A few months ago I finished a cowl for a good friend of mine who had given me some yarn for this project years ago. The cowl was inspired by George R. R. Martin's children of the forest. It features tree branches or loops of root which might be eyes. I knit it flat. Then instead of sewing it together I sewed buttons on it. That way Melanie could put it on without messing up her hair (see below). It also makes the cowl versatile and able to be worn several different ways, shown below. She loves it!
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Faux Taxidermy Knits by Louise Walker, photography by F&W Media International, pub. David & Charles, 2014. Louise Walker is most famous for her taxidermy-look knitting and knitted wigs. I can't find any of her wigs written up in pattern form, but 15 of her wild animal knit designs are collected in this book. I'm going to diverge from my usual review method to talk about the photos first. The F&W Media team did an extraordinary job creating and photographing sets for this book. Louise does her own modeling when required, and hits just the right note, from vintage heiress to explorer-who-has-just-encountered-a-bear. The designs are uniformly cute, but everything comes in only one size. Most of the patterns involve quite a bit of sewing and liberal use of felt pieces for facial features. I don't mind the safety eyes so much as they lend a more realistic look to the pieces, but felt looks cheap to me. I prefer the look of yarn, even if a thinner weight yarn would have to be used to achieve the desired effect. The patterns are presented in a tiny but readable font. Huge charts are given to achieve the random patterns in the tiger stripes and crocodile skin. The "Materials" lists are thorough and might include unusual items such as pliers, florist's wire, or a pair of tights. The rabbit's foot calls for two yarns, but no directions are given as to when to use which. I assume they're both supposed to be used at the same time, but I can't find where in the book it says this. Since this is recommended as a good pattern to start with, the instructions should be especially clear. The hedgehog slippers look comfy, but I question the wisdom of chenille soles (not the most hard-wearing yarn). Also, the appealing texture of the hedgehog's back is made up of individually sewn picots. Yes. Every spike is hand-sewn. The bear coasters are adorable, but setting a glass or mug on a lump of knitting seems like a recipe for disaster. But they're very compelling, and Louise's tip to stuff each paw may help. There are some undefined abbreviations (p3c, k14b, etc.). I guess the letters refer to the color of the yarn, but I couldn't find where it specifies this and the colors are listed with capital letters, so it's a little confusing. The book contains some fetching designs. It provides an opportunity for adults to continue a stuffed animal fetish with relative dignity. (Hedgehog slippers are more dignified than bunny slippers, aren't they?) And no animals were harmed in its making. My issues with the instructions notwithstanding, Louise's humor and artistry shine throughout. Disclosure: Kangath reviewed this book from her personal library. No compensation was provided for this review. The opinions expressed in all Kangath's reviews are her own. Knitting Architecture by Tanis Gray, photography by Joe Hancock, pub. Interweave, 2013. This curated volume is a pattern book with "Get Inspired" sidebars accompanying each design. The sidebars include photographs and brief paragraphs describing the work of architecture evoked by that design. A lovely idea, I found myself wishing for more detail in the sidebars. It's impossible for me to knit all the patterns included in knitting books, but I learn from the information in them. Often this is technique-related learning, but sometimes it is tangential to knitting. This book had the potential to teach me about a new field, but merely gave me teasers. Not even appetizers---just their aroma. (Sadly, I don't know an appropriate architectural metaphor.) That said, the patterns really are beautiful. The first chapter, "Form Follows Function," includes both the stunning cover pattern (inspired by the Sydney Opera House) and my favorite pullover in the collection (inspired by the ceiling of King's College Chapel). Tanis says, "Similar to how structures need push and pull to help them move with the elements, we need our knitwear to be able to move with the push and pull of our bodies." This chapter also contains a tote, a pair of socks, the cardigan shown at right, and a really cool hat. I chose to picture the Gothic/Art Nouveau cardigan with all its bells and whistles (bobbles! dropped stitches!), but the hat is a real triumph. Designer Katharina Nopp describes her Fallingwater Hat as an attempt to realize "a sophisticated architectural and urban knit in a most simple, naive way." Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Fallingwater, it perfectly portrays the alternating flat roofs and even the flowing water of the mountain retreat.
