Well, this isn’t fair! After the grocery store this morning, Mom and I stopped at the bookstore … you should be proud of me, I resisted all temptation. But that’s not the point. I know this is a blurry picture (I didn’t want to use my flash in the store), but see that book on the top shelf? It’s the Yarn Harlot’s newest book (Free-range knitter). The one I’ve had pre-ordered at Amazon for MONTHS. And that they tell me STILL isn’t available to be shipped.

Um, but clearly the book is in PRINT though, since I held a commercially-available copy in my HAND!

Sigh. I know. I could have bought this copy at Barnes & Noble and come home to cancel the Amazon order, but … it’s cheaper on Amazon, has free shipping, and no sales tax.

Oh, but the book next to it on the shelf? AlterKnits Felt? I was surprisingly impressed with it. I don’t usually stop to really think about things I could felt my knitting into, but this had some really nice things. Of all the books I flipped through while I was there, this was the one that I liked the best. I know. It surprised me, too.

Doing a quick flip-through of the knitting section was fun, too.A chance to actually look at some of the recent books that I’ve heard about but can’t afford to buy! Some, like the Felt book, I was impressed with, and some I was just as glad I didn’t squeeze into the budget (grin).

Oh, but speaking of books, I got another review copy today.  Strip and Knit with Style, due out in October. It came just as we were trying to wash the floors (apparently my beloved Scooba is dead, and it’s too expensive to replace), so I haven’t had a chance to really dig into it, but it looks intriguing!

So, otherwise? On my day off? Well, it’s been a wet, wet day, but since I wasn’t going to work, and I woke up with Chappy giving me kisses, it certainly could have been worse. Mom and I went out for some coffee–pretending it was Saturday–went to the grocery store, stopped at the bookstore, and then came home to roast a turkey and clean the floors for Sunday. I also pulled out the knitting odds and ends that I have to do.

Not only do I have the final weaving-in-of-ends for Ingenue, but I’ve got a few socks I need to do that for. I still haven’t settled on a closure for my hood, for example. But those are minor things–a few minutes with a needle, and they’ll be done.

No, the problems are those other two sweaters of mine. The Flutter-Sleeve Cardigan, for example. It looks great lying flat, but my gauge (surprise, surprise) was so loose, it’s unwearable–especially with the problematic button bands. The way the pattern is written, you knit them independently until they are the same length as the front of the sweater … which sounds easy, but you know as well as I that the front edges of cardigans are stretchy. As in, they grow, dramatically. I ran into problems first, anyway, because my two button bands ended up different lengths. (Would it really have killed the author to state a specific length?) But, anyway, the sweater is unwearable as it is.

The correct way to fix it would be to completely tear out the button bands and reknit them–but at this point, they’re sewn into the shoulder seam, which means I’d need to take that apart to fix it. AND the sweater has just been sitting since March, and well, I hate mending. (We discussed this the other day.) So I’m not really inclined to pull it apart, you know? Even if that means fixing it and being able to wear it. The option I’m considering, though, is washing it and then (carefully) putting it in the dryer … it’s the lazy knitter’s way of fixing a sweater that’s too large, and it might not even solve the problem … but I don’t honestly see me doing it the correct way … and there’s still no guarantee the sweater would fit anyway.

The other problem sweater? That would be Autumn Rose. You remember the trouble I was having with her, right? And how odd the sleeves and armholes ended up? Yeah, the sad part is that that sweater has so much RIGHT going for it, and yet it’s still unwearable. It basically comes down to two possibilities. Okay, three. (1) Leave it in the closet where it’s been for the last year. (2) Repurpose it into something else altogether like a bag or a pillow or a hat … something that doesn’t have to FIT. Or (3) lop off the sleeves and try turning it into a vest.

Yep. Mending and fixing. Hate them!

Oh–one more word about books. Did you know that Knitpicks is having a holiday sale for 40% off ALL their books?? Nope. Even with the ongoing family money crisis, I couldn’t resist … I mean, I need something to review for Knitting Scholar, right??

Tags: General, knitting book review, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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How cool is this? My very own business cards! Black, with the logo on the front; white with my knitting-stitch icon on the back. They look just fabulous, don’t you think?

