anarchistic!

You may have noticed that I have interspersed this post with images that are pretty much unrelated to the text. Why? 

• Purlpower - Diagnoses and the psychology of images and comments

The long suffering yet consistently witty Purlpower has had another diagnosis. The text in itself is dryly funny and engaging but she makes a good point towards the end as to why she has interspersed it with those images. But you have to read it to find out what it is. 

 

All photos via Flickr under Creative Commons Licensing. Please click on the photos for creators' credits.

Tattoos

I've been thinking about getting a tattoo again. I wobble between 'meh' and 'meh', but pronounced differently. Part of the reason can be seen on the second row of today's mosaic - all inspired by 'sashiko'.

1. Cherry Blossom Sashiko Square, 2. 9784277311711, 3. japanese quilt1, 4. the complete works, 5. made of stars, 6. half made of stars, 7. Golden Circles Table Runner, 8. modern sashiko kit complete, 9. Sashiko -Asagao-, 10. Block 3, 11. 9784277311711, 12. Sashiko a´la Diddi

Pretty cool huh? You can click on the credits for the photographer's Flickr page. Such a skill with the camera. That kind of body art is just divine. I can imagine not getting bored looking at that for the next eleventy years. Although of course as a woman I can expect my body to do more waxing and waning than a man, especially within the next decade.

My love of sashiko took a bit of a blow this morning. I was ready half an hour early so decided to mellow out with some stitching. A new pattern arrived yesterday so I was all set when I found I Could Not Find The Sashiko Thread That Was There Yesterday. Grrr. I may have to use normal embroidery cotton which I dare say will be ok but it's not the same and will give a different look to the end result. But then considering I still haven't worked out what to do with any of my finished panels that's not such a big concern. It's definitely more 'process' than 'product' round here.

Tutorial Tuesday - on a Wednesday

One of the things I like best about Ravelry is the 'Friend Activity' page. To reach it you log in, click on 'friends' in the 'my notebook' menu, and then click on the 'friend activity' tab.

I have this as my ravelry bookmark page so it is the first one I look at each and every time I log in. It is fascinating to see what my Ravelry Friends are knitting, favouriting, queueing and commenting on. Often I'll see someone queue or favourite something and then see mutual friends do the same until almost the whole screen is made up of one pattern. These are the 'must make' patterns of the moment and often are just transient. However, some of them stick and become the pattern giants of the knitting and crochet world.

While cruising the forums I saw a thread where a knitter had asked how to find a list of all the most popular patterns. Someone had kindly responded with not just one, but three lists! Each subtly different.

In the following descriptions if you click on the links you'll be taken to Ravelry to the results of the search itself. These lists depend on Ravelry users so may have changed between me posting this and you looking at them.

The first search was for 'Most Popular'.

Looking at the top 8 (since my screen is displaying 4 in a row) we have...
1. Ishbel by Ysolda Teague (shawl)
2. Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann (baby cardigan)
3. Fetching by Cheryl Niamath (gloves)
4. February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne (cardigan)
5. Monkey by Cookie A (socks)
6. Clapotis by Kate Gilbert (shawl/scarf)
7. Calorimetry by Kathryn Schoendorf (head band)
8. Turn a Square by Jared Flood (hat)


The second search is for 'Most Projects'.

Again, let's look at the top 8.
1. Clapotis by Kate Gilbert (shawl/scarf)
2. Fetching by Cheryl Niamath (gloves)
3. Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann (baby cardigan)
4. Monkey by Cookie A (socks)
5. Calorimetry by Kathryn Schoendorf (head band)
6. February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne (cardigan)
7. Saartje's Booties by Saartje de Bruijn (baby booties)
8. Jaywalker by Grumperina (socks)

Probably no surprise that 6 of the 'most popular' are also in the 'most projects' list.

Lastly, we have the 'Most Favourites'.

Top 8 time.
1. February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne (cardigan)
2. Saartje's Booties by Saartje de Bruijn (baby booties)
3. Star Crossed Slouchy Beret by Natalie Larson (hat)
4. Owls by Kate Davies (Jumper)
5. French Press Felted Slippers by Melynda Bernardi
6. Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery
7. Shalom Cardigan by Meghan McFarlane
8. Travelling Woman by Liz Abinante (shawl)

Here we see only two cross-overs from the previous lists.

"So what?" I hear you ask.