The garments in this book are all for women (although the socks, mittens, and Pompidou Wrap could work for men). They are generously sized (from around 30" to 60"), and although the hat is offered in three sizes, both mitten patterns and the shrug come only in a single size. I realize colorwork and textural patterning can make sizing difficult, and that not everyone needs to be able to wear every piece. (Also that a mitten doesn't need to fit like a glove. For that matter, neither does a shrug!) But I think in most cases a little thought can accommodate an extra size or two without too much added pattern length. This is a good book if you like the designs. Take the snippets of architectural inspiration as prompts to discover more on your own, and you have a valuable resource. Disclosure: Kangath reviewed this book from her personal library. No compensation was provided for this review. The opinions expressed in all Kangath's reviews are her own. Swatching in the round on size 17 needles did indeed yield a fabric that was "just right." I may go down a needle size or two for the collar, saddles, and cuffs. They will be knit sideways and simultaneously connected to live stitches via k2togs. Using smaller needles will allow these edgings more room to "breathe" between rows. The edging is garter stitch on either side of a twisted slipped stitch. Sideways garter stitch is as stretchy as ribbing, so I won't need to add shaping with decreases even though the collar is fairly wide. I have a new design in the works: Barn Door Pullover. This saddle-shoulder sweater will feature the large X seen on many barn doors emblazoned on its front in traveling rib. The saddles, cuffs, and collar are a combination of seed stitch and twisted rib. After much deliberation, I chose Malabrigo Mecha for this design. It's a little weightier than I originally conceived for Barn Door, but it meets my requirements of color (Malabrigo rocks!) and responsibility (I try to feature fair-trade and/or organic yarns in my designs). For color choice, I narrowed it down to Archangel or Volcan. Archangel is a medley of eggplant and roasted carrot with all the intermediary shades plus occasional pale glimmers of cream and celery. Volcan is a melange of browns---chocolate, chestnut, caramel, and ginger. While both are beautiful, I've been longing to work with Archangel for a long time, so that's what I chose. Then came the choice of needle size. I decided to start with the needles I already owned: US sizes 9, 10 1/2, and 13 (5.5, 6.5, and 9 mm). Although lovely, none achieved the result I was after. I had been warned that Mecha was not as thick as many chunky yarns, and this proved true. So I doubled the yarn to see what would happen. Instantly the dimensionality improved. I bought some new needles and tried the motif in US sizes 15, 17, and 19 (10, 12, and 15 mm). As you can see, the smallest needles yield a rather firm result and the largest swatch is too loose. The middle size, while not quite Goldilocks-perfect, has potential. Since this yarn is hard to match from skein to skein even within the same dye lot, I will be knitting in the round. My gauge tends to be a little tighter in the round, so I imagine the middle swatch, which seems a tiny bit loose to me, will be just right in the final version. The next step is to knit a swatch in the round with the middle size needles. I say middle size, but for someone used to working with US sizes 000 - 2, these suckers are huge.
