A little surreal
You know how I’ve said that I drew stitch maps by hand, long before developing Stitch-Maps.com? Well, I found a little proof today. And it was a little …
...moreKnitting Fresh Brioche
Check out the latest addition to my knitting bookshelves:
It’s Knitting Fresh Brioche by Nancy Marchant, and it’s fabulous.
The …
I could not have said it better myself
Yesterday, while scoping out the knitting shelves at a local bookstore, I found a gently used copy of Martha Waterman’s Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls. Since I’m in the middle …
...moreAnd we have a winner!
And we have a winner in the Curls give-away! Jules O, I’ll contact you via email shortly. Everybody else: Thanks for playing! And thanks for the lovely comments on …
...morePavonated
So, as I was saying, I knit one of Hunter’s Curls a few weeks back. Now, one of the (many!) awesome things about Curls is that you can use …
...moreCurls
Guess what I have?
It’s a copy of Curls: Versatile, Wearable Wraps to Knit at Any Gauge. Whee! So many pretty patterns.
For months now, …
...moreRosebuds
Sometimes I’m a little slow on the uptake. Stitch-Maps.com had been up and running for a few months before I started making use of stitch maps in the classes that …
...moreYes, please
One of the best parts of Knitty is the Cool stuff! page. It always alerts me to stuff I want to check out further. Case in point: Everyday Lace by …
...moreInstant inspiration
This morning I read Hunter Hammersen’s blog post on Everyday Lace, and do you know what caught my eye? Not the eloquent account of the book’s virtues. Not …
...moreCoronet, step 1
Over the weekend I was seized by the need to map a lace doily pattern and convert it to a wedge shape. (You know, because I just can’t get enough …
...moreNew Vintage Lace
Have you seen New Vintage Lace? I love this book! Andrea Jurgrau takes vintage doily patterns, lifts out and rejiggers their intricate motifs, and reinvents them as stunning hats, …
...moreWhere to draw the line?
With hundreds of possible cable crosses, where should Stitch-Maps.com draw the line? Which cable crosses should it support, at least at first?
To figure this out, I pulled …
...moreThe LT/RT controversy
When it comes to cable cross abbreviations like 2/2 RC, the StitchMastery Knitting Chart Editor really gets it right. That piece of charting software recognizes a slew of cable cross …
...moreChoosing abbreviations
The first step in adding support for a new set of stitches to Stitch-Maps.com is figuring out what abbreviations to recognize. Which bits of text should map (no pun intended!) …
...moreI stand corrected
It was brought to my attention yesterday that Cat’s Sweet Tomato Heel Socks e-book suggests working increases on the sole before knitting the heel, if you have a high arch. …
...moreTen toes and three heels
Secret project out of the way, I was able to return to and finish my “gotta have ’em now” toe socks:
I’m thrilled that I pulled …
...moreStaying power
Whee! Unicorn just released its TNNA Top Books list, the list of bestselling books at the industry’s top trade show. Charts Made Simple ranked as #8, after being out …
...moreUpcoming fun and games
Mark your calendars: next Tuesday, June 12th, I get to be part of Marly Bird’s The Yarn Thing podcast! We’ll talk about Charts Made Simple (“what? that old …
...morePlaying around
Lately, I haven’t been able to commit to any long-term projects. Shoot, I haven’t been able to commit to anything bigger than a swatch. But that’s okay. I like swatching.
…
...moreSucker
I’m a sucker for stitch dictionaries. That’s why I had to get this:
Tooting my own horn
Excuse me while I toot my own horn for a moment. Charts Made Simple has made two “best of 2011” book lists. Library Journal says:
...moreKnitters who are …
Beyond Toes
I just realized I’ve been utterly remiss in not mentioning Beyond Toes, Judy Becker’s new book. (Sorry, Judy!)
As the subtitle says, it’s a series of Knitting …
...moreContemporary Irish Knits
Have your heard? Carol Feller puts a new spin on traditional Irish knits in Contemporary Irish Knits, a collection of fresh and exceptionally wearable designs.
…
...moreAcross the pond
Guess what finally made it to the other side of the pond – Charts Made Simple, that’s what! It’s now available at Amazon.co.uk and, with distribution help from Search …
...moreOnce and for all
Some of you may recall that, years ago, Threads magazine used to include articles on knitting and other fiber crafts in addition to sewing. Fabulous articles, really. Full of inspiration …
...moreProgress
Sock Camp was a great opportunity to make progress on my Swirl jacket. What once looked like brain coral is now clearly a giant octagon with a hole in the …
...moreA pretty package
Look what came in the mail!
It’s from Abundant Yarns – and it came with a surprise.
An apt comparison
Clara Parkes wrote the coolest review of Charts Made Simple yesterday. My favorite quote: “To resist charts in knitting is like resisting the purl stitch.” Too true!
By …
...moreIs it real yet?
At long last, Charts Made Simple is now available for order through Amazon.
Does that mean the book is “real”? More real than when it wasn’t available …
...moreStump the Chart Wizard
When most knitting books go on the road, they go in the form of a trunk show: garments featured in the book are packed up, shipped to a yarn shop, …
...moreThey made it!
All morning, I kept listening for the tell-tale drone of the UPS truck. False alarms made me all jittery, then crushed my spirit. Finally, mid-day, these arrived:
Limbo
With Charts Made Simple in the printer’s hands, I’m kind of at loose ends. Tasks that had been sucking up gobs of time are now completed, but I’m not ready …
...moreRed-letter day
This morning, FedEx dropped off a long-awaited package: print proofs for Charts Made Simple. The color cover was separate from the interior, and the interior had been printed on …
...moreA million little details
Blog fodder has been a bit sparse lately. Not much knitting. No stash enhancement. No trip to Rhinebeck. sigh
Rather, it’s been nose-to-grindstone, getting Charts Made Simple ready …
...moreChecklists
Yes, yes, I know this is a knitting blog. Bear with me for a minute.
I’m currently reading The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. It’s the third …
...more