Well, anyone noticed the names appearing in these lists? Or rather, noticed the names that are not appearing? I know I've only arbitrarily taken the top 8 but there is no Norah Gaughan, no Ann Budd, no Kaffe Fassett, no Debbie Bliss. In fact no mainstream names other than Elizabeth Zimmermann. Jared Flood and Ysolde Teague are certainly big news in the knitting world but still relative newcomers and might not be on most people's lists of the top knitting designers in the world. And yet....these lists show whose patterns knitters are really enjoying. Which ones they like and which ones they come back to time and again.

And for me that is a very interesting thing.

Book Review - Knitting Green

I am lucky enough to have been given two copies of this book and so am giving one copy away to the winner of this competition.

This is an Ann Budd book, which in itself is a pretty good indication that this will make a useful addition to your knitting library. Her book "The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns" is my go-to book for projects and in fact I've got two on the needles at the moment using patterns from that book. This book is not quite in the same league, in that it has 20 patterns with set sizes, but it has the same straight forward layout you can expect from her books.

Knitting Green follows a now familiar format of interspersing knitting patterns with short essays on topics relevant to the book's theme. I doubt whether anyone has ever bought a knitting book for the essays, but they're well written and interesting to dip into. The patterns are an interesting variety of scarves, shawls, socks, accessories and tops with a skirt and a hat thrown in for luck. There is a lot of worsted and chunky in evidence although there is a fingering weight shawl and jumper. Each of the patterns has an eco-mum type name like "Tree-Hugger Pullover" or "Back to Nature Hat" or even the "Save the Streams Slippers". Photos are very good - showing all those details knitters want rather than Vogue-esque arty shots. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry here.

All-in-all the book is very much visual comfort eating with nothing scary, challenging or too on-trend. It's the sort of book where you really enjoy looking through it and can instantly spot at least three things you could cast on straight away.

So...to get your hands on this lovely book just leave a comment on this post giving your "go to" knitting, crochet or crafting book. All comments posted before 11.30pm UK time on Sunday 5th Sept will enter the random draw!

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One Week's Crafting

I had two days leave this week so managed to achieve more than a little crafty output. Still buzzed from the Festival of Quilts (reviews here and here) I washed all my fabric (to prevent surprise through later shrinkage) and got on with my nephew's stocking. I know it's early but I wanted to get on with it while I was in the zone.

I am pretty happy with it! I cut fabric strips and sewed them together, sewed them into a tube, cut the tube into strips and then resewed it together, then cut out the stocking shapes and lined them before assembling the whole thing. I can do a tutorial if anyone's interested!

I wanted to personalise it so here is a close up of the top.

It's a bit subtle (i.e. hard to see) but I think that works ok. It's not like it needs to be identified at a great distance.

I finished off the sashiko sample piece from the class I did:

And then very quickly got stuck into the one I had bought from EuroJapan Links.

Yep, finished that too. I *love* sashiko. I met up with Nickerjac to discuss SkipNorth (more of that later) this week and said to her that with knitting, unless it is something fiendish, I do it without needing to look at what I'm doing most of the time. Whereas with this, each stitch has to be carefully placed and you have to think about what you are doing.

Which means it is great for those theta brain waves that are such balm to the mind. I have added a page of sashiko resources to this blog (since I was gathering them for myself I thought I might as well share) and am feverishly keen to draw up another one to stitch.

Meanwhile I was reminded of something I had been meaning to try for a while - jewellery from magazine pages. I used this tutorial and got to it.

They're not exactly perfect, but not bad for a first try. It also gave me a chance to get handy with my mighty glue gun. Especially on the backs where I added findings.

I'm not sure yet whether to make a bracelet or a necklace. I'll wait for inspiration to strike.

My lack of sashiko to stitch meant I was able to make myself finally get on with my mater's cardigan (the one mentioned in my last podcast). I drew up the neck chart, taking into the decreases for the yoke, and have got on with it.

I think it's looking rather nice and I should be able to finish the main knitting and cut the steek before I next see her, in time for a fitting!

Then just to end the week on a high, the final parcel from my SecretPal arrived. She had been waiting for some specially ordered yarn to arrive - and it was definitely worth the wait! Here are the goods.

It is that beautiful yarn in the middle that was so worth the wait, although I also love the colours of the sock yarn too. The special one is a rare Kainuu Gray wool. A little research reveals that Kainuu is a region of Finland and also borders Russia. It is 95% forest which I guess it good sheep country as the yarn is lovely. Light but warm with a lovely bloom, and the colour is just wonderful! Straight away I started thinking about a neck warmer like this one or this one (both Ravelry links). I couldn't resist trying it out against my skin tone.