Although, in retrospect, I should have made the composition book with “Reviews of Knitting Books” a bit larger–it’s a little hard to read. But, hey, they’re fancy-schmancy business cards that I designed myself, so … no complaints! (And, can you tell I’ve been having WAY too much fun with that little cap?)

Speaking of Knitting Scholar, I got a mention in Ivy’s Knit Spirit podcast, which is also cool.

Oh, and also–my review of Nancie Wiseman’s “Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques” is up. Next review coming? Elizabeth Zimmerman’s classic, “Knitting Around.” Also coming up? Casual Elegant Knits: Classy Designs for Men and Women. I’m even getting a review copy for it, which is fantastic because this way I get to SEE the book I wouldn’t otherwise have gotten. (In fact, the author is in the middle of a blog tour this week, and today is at Fitter Knitter.)

How does one GET on a blog tour, anyway?

Additionally, guess what else I did? I signed up for advertising space on Ravelry. I looked into Knitty‘s advertising, but it was hundreds of dollars, and I asked for rates for Knitter’s Review and haven’t heard yet. Ravelry, though? Something like $10 a month, depending on where the ad goes. So–to help spread the word, that seemed pretty reasonable.

In fact, it seemed SO reasonable, I signed up for TWO ads.

Because–why not? It’s the beginning of September–plenty of time to get a Tannenbaum hat knit in time for the holidays, right? If I sell two patterns it will more than pay for the cost of the ad, and if it doesn’t? Well, I tried!

Okay, so … other stuff. It’s raining, because Hanna came to town. They had been forecasting rain due to start in the early morning hours, but as it turned out, it didn’t start raining here until after 3:00 in the afternoon. Which meant that Mom and I were able to go out for coffee for the first time in weeks without getting drenched. And Kim, who was handing out flyers this morning (announcing a meeting to protest the NJ Transit cutbacks at Mt. Tabor), didn’t get soaked doing her good deed, either.

But, other than reading and doing computer things, and listening to the pounding rain this afternoon–the first real rain we’ve had in weeks, so no complaints–it’s been a quiet day. Chappy is thrilled because he’s had his family home practically all day, and had LOTS of pets, scratches, and other outward signs of adoration. (Well-deserved, of course.)

Oh, and I got a comment on yesterday’s post by another Chappysmom. A woman with a Leonberger dog named Chappy who came across my blog when she googled his name. (It’s so nice to know I’m not the only person who does that.) Hi, Judi! Hope your Chappy is as happy as my Chappy!

I wandered around the yard last night with my camera. It’s amazing how many tree leaves have started to turn already, since it HAS been so dry.

Tags: General, knitting book review by --Deb
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Look! Pictures of actual knitting. Knitting that’s bigger than just a sock or a string bag! (I know, I’m giddy, too.)

This is the neckband of my Ingenue sweater. The neck will be this lovely, mild brown, and the rest of the sweater will be that dusty blue that I love so well.

It’s been a pretty quiet day, here at Chappy’s house. We were all still tired from our busy (but fun) family weekend. And Mom DID insist on scrubbing the dining room rug again, even though Dad and I both said we really didn’t see any stain left. Or, at least, not enough to warrant that much more work! As it is, I’ve spent most of the day upstairs in my room instead of in the dining room to avoid the cleanser fumes.

What about this picture of gorgeous Chappy, though, huh? He was lying in the sunspot and I looked at him and said, “Oh, you look so handsome. Please just let me take your picture,” as I reached for the camera. Well, he DID. He actually posed for the camera for exactly as long as it took for me to snap one picture–then he hopped up and came over and gave me a kiss, as if to say, “There you go, Mom. I love you.”

Isn’t he a nice boy? Of course, he’s been teasing Mom all day. First, he gave her the “You’re invisible and I can’t see you” treatment while he ran around the house saying good morning. Don’t ask me why, but he does this almost every weekend–he’ll look right past her to go running to Dad, even if she’s calling his name. Then, while she was getting dressed, he stole the slipper out of her closet–right in front of her. He carried it downstairs to his favorite “I’ve got a trophy” spot in the dining room, and then went back and stole the second one! The sneak!