I get the feeling that once these preliminaries are sorted out, the sweater will fly off my needles! Kung Fu Knits by Elizabeth Green Musselman, illustrated by Ben Bender, pub. Cooperative Press, 2014. This charming book is a graphic novel(ette) with knitting patterns. Elizabeth, who also did the photography, offers 6 designs for active children: A gi in sizes 4 - 12 (jacket, pants, and belt), nunchucks, shurikens, and a shoulder bag to put them in. This book is done with typical Cooperative Press attention to detail: watermark dragon emblems on each pattern page and mini emblems by each page number. Patterns and schematics are very clear, and the illustrations are sweet. Elizabeth's son Liam is an adorable, I mean, indomitable model. In addition to the individual project yarn amounts, Elizabeth includes a list of how much yarn you would need to make all the projects in the book. Each project comes with an amusing subtitle and clever details. The Gi Jacket is a modified drop-shoulder wrap cardigan fastened with two i-cord ties. The zippered bag has a wide shoulder strap which goes all the way around the top of the bag. Each shuriken is knit in a single piece before stuffing, not as individual points and base. Anyone who has struggled to get a child to wear their hand knits will relate to the story at the beginning of the book---and the parodic cry "Now we must knit!" is sure to resonate through Ravelry. Disclosure: Kangath received a review copy of this book from the publisher. No other compensation was provided. The opinions expressed in all Kangath's reviews are her own. Dishcloth Diva Knits On! by Deb Buckingham, pub. Cooperative Press, 2013. The 15 designs in this book range from classic to divine. Some are straightforward combinations of knits and purls, while others include slipped stitches or cables or yarnovers to get the desired effect. All the projects are about 8" square, quick and easy, with memorizable stitch patterns. This is not to say they lack interest. I found several patterns I would like to knit up (for my husband, who does the dishes). We've been searching for years for a dishcloth that works and stays soft. I even tried my hand at knitting a couple. Recently my stepfather-in-law offered us some crocheted dishcloths that he didn't care for. They're wonderful, and it gives me hope that with the right pattern I could do better than my first attempts. Ethel looks like woven cloth but is actually made up of stitches slipped with the yarn held alternately to the front or the back of the work. It's attractive in its elegant simplicity. Lucille Bell, on the other hand, is a feisty pattern. The only two-color cloth in this collection, the slipped stitches and purl rows give it a "scrubby" texture. Deb does her own photography, and it comes out really well. The photos in this book are even better than the ones in her last book. The wooden countertop with stainless steel, tin, glass, and wicker in the backdrop are more to my taste than the orange plastic, and they tell a more romantic story. In addition to the patterns, this book contains a brief overview of the aspects of wool. Wool? Well, Deb's first book already covered cotton. Wool is definitely not recommended for dishcloths, but Deb had the idea of knitting dishcloths in wool and sewing them together to make a "lapghan" (a cross between a lap quilt and an afghan). She donated the completed lapghan to the Ronald McDonald House, and devoted a section of the book to this charity and its mission. At just under a page and a half, Elizabeth is the longest pattern in the book. (Most are less than a page long.) This pattern and a couple others would work well using charts, and there's enough blank space to accommodate them, but there are no charts in this book. Still, Deb says once you get going you'll be able to see where you're going without constantly referring to the instructions, and I think she's probably right. This is an excellent book with clever patterns at a good price. It does not cover the benefits of knitted dishcloths, or the properties of cotton. I know her first book covers the latter, and it just might cover the former as well. After I knit my dishcloth (I think I'll start with Nellie) I'll tell you what the advantages seem to be, how well it absorbs water, how scrubby it is, in short, how I like it. Or how my husband likes it. . . . Disclosure: Kangath received a review copy of this book from the publisher. No other compensation was provided. The opinions expressed in all Kangath's reviews are her own. I'm on my church's Bereavement Committee, and am frequently asked to contribute food for funerals. My specialty is cake, although I have been known to make lasagna or Spanish rice. Recently I've been asked to make salads, which is awkward for me. Salad fixings need to be fresh, and it can be difficult to squeeze in an unplanned shopping trip.
