Posts Tagged ‘Book Review’

60 Quick Baby Knits

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

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Baby on the brain? We just got in a fantastic book to satisfy any baby knitting needs: 60 Quick Baby Knits in Cascade 220 Superwash. That’s pretty much everything I love in a baby knit in one fell swoop, a worsted weight yarn (18 stitches per 4 inches) and superwash! While I’m a big fan of handwashing my knitting (6 month old and all) it’s nice to give a mummy, or even your own babe, something that can take at least the punishment of a wash. And a worsted weight baby garment knits up so quickly too!

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My favorite thing about this book is the collection of vintagey items. Baby things can be trendy but there is something nice about a hand knit that will stand the test of time. The garter cardi is a great example of a timeless knit, the homey look of garter stitch coupled with a classic design.

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I’ve been really into fair isle lately (OK OK I’m pretty much always into fair isle) and there are 2 projects in this book that caught my eye, this pretty Christmas-esque sweater and the toques. The toques remind me of sledding on Burnaby mountain on Christmas morning with my brothers!

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We have a trunk show of all the Quick Knits so come and check them all out!

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Book Review: Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn

Monday, August 1st, 2011

With so many knitting books in the knitting world it’s hard to choose between them. There are some with lots of information, some with lots of pretty pictures, some with simple patterns, and some with harder patterns. There are books for sweaters, scarves, and socks and I’m starting to feel a bit like Dr. Seuss. It’s safe to say that if you want to learn to knit something, there’s probably a book for that. I thought I might share a book I quite enjoy, just in case you are looking for a good sock book.

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Escher Socks

Socks make a great traveling knit. One skein makes a whole pair and sock patterns are abundant. The same footish format is adaptable to any knitting style, if you like cables, texture, or lace, there are patterns in the world for you. The only trouble can be breaking your double pointed needles (unless of course you magic loop) but I recommend something called a whip tube for that. It stores those thin pointy guys in a nice safe place and helps you to avoid having any stitches pop off, just ask the ladies at the shop and they’ll be happy to show you what I mean.

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Herringbone Socks

The book I recommend bringing along for the next car trip (or plane trip, or staycation) is Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Cariol Sulcoski. The name doesn’t do the the lovely patterns inside justice. The book is filled with sock patterns that I think anyone would wear proudly. There is also some great information on how to choose your handpainted yarn best suited to your sock pattern. If you are looking for pooling or avoiding it, debating stripes or a simpler kettle dye, this book will help you decide how best to pair your yarn and project. As for patterns my personal faves are the Herringbone Socks (which I’m working on now), the Escher Socks, and the Spot Check Socks. There are so many great sock yarns in the shop, including some fantastic local dyers, pick some up with this book before you next hit the dusty trail!

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Spot Check Socks

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