But, otherwise? Quiet, with beautiful weather. We four did go out for a walk around the block around 1:30, but mostly stayed in one place.

I did order some business cards for Knitting Scholar, because it’s something I’d like to be able to promote. I thought about Moo cards–which I really do love–but since I could get more business cards for less money, I opted for the standard size. (And, no, that didn’t really make sense to me, either. I wonder why bigger is cheaper?) I wonder how you get on those “Blog Tour” lists that publisher’s do when a new book comes out? I don’t exactly have a big readership (yet?), but am getting some decent page-view statistics for a blog that’s only a week old.

Does anybody have ideas of how to boost my Knitting Scholar readership? I’m really hoping that this blog takes off, and am hoping that it pays for itself–and bringing in some extra money would be great. (Again, money things here are scary scary scary. We all really love our house, you know?)

Oh–and my review of Vogue Knitting–you know, the big reference book–is up over at Knitting Scholar, with great thanks to Kim who lent me her more-current version so that I could compare my old, 1989 edition to what’s on the shelves today. (And, really? Barely any difference at all. Except for the actual patterns at the back of the book, I’m at a loss to say what, exactly was “Updated!” in the newer edition.) Anyway, the review is up, so do feel free to head over and take a look.

Tags: General, knitting book review, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
5 Comments »

There’s a new review up at Knitting Scholar–

Title: KnitKnit: Profiles from Knitting’s New Wave

Author: Sabrina Gschwandtner (founder of KnitKnit magazine).

Tags: knitting book review by --Deb
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Ooh, wasn’t the sky pretty this morning! I stopped the car at an intersection just to take these pictures–to the amusement of a man walking his dog–and no, there weren’t any other cars in sight. Do you see the little piece of rainbow in there? Right in the middle? So, so pretty!

And then, when I was leaving work, I saw these… Am I the only one who sees the southwest of Great Britain? Cornwall down at the bottom, and Wales coming off the side?

Um, only me, huh? Well, that’s okay–it’s still pretty!

So, thank you for your kind words for Knitting Scholar. The tricky part, at this point? (You know, other than going through my 150 or so books to write reviews for them?) The tricky part is getting my hands on the books that I DON’T OWN. I might be able to find some at the library, but you know as well as I do that their knitting section isn’t usually as, um, current as one would like. And it’s not like I can hang out at a yarn shop with my camera, taking pictures of their books! I honestly think this is going to be the hardest part (grin).

Today’s review, by the way? Knit So Fine by Lisa R. Myers, Laura Grutzeck, and Carol Sulcoski

The self-professed aim for this book, as stated by the authors: “Skinny yarns get a really bad rap. Knitters have somehow gotten the idea that they’re slow, fussy, or old-fashioned. We’re here to prove otherwise. Thin yarns offer a world of possibilities; in fact, they can do anything a thick yarn can do and more–and often, they do it better.” Well! As a fan of not-chunky yarns myself, this is definitely an objective I can get behind!

Tags: knitting book review, Sky by --Deb
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First, the facts:

Title: Custom Knits

Author: Wendy Bernard (aka the brain behind Knit and Tonic).

Published by: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang, 2008

Pages: 167

Type: Primarily Patterns, but with some how-to for Design as well.

Chapters:

1. Understanding Your Style, Size and fit So You can Make Sweaters You Love to Wear
2. Top-Down Raglan Sweaters
3. Top-Down Set-in Sleeve Sweaters
4. Round Yoke Sweaters
5. Designs on the Fly
6. Unleash Your Inner Designer: Elements to Alter and Starting from Scratch

Pattern Size Range: XSmall (29″) to 3XLarge (53″)

First Reaction: Nice, classy designs.

The In-Depth Look:

The first chapter is about figuring out what styles work best for you. It discusses things to consider, like yarn, body shape, and ease (how tight the fit is). There are even instructions on making your own dress form with an old t-shir, some plastic wrap, and duct tape. (You may have seen instructions for these online, but it never hurts to have it handy.)