Although I now realise that picture makes me look naked, I was actually wearing a vest type top!

Now I mentioned earlier in this post that Nic and I had been conspiring about SkipNorth, and so we have. It will be from 11-13 March 2011 in Haworth (the same delightful bit of Yorkshire we've been to in the past) and will be awesome. We've got some new places to visit this time, including Texere who are opening especially for us. So, it's obviously time for a ticker to countdown the days!

You can stay in touch with developments using the Yahoo Group, Ravelry Group or on Twitter.

This Week in London

Crazy clouds over Surrey Quays. 

Or possibly the exhaust trail from a UFO who'd just been to Tesco. Although Monday before 8am (when this was taken) is one of the only times it is ever closed. And so the aliens would have had to queue up with everyone else who inevitably gets there thinking it is one of the 'open all night' days and then stands around outside trying to look like they aren't queuing for Tesco. In which case the UFO people probably just left in a huff and went to Costcutter.

Bats in the rosebush.

(I swear I did not put this there. I checked and two days later it is still there.)

Eighties knitwear I wasn't expecting to see again, but am quite pleased about. Cat jumper here I come.

(Currently available from your local River Island.)

Why leave it at just one unlikely knitwear item. 

(Also in River Island - never rains but it pours.)

Man carrying a tree wrapped in dustbin bags on the tube. 

Trees leaning, leaning, leaning....

Do they grow like that or has the soil shifted?

Festival of Quilts Part 2

Part 1 on Monday was about the exhibition. Part 2 is more about.....the SHOPPING!

This is all the fabric I bought. 

There were a couple of groups. The first was cats. It's just a weakness I have. No photo of those in particular. The second is for fruity goodness. 

I got a metre if that cherry one. Would love to do a skirt but would need to line it as it's a bit thin. Which reminds me. Why wear a sheer white skirt with dark thong? I can think why you would do that. But I can't help thinking that you're under a misapprehension about what looks....lookable. Unless I'm wrong. I must ask Pooch. Anyway. 

Then there were japanese ones. 

And Christmas ones (for little nephew's stocking).

And then random ones.

This group includes a bolt-end piece I saw in a bargain basket. It's called 'dysfunctional family' and I knew I had to have it when I saw this panel.

Perfect!

I also got three feet for my sewing machine. 

One is for the machine embroidery course I'm doing in a few weeks at Make Lounge. The others will be demonstrated in coming weeks. And lastly I got two kits - one for a wire bracelet, which is genius in its simplicity. And another for Sashiko. 

I did a Sashiko workshop at the Festival which was pretty cool. Although it does strike me that this was another of those 'channelling your inner 17-year-old' moments where I could have just got on with it. I need to think about what else this might be stopping me from doing. But having said that, the teacher was very good and went into the whys and wherefores and I am looking forward to finishing my sample in the next week and starting the one I have bought. 

So yes, a very good weekend for me. And I will definitely be back next year!

Tutorial Tuesday - F is for Freddie

I posted this teaser pic about 5 weeks ago. I can now reveal it was.....

A very special cushion for my sister's birthday. She is somewhat hippo crazy and so when I saw the fabric at Ikea in the spring I knew it had to become something for her. Adding the initial was very easy. I got hold of some double sided fusible webbing - the type of thing which you use to hem trousers without sewing. You can buy sheets of it here (scroll down - no affiliation). If you didn't buy sheets of it you'd just need to be a bit more cretive with the trouser stuff but it would still work.

I played around with some fonts first to get an F I liked but then just ended up drawing one freehand. I cut the webbing (which has paper on both sides) to the right shape and ironed it onto my dotty fabric. I then cut the fabric to the right shape around it and ironed it onto the hippo fabric. I think that would hold it without the need for sewing but for neatness I went round the edge with a small zigzag stitch in a suitable colour.

The cushion pad comes out thanks to some plain yet yummy buttons on the back.

I admit I was pretty chuffed with this one.

Did I stop there? Never. One of the gorgeous tutorials I've been gethering on this page (also in top menu bar) was calling to me....bunting.

Is there anything as cheerful as bunting? And it was very easy to do. I literally just followed this tutorial. Except I used a piece of ribbon instead of bias binding.

I really want to make some for me!