Knitting Without Needles

I am feeling a bit tired today.. so tune in later (as in tomorrow) for the blogaversary celebration and prize drawing for all you who have commented and given me feedback about the podcast!! And for the mystery object reveal..

Till then we have taken over! Mwah hahaha.. we will have this sweater unraveled in no time!!! And we want to watch the cat channel! AHH everything a cat could want.. Now go get me some sardines!

Edited to add:It seems the cats have it today….check this out..

Well, last week I told you I would give you two book reviews. And so here we are a whole week later, and the reviews are in!

(oh and don’t miss the fun news at the bottom!!)

First up, the knitting book:

My art teacher in college always said there were no ugly colours. They were all part of God’s creation and therefore each should be considered beautiful. ( I am not so sure I can go in with him on yellow.. but hey the sun is yellow so I’ll make an exception I suppose) Kaffe Fassett seems to have the same sort of ideology. He will use any colour, all colours and make them look really beautiful! Kaffe Knits Again: 24 Original Designs Updated for Today’s Knitters is a great celebration of colour.

This book is a nice remix of some of Kaffe’ classic designs. He takes some of his more complicated patterns from the past and pairs them down into simpler shapes and projects. His goal in this book is to give the timid knitter a chance to experience colourwork and overcome the fear that many beginning, and frankly experienced knitters have when it comes to colourwork.

The book itself  is a piece of art!  The charts are generous and many of them are even coloured. The backdrop for the photos is the Charleston House in Sussex England. This has to be the perfect backdrop for Kaffe’s Designs, don’t you agree? Here are some of my favourites!

While overall I don’t think this book is for beginners, there are a few patterns that  would be a good starting point for the knitter who is dabbling in colour. The Houses Bag (shown above) the Stepped Flowers Stole, and the Tumbling Blocks vest are all great patterns to start off with.

All in all, I give the book two thumbs up!

As a little bonus, if you get the chance to watch it, Episode 107 of Knit and Crochet Today has a really good interview with Kaffe, as well as tips on colourwork knitting. So check your local PBS listings for when this episode might be running in your area!

And now for the non knitting book!

T is for Trespass  is Sue Grafton’s latest entry in the Kinsey Milhone mystery series (aka the alphabet mysteries) This, like all of Ms Grafton’s books does not disappoint. I have to admit that midway through the book that I thought I knew how it would end. I was pleased to find out I was wrong. Ms Grafton never fails to add a twist that changes the direction in which the story turns.

Tresspass is a pleasant read, and would make a great audio book to listen to while you are knitting too! But beware.. you might find yourself like me.. looking up at the clock at the end of a thrilling chapter and realizing that is it 1 a.m.!  So be forewarned!!

Now the news!!

If you took the Fiber Quiz the other day I have some fun for you! If you send an email to CrownMarketing@randomhouse.com with the name of the fiber you turned out to be in the subject line, they  will send you a button you can wear that proclaims to the world just what fiber you are! Just make sure you include your mailing address in the body of the email so they know where to send the button!

So bop on over and take the fiber quiz if you haven’t already, and get your own button. But do it fast, there is a limited supply of buttons so this offer is good while supplies last!!

Enjoy!!

Well Kathy Norris has solved that problem for us ..

Congratulations Kathy!!

Kathy is a great loomer and an all around nice person! It is great to see some new designers come into their own!

Have you had the chance to listen to my podcast yet? I am so excited for you . . . → Read More: How To’s Day: How to get more loom knitting patterns!