I particularly liked the “Reality Checklist”–a reminder list of things to keep in mind when choosing a sweater. Things like “Does this style fit into my lifestyle?” “Do I look good in this weight of yarn?” “Is the yarn called for available/affordable?” And, my favorite, “Will I be forced to buy new shoes to go with it? (The preferred answer is yes.)” This list is helpful and brought up a couple points that I have to admit I haven’t thought of before making some sweaters, but wish I had.

Once past the beginning, most of the book is patterns. Specifically, sweater patterns. Of the 26 patterns I counted, only three were for items that are not women’s sweaters. (The others were a cape/poncho, a beret, and a wrap–and, no, there are no patterns for men or children.) All the sweaters are knit in one piece, most of them from the top down, which is by far one of my favorite methods–it makes it so much easier to try on for size, not to mention not needing seaming later.

Every pattern in the book comes with a schematic. This is almost de rigeur for knitting these days, but still, not every book has them. This one does, though, and they are helpful.

One of my favorite things is that each design comes with suggestions for things you can do to personalize it. Suggestions for lengthening, or eliminating sleeves. Making cardigans into pullovers. Turning a tank top into a skirt… Which is particularly helpful because, I’ll admit, that last one is not something I would have thought of myself, but judging by the photo, it certainly works.

And, the designs themselves? I think they’re lovely. In fact, there’s not a single one that I didn’t like, even if I’m not itching to pick up my needles and knit every single one of them. The Updated Old Classic (the cover sweater) is a nice, yoked sweater, but more streamlined than the traditional version, with a plunging neckline closed with lacing. Ingenue is a simple sweater suited to a beginner, and yet it looks interesting and eminently wearable with its wide neck and wide, patterned borders. Skinny Empire is a fine-gauge, empire-waisted sweater with a subtle ruffle around its U-neck. I love the varying lenghts to the ribs of Slinky Ribs, too–and actually like both its short and long-sleeved versions.

The final chapter is one of my favorites. It’s titled “Unleash Your Inner Designer” and then breaks down the structure of the different top-down designs … what you need to do a raglan for top down, what you do to do a set-in sleeve from top down–all the math and the schematics necessary. Not to mention a very nice section of instructions on what to do to change a neckline, or the depth of an armhole, to make a design more personal.

This, I think, is my favorite part of this book–that it not only has nice designs, but that the author thoughtfully spells out what you need to do to make the sweaters more “you.” She gives you good designs, and then gives you the tools you need to take them to another level–tacit permission to PLAY, instead of trying to make sure you never vary from the designs she gave you.

Okay, so … what isn’t perfect? My biggest gripe is that there’s no listing of all the patterns, and no index, so finding a pattern that you saw earlier is tricky. All you have to go by is that each chapter is divided by pattern type. How hard would it have been to have added an index?

There also is no difficulty rating for the patterns, so unless the description says something like, “This pattern is perfect for a beginner,” the only way I see to tell is to read the actual pattern. This doesn’t bother me particularly because I’m not afraid of challenging patterns, but if you really want to stay in your comfort zone, a little extra guidance wouldn’t have hurt. Though, that said, none of them look impossibly difficult to me, though the top-down, one-piece construction may well be unfamiliar to a lot of knitters. But, hey, my feeling is that it’s never a bad thing to try something new, huh?

As a rule, the pictures are good ones–they are attractive, well-lit, and easy to see, and there isn’t any obvious signs of trying to hide flaws with slouched models holding large bouquets in ‘artistically-lit’ corners. Some designs are only shown from the front, or side, but not the back, but I’m trying not to read anything into that–as knitwear photography goes, these pictures strike me as playing fair.

Overall? I’d say this one is a keeper. Well worth the $18.15 over at Amazon.

Did you like this review? Then head over to my brand new, Knitting Book Review blog,
Knitting Scholar!

Tags: knitting book review, Reading by --Deb
11 Comments »

I thought you’d like to see a knitting update.

First, here are my Ribby sleeves–about 16 rows from being finished, assuming the yarn doesn’t run out. You can see how much I’ve got left . . . I THINK it might be enough, but it’s going to be close. At this point, if I run out of the brown, I’ll just finish the last few rows in the blue I used for the body. Since the neckband will be blue, if the color “spreads” into the very, tippy-top of the sleeve caps, well . . . I’ll just deal. I’d rather do that than have to wind another ball just for that little bit of knitting.