This time I was called in the early afternoon for a funeral the next morning. Since I was going to be teaching most of the rest of the day, there was literally no time to shop. I was given a choice between salad and casserole. Most of my casseroles involve cheese, and cheese is a limited commodity around here these days for budget reasons. I knew I had some macaroni and it occurred to me I didn't have to make a green salad. In fact, last time I made a cucumber salad. So I chose to make a salad. A thorough search of my pantry uncovered few suitable ingredients for macaroni salad. Most critically, we were completely out of olives. But on my way out of the pantry I tripped over a bag of potatoes. Ah, yes! I never make potato salad because the rest of my family hates it. We're not talking "will only eat it if I have to" or even "don't let it even touch any food on my plate," but rather a deep-seated revulsion of the kind I don't have the heart to describe. Because potato salad is one of my very favorite foods. I improvised this recipe, and saved out a serving for myself. Next time I'll make double the amount and eat an entire batch---maybe in one sitting. It was that good. Potato Salad 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes 1/2 pound carrots (3 or 4 medium) 2 ribs celery 2 boiled eggs 3/4 cup mayonnaise 3/4 cup sour cream 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 green onion (greens only---about 10" long each) Scrub potatoes and celery. Peel and slice carrots. Place whole potatoes in boiling water and cook for 12 - 15 minutes or until a fork goes through them easily. Remove with slotted spoon. Add carrots to boiling water (I used a steamer basket for easy removal) and boil for 5 minutes. Chop potatoes, celery, and eggs. Mix with the carrots in a large bowl. Stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, salt, paprika, and pepper. Pour over salad and mix. Chop green onions and stir gently to add. Enjoy! When Gwen told me she was going to be the Mad Hatter for Halloween, I took that as a cue to knit the top hat from Hat Couture. She looked good in it, too! Magpies, Homebodies, and Nomads by Cirilia Rose, photography by Jared Flood, pub. STC Craft, 2014. This a gem of a book contains 26 patterns, categorized by personality. Magpies collect shiny things, including small amounts of precious yarns. Homebodies quietly enjoy the comforts of home. And Nomads venture out into the world, seeking friendship and inspiration. Photographer Jared Flood portrays each personality in its own habitat. The Magpies flit along a wooded path, or wander on the beach. The Homebodies dwell amid potted plans and cooking utensils. And the Nomads take to the street. Each design is photographed from a number of different angles, with the care (and eye) of a fellow knitter. Sizing is fairly generous, with most sweaters sized to fit chests size 31 to 53, and one hat and a pair of slippers presented in 3 sizes. There's only one size for all the other accessories, which include a couple hats and a pair of mitts but are mostly scarves. Along with the patterns there are pages and pages of worthwhile information. Tips on color, styling, and yarn substitution. Advice on organization, packing, and shopping. Referrals to books and blogs outside the knitting circle. And many more useful tidbits given in Cirilia's good-natured, matter-of-fact tone. Even the pattern introductions can have hints of wisdom gleaned from Cirilia's experience with greats such as Norah Gaughan. The intro to the Tisane Tank talks about developing a design vocabulary and points out that Tisane is a fraternal twin to the Garance Camisole (both pictured below) from an earlier chapter. Much of Cirilia's work is not to my taste, but I absolutely adore her Isla Cardigan (cover photo and left), especially worn with the Marion Collar. The cardigan itself has several very sweet knitterly details such as slightly puffed sleeves, shoulder tabs, and a defined pleated ridge at the bustline. Reinterpreted from a thrift store find, it is a lovely piece on its own. But paired with the Marion Collar, it simultaneously evokes wilderness and elegance. If the cardigan is perfectly pleasing, the ensemble is thrilling. The collar is a knitted base worked in two extra soft yarns (lambswool and angora), with "lustrous, colorful, curly locks" pulled through afterwards using a crochet hook. Visit Weir Crafts or comb through Etsy to find the curly locks. Other designs which caught my eye are the Heima Slippers (above), the Coterie Cardigan, the Rainier Cowl, and the Raven Bag. The slippers look ultra-comfortable, and I love the way they are styled with tights that coordinate with the ribbon tie. The cardigan is a true double-breasted, military inspired piece. The cowl is a vegetarian take on fleece-lined suede. And who can resist a bag shaped like one of Odin's (or Poe's) iconic ravens? I also admire the Gezell Coat, shown at right. It solves the problem of pocket bulges by embracing them, incorporating them into its shape. And I love pockets. But I'm also developing a newfound affection for bobbles, which Gezell gratifies. The eyelets along the back seam make an interesting foil to the round buds at hem and cuffs. I was surprised, given the disparity of our tastes, at how similar Cirilia's thought processes are to mine. Her bibliography, including Teva Durham, Britt-Marie Christoffersson, and Maggie Righetti, looks very similar to my bookshelf. I recommend this charming book as a good read for any designer, knitter, shopper, or bricoleur (Cirilia's word). There are several references in addition to the bibliography which merit further exploration. And of course her designs may attract you on their own. This book stimulated and inspired me. Perhaps it will have the same effect on you! Disclosure: Kangath received a review copy of this book from the publisher. No other compensation was provided. The opinions expressed in all Kangath's reviews are her own. |
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