Just home from knit nite. I brought five new books with me. One was Lorna Miser’s The Knitter’s Guide to Hand-dyed and Variegated Yarn that I told you about here. Another was The Complete Photo Guide to Knitting by Margaret Hubert that I told you about here. The third was a Christmas present that I haven’t taken a picture of, so I’ll tell you about it later. And the last two were from TNNA. Let’s pretend that you went to knit nite with me; you can see the two new books (and go back to the other two linked books, if you’d like).
At TNNA, there were book signings every hour, and the books were free. Two came home with me. This is Rosemary Drysdale’s Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting. As you know, I’m completely entranced with entrelac lately, so I was thrilled to get this book. Actually, Lorajean (Knitted Wit) picked it up for me, because I was already on my way home during this book signing. Thanks, LJ!
This is a gorgeous book. Drysdale constructs her entrelac a little differently than I do; she starts her base triangles on the purl side, and has right side and wrong side rectangles. I work everything from the right side, and so I call mine left and right leaning rectangles. I don’t think it matters. If you don’t already do entrelac, it’s a good place to start. If you already do entrelac, the rest of the book is a treat. She goes through several different things you can do to spice up your entrelac,
including texture, lace, cables, colorwork, beads, embroidery…all lovely. And the photography in this book is gorgeous. Here’s a little embellishment.
I saw these fruit caps at TNNA; they are really cute!
There are several patterns in the book too, incuding a felted bag, scarves, a poncho, a cardigan, the fruit caps. I love this book.
The other book is Nicky Epstein’s Knitting Block By Block.
She accidentally signed the book in the back, upside down, so she signed it again in the front. It was worth a giggle!
You can use these blocks for anything: a blanket, sweaters, scarves, hats. There are blocks of cables
colorwork
other embellishments. The i-cord here is sewn on to a plain block. There are so many ways to use this technique.
I love this blanket.
And there are patterns, too. Another beautiful, inspirational book by Nicky Epstein.
What else am I reading? Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua! This book has gotten a lot of attention recently since an excerpt appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
My in-laws sent this to me. Are they trying to tell me something? I actually think it’s rather tongue in cheek; some of the things she says are so over the top that I can’t imagine saying them for real. (“Why not A+?” has been a joke for many years in our house.) I had theTeen read the chapter on Suzuki piano, and he just smiled. We did Suzuki piano for nine years, and it was pretty wonderful.
Oh, at knit nite I was knitting with this. I’ll show you what, when I’m further along.
It’s unseasonably warm here (about 55 degrees fahrenheit), and the tulips think it’s spring. (I like they way they’ve pierced the dead leaves that I never got around to raking. That’s violent growth!)
The hostas think it’s spring, too.
I think they’re all going to have a rude awakening.
What’s happening in your neck of the woods?
PDXKnitterati 