(And, no, don’t ask me what I’ll do about yarn for seaming the sleeves.)

Actually, speaking of the body, I realized something when I was reading through the sleeve pattern the other day. I’d forgotten that I needed to knit edgings onto the front of the cardigan . . . and I’ve already basted in the zipper. Oops! My inclination, though, is that I don’t think it will matter (much). The front edges have a little, stylish ribbing anyway, and then of course, they’re closed with a zipper, so it’s not like curling is going to be a problem. I think I can safely leave it this way and the finished sweater will look just fine. Only I (and, well, you) will ever know.

And then, the cuff of my first Autumn Rose sleeve. Obviously, it’s not very far along yet, but, well, you know how corrugated ribbing can be! And then, the tighter circles make the two-color yarn thing a little more unwieldy. It seems like I’m forever dropping at least one of the colors to slide the sleeve along the needle. (And, no, DPNs would NOT be easier.) It’s just been a while since I did small-circumference two-color knitting, is all.

I wouldn’t want any of you to go into Chappy-withdrawal, either, so here’s a picture of him, hoping somebody will come and play . . . There’s just something so sweet about him bringing his toy up on the chair with him, but you add in the politely folded paws and the chin resting on the arm . . . “Nobody’s EVER going to come play!” . . . Well! Just too cute.

And yes, I did, in fact, try to play with him, but as soon as I headed over, he picked up his frisbee and wouldn’t let go. I could have ordered him to, and he would have, but in this case? Why? It’s his toy, after all, and if he didn’t really want me to throw it for him, that’s his perogative, right? And, anyway, I did get one or two throws in when I got home from work. (For the record, this is a house-friendly flying disk–nice and soft–it’s one of the reasons Chappy loves it so much. My favorite way of throwing it for him? Rolling it on its side like a wheel–it bounces nicely and does fun, unexpected turns that way–AND stays low and away from breakable things on furniture. Just sayin’.)

Do you have “issues” with too much profanity or overly explicit
(ahem) “romantic” scenes in books? Or do you take them in stride? Have
issues like these ever caused you to close a book? Or do you go looking
for more exactly like them? (grin)

Well, sort of. I don’t think I’m a prude, and yet there are things that I don’t think need to be in my reading material. I really never do swear (maybe one “damn” in a year, and that’s honestly as strong as it ever gets), and therefore don’t see the need for excessive swearing in the books I read. Some bad language is workable, but yes, there have been books I’ve put down due to too much. I don’t care how “real” it is, too much use of certain four-letter adjectives (or any, for that matter) is just lazy writing, in my opinion. And then, love scenes? Same thing. I can enjoy a nice love scene as much as the next person, but I have an imagination, I really don’t need or want everything spelled out for me, thank you. Because, really, I just want the STORY, not the gratuitous distractions…. (grin)

Tags: knitting book review, Knitting/Spinning, Reading by Deb
5 Comments »

My copy of Inspired Fair Isle Knits by Fiona Ellis came today. I’ve looked forward to this book for months since I liked her Inspired Cable Knits so much, and now it’s here?

Um. Let’s see. You know how your Mom taught you that old saw, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all?”

Well . . . that scarf on the cover is really lovely. . . . There’s a pretty pillow in there, not that I knit pillows. . . . The writing is pleasant, and the little blurbs about different folk tales and legends, scattered through each section of the “elements” (Water, Air, Fire, Earth) are enjoyable . . .

But, um, the rest? Well, you’re not going to be hearing any paeans of joy like you did when the Cable book came out.

How do you politely say that there wasn’t a single thing in there I really liked? I mean, there’s a nice enough tank top, but I never wear tank tops, so that’s useless to me. The “Sway” cardigan is about the only thing I remotely liked, but still wouldn’t consider making it. There are a couple cute kid knits (but, really, put a cute kid in a handknit and you’ve got a good chance at a winner, and it doesn’t hurt that the one kids’ cardigan is the one most “classic” in design). But then there are a disproportionate number of patterns that I found downright ugly, though I will say the color combinations, as a rule, are nicely put together.

