I mentioned a few knit posts back that I was going through my pattern books and bagging up projects according to what’s in my stash. I have so many things I want to try and so much yarn to get through I thought it would be a good idea to start putting things together. The other reason I decided to do this, as I walked to the register with more yarn, was to knit down the stash monster I’m creating.
As a reminder, this is what my stash used to look like. It’s grown since last December. I have added more Fun Fur and ribbon yarn found in various Dollar Stores to the family. Not to mention other finds I bought on sale.
I would say about 40% of the yarn was inherited from a needle worker, who is the cousin of a family friend, and the rest I’ve bought from thrift stores, $1 Stores, Wal-Mart & craft stores. One thing I noticed while going through the stash is that I bought a lot of Red Heart yarn when I was first starting out. I believe it was because I was afraid I would mess up the fancier more expensive yarn, so I started out with the cheaper worsted weight. I do like Red Heart colors and variegated color ways, but I wish it was a bit softer. It serves it’s purpose, especially when paired with other weight yarns. One could say my stash is out of control, but it’s neatly contained and I haven’t reached the point where I have to start hiding it to conceal the yarn addiction.
Whew! Ok, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, here’s a look at the books on my bookshelf.
Knit & Crochet Ponchos, Wraps, Capes & Shrugs!
This was the first book I bought for knitting after I finally got the hang of it using a kit I bought at A.C. Moore. My kit came with a book…filled with patterns from the 80s. Hmm…not inspired.
This one I found at the Atlantic Warehouse book warehouse (sad, they’re closing now) on Rte. 309. How could I not buy a book in the shape of a shoulder?! Besides, there was a really funky scarf in there I wanted to crochet and still may try one.
This book is also filled with great looking capes and ponchos. I still haven’t worked my way over to making a poncho, but I will and most will be from this book. Each pattern comes with detailed instructions and beautiful color photos. The yarn color-ways are bright and vibrant. I usually look at the pictures in this book to get inspiration until I work up the courage to knit one of the capes.
This was one of the first books I bought to learn stitch basics. It’s a really good reference book to have on your shelf. This book takes you through a thorough history of knitting, starting before the sixteenth century, to today. It covers the different styles of knitting such as Fair Isle and Ganseys, knitting during wartime and knitwear in couture fashion.
The thing that I love about this book is that it gives you everything for learning the basics now and moving on to designing your own patterns later. There’s a section in the book that takes you through the process of dying your own yarn, creating a mood board, the importance of color and designing your garment. The author not only offers a list of suppliers, but gives you knitter’s graph paper as well.
It’s divided into five parts:
- part 1 – Knitting Then And Now
- part 2 – Basic Techniques
- part 3 – Beyond the Basics
- part 4 – The Projects
- part 5 – Designing Your Own
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knitting and even gave it as a gift this past Christmas.
By now I’m sure you all know this was my favorite book of 2008. I used the patterns in this book to step outside the simple pattern box and created my memorable Christmas 2008 scarves.
This book is filled with some really great patterns for scarves. They are elegant and use so many techniques, that you’ll learn something new with every pattern.
Knitty Gritty Knits: 25 Fun & Fabulous Projects
This book is from the DIY Network’s host Vickie Howell. She’s the host of the show Knitty Gritty (which, by the way, I can’t watch because I don’t have cable).
She takes you through the basics of needle sizes, casting on, basic stitches and the tools in the knitter’s toolbox. This book gives you 25 projects that you can knit to wear and add to your home decor.
The projects are edgy and not run of the mill, such as the Rock Star Bag, Rasta Hat and Sock It To Me. This is also the book I’m using to make my Sampler Afghan.
Admittedly, I have more books to share, but this is a good place to start. I would recommend these books for your collection. Speaking of which, what’s on your knitter’s bookshelf? Share them in the comments below.
