A knitter’s dog needs your help–and all you need to do is buy this adorable little sweater design from the woman behind the February Lady Sweater. Not only that, but if you buy the pattern, you can be entered in a chance to win one of Juniper Moon Farm’s CSA shares, and trust me, their [...]

Here’s the first thing you need to know about this book–there are lots of books out there that examine color knitting, but this one focuses on color knitting using only ONE color at a time.

That’s right. Not intarsia. Not fair isle. Instead, this book is about adding color to your knitting with stripes and slip stitches.

“To the casual observer, knitting looks to be an earth-friendly practice that hasn’t changed much over the centuries. But our ancestors raised their own sheep, and spun the fiber into yarn, and grew flax and spun it into linen, all without the use of antibiotics or pesticides. They gathered, processed, and spun the fiber by hand, dyed it with whatever was available, and hoped that there would be enough for a garment. … But progress comes at a cost–the carbon footprint grows with every aspect of large-scale production. So, how do we enjoy our yarn choices while being mindful of our delicate planet?”

I know what you’re thinking–does the world really need another book on sock knitting?

Turns out, I think it does.

This book says that it is “everything knitters need to knit socks beautifully,” and I must admit, it’s pretty thorough.

Like their One Ball Knits book for Purses, this book is filled with an assortment of quick, easy patterns you can make with one ball of yarn–this time, though, the theme is gifts.

There’s a new logo up on the main page … what do you think? We went from this: To this:

This book is being referred to as “Julie and Julia” for knitters, and I can see that point. Here, the author decides to challenge herself to knit Alice Starmore’s “Mary Tudor” pattern in one year, even though she’s never done fair isle knitting before, never tackled a project this big before

This creative book takes everything you know about knitting and turns it upside down and inside out.

Am I exaggerating? Maybe a little bit, but not as much as you might expect. Starting with the cover sweater which can be worn right-side up, upside-down, inside-out, this book makes you look at your knitting a little differently.

How can you not love a pattern book that not only educates you, gives you great patterns, and truly fantastic tips, but that is darn entertaining while doing so?

This is a straight-forward book, that’s all about having comfortable knitwear. The description on the back says, “Casual enough for your favorite pair of jeans, stylish enough for workday wear, this collection of easy knits will put you in a weekend mood! With minimal finishing, projects include a breezy tee as well as cozy pullovers, cardigans, and a jacket. Make every day a Saturday!”

When Knit Picks asked if I would like to review some of their yarns, I was delighted. Of course I would! Except … I’ve never actually written a review for yarn before, and was a little nervous. I know what I like in a yarn, but what if you didn’t agree with me? And heaven knows I can’t compete with Clara Parkes’ reviews over at Knitter’s Review. But then I realized, my opinions on yarn are just as valid as my opinions on books, right?

Darn it, there’s just nothing wrong with this book.

Luckily for you, that means this book is fantastic and one you should run-not-walk to find if this is a technique that you are even remotely interested in. Because, trust me, you’re not going to find a better guide to brioche any time soon.

Still, it’s great books like these that make writing reviews so frustrating.

This is Wendy’s third book, and I think it’s the best yet. This is a book filled with toe-up sock patterns for men, women, and children, and they’re just lovely. I usually knit just plain-jane stockinette socks (yes, I know, it’s boring of me), but there are at least five designs in there that I’d like to make. That’s a huge number of sock patterns for me to seriously desire.