I’m all for creative uses of knitting techniques, and using a fair isle stripe in an unexpected place isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, as much as I love knitting tradition, it’s good to break out into something new, to stretch the boundaries. Eunny Jang’s Autumn Rose sweater certainly isn’t a traditional fair isle design, and yet it honors the tradition–it chooses the more fitted shape, the 3/4 sleeves, the scoop neckline as ways of updating the boxy gansey shape. The sweaters here, though, seem more slapdash, thrown together. Fair isle pockets on an otherwise stockinette sweater, but which only manage to look like afterthoughts. Wildly untraditional color motifs undulating up a sleeve or across a sweater that don’t do anybody any justice–the designer, the sweater, the knitter or the wearer. Sweaters that are half fair isle and half cabled, so that the two halves seem to be competing rather than working harmoniously together. Wide panels of fair isle weighing down an otherwise light, lacy shawl for no reason I can fathom. And then, the photography, while good enough and artistic enough in some ways, is aggravating in others–You get nice detail of, say, the stitch motifs but not of the whole sweater. Is the model standing sideways/hunched over/arms folded because it was the whim of the moment, or because the photos are trying to hide something?

Ultimately, for a book that uses the four, natural “elements” as inspiration, there are a lot of nasty weather systems going on in here, knocking the roofs off the fair isle tradition rather than freshening the air with a good, stiff breeze. In other words, this review comes down to one word: Disappointing. Such a let down. To me, anyway.

Tags: knitting book review, Uncategorized by Deb
24 Comments »

I really need to work on my foreign language skills.

Because I just got this lovely delivery of Japanese knitting books.

A book of 300 knitting stitches.

A book of autumn/winter patterns.

A lovely book of lace patterns, because I saw it on Fleegle’s blog, when she compared it to Lace Style.

And, an extra bonus, a very helpful guide on reading the patterns.

Now, Fleegle has a “how-to read Japanese patterns” also, which is really helpful. More than one, in fact. Not to mention this post with links to other sources–including that guide book you see above.

Here are a couple more for you, too.

The lace book has some really lovely patterns in it. Not least of which is this simply gorgeous shawl. Gorgeous. Beyond gorgeous.

I’m telling you, one of these days, I really need to buckle down and decipher this stuff . . . I can’t say that I love every Japanese pattern I’ve seen, but some, like this shawl? Wow.

Just, wow.

Tags: knitting book review, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
18 Comments »

Still not that much to really TALK about . . . knitting, spinning, going to work, reading books . . . all of that usual stuff.

But on the plus side, it finally feels like Spring. Low 70s. Sunny. Blue sky.

How nice was it? Well, Chappy not only got a walk today, he got TWO.

I even brought my camera to take a few pictures of two of the pretty trees in the neighborhood.

The first one? I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but I love that spray of fanning branches reaching upward. It looks lovely when it has leaves, mind you, but I think I like it best when you can see the framework.

The other is a magnolia tree, ready to burst into bloom. There are several magnolia trees in our neighborhood, but this one is right at a corner, so that you practically walk right underneath it . . . making stealing a photograph or three very handy (grin).

And then, look what I got in the mail today! A note and a consolation prize for Chappy’s adorable feet from Laura over at JenLa. Aren’t they cute? One of them was unfortunately broken in transit, but so what? They’re cute anyway, and really, considering Chappy didn’t actually win . . . who cares? Thank you, Laura!

Did you know the Interweave Knits Summer preview is up?

Did you see Indigo Muse’s “Project Hokie Hope” to support the VA Tech’s victim’s families?

I’m even more glad than ever that I cook Chappy’s food myself. I do use a food mix from Sojourner Farms (they make them for dogs and for cats, incidentally), but I trust their ingredients and know exactly what kind of meat and protein and extras my dog is eating. With the news lately, that makes me feel much better.

Please head over and wish Liz a happy birthday tomorrow, huh? She’s even giving out a prize!

And, look what came? My copy of “Teach Yourself Visually: Handspinning.” I’ve only flipped through it so far, but it looks like a fabulous resource–great, clear pictures of everything, lots of details, very thorough. At least, at first glance, you understand, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be disappointing, you know? It looks great.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Tags: Friends, General, knitting book review, Sky, Weather by Deb
9 Comments »