The Joy of Color


Book Description

The stranded knitting workshop in a book. Janine Bajus (AKA Feral Knitter) is on a mission to make custom Fair Isle knitting accessible and fun for knitters. Chapters on choosing colors, selecting motifs, and garment construction artfully guide the knitter with tasks, tips, case studies, student stories, and heartfelt encouragement.







Sequence Knitting


Book Description

Every knitter, whether a beginner or an expert, wants easy projects for travel, gifts or those times when following a complex pattern is impractical. Sequence Knitting introduces a radical and simple approach for creating amazing fabrics by working a sequence of stitches over and over again. Beginning with 1-row patterns, the book delves into the possibilities of this technique, expanding into methods for creating complex designs that can be worked back and forth, in the round, or in shapes like triangles. The book includes stitch dictionaries with over 190 fabrics, many of which are new and reversible, as well as over 40 patterns for simple and elegant accessories. This groundbreaking book is sure to become a classic must-have for every knitter s reference library.




In the Footsteps of Sheep


Book Description

"In the Footsteps of Sheep details the completion of a mission the author, a Welsh-born Scot, set for herself: to travel and camp throughout Scotland, find cast off tufts of wool from 10 Scottish sheep breeds, then spin the wool on her spinning stick while walking (or waiting for ferries), and finally design and knit one pair of socks to represent each breed ... all the while writing about her adventures and taking plenty of photographs. Debbie has written beautifully about her journey; the hills, shorelines, and bogs explored; the sheep and people she met along the way; weather both foul and fair, and a particularly exciting chapter about the intriguing St. Kilda archipelago and its feral Soay and Boreray sheep. The eleven sock patterns, one at the end of each chapter, are a bonus and, for those of us unable to gather and spin our own fleece, all were test-knitted with commercial wool. The designs are knitted from top to toe with different motifs, among them color-patterns, cables, spirals, stripes, Kilt Hose with top-turnovers, and a pair of baby booties."--Provided from Amazon.com.




Ring of Bright Water


Book Description

This volume weaves together the Scottish otter stories from Gavin Maxwell's three non-fiction books, Ring of Bright Water (1960), The Rocks Remain (1963), and Raven Meet Thy Brother (1969). Maxwell was both an extraordinarily evocative writer and a highly unusual man. While touring the Iraqi marshes, he was captivated by an otter and became a devoted advocate of and spokesman for the species. He moved to a remote house in the Scottish highlands, co-habiting there with three otters and living an idyllic and isolated life – at least for a while. Fate, fame, and fire conspired against this paradise, and it, too, came to an end, though the journey was filled with incident and wonder. Maxwell was also talented as an artist, and his sinuous line drawings of these amphibious and engaging creatures, and the homes they occupied, illustrate his story. This book stands as a lasting tribute to a man, his work, and his passion. It was received and has endured as a classic for its portrait not only of otters but also of a man who endured heartaches and disappointments, whose life embodied both greatness and tragedy. He writes with rare eloquence about his birth, his devotion to the beloved Scottish highlands, and the wildlife he loved, while refusing to ignore the darker aspects of his nature and of nature in its larger sense.




Magpies, Homebodies, and Nomads


Book Description

“Rose explores her myriad inspirations in this collection of twenty-five fashionable knitting projects that show the potential in beautiful yarn . . . marvelous.” —Library Journal Cirilia Rose is the epitome of the new knitwear designer—young, educated, curious, and excited to share her passion for all ideas knit and purl. Her attitude toward curating her own collection of designs is informed as much by travel, cultural history, and tried-and-true sourcebooks as it is by modern media and technology. In Magpies, Homebodies, and Nomads, Rose takes readers behind the scenes of her design process, showing them how she curates and organizes ideas and translates them into knitwear designs. Through twenty-five projects that fall into three categories—Magpies (accessories for the small amounts of precious yarns that knitters inevitably collect), Homebodies (garments for time spent close to home), and Nomads (garments to wear when venturing out into the world)—Rose shares her modern aesthetic and invites readers to develop their own. “So not only do we have twenty-five patterns—many of them timeless and some of them quirky—we also have a lot of attentive commentary on color selection, styling tips, and useful info on substituting yarns. This is one new book that I would highly recommend. Not only for the patterns, but especially for the spirit of the book and the thoughtful way Cirilia Rose approaches her knitting and explains her process.” —Knit and Tonic “This is a gem of a book.” —Kangath Knits “This latitude that Rose has given herself to combine disparate elements makes all her designs fresh, hip and youthful.” —My Central Jersey




Knitted Lace of Estonia


Book Description

Combining some of the oldest knitted artifacts in Northern Europe with authentic tips and expert advice, this distinctive guidebook demonstrates a wide range of knitting knowledge. Featuring 14 heirloom-quality projects, this savvy reference includes traditional lace-knitting techniques such as the starburst, twig, peacock, and lily of the valley patterns. Modern variations on classic methods and adding lace edges are also explored, and photographs from several Estonian museums beautifully illustrate various completed designs. With accessible graphed and written instructions, the projects include Estonian-style shawls, stoles, and scarves.




Shetland Oo


Book Description

"Wool - or in Shetlandic, Oo - has for centuries figured centrally in island life. Hardy, colourful, characterful sheep have adapted over millennia to a challenging climate, and Shetlanders have always put their fine fleeces to good use, in beautiful, distinctive textiles ranging from woven tweeds to Fairisle handknits. From croft to creative enterprise, wool remains at the heart of many island industries today, and this collaborative documentary project reveals the many different kinds of work that oo supports. In these pages you'll meet the fascinating graders, breeders, tanners, artists, designers, knitters, weavers, hand spinners, knitwear manufacturers and retailers, who, in so many different ways, have made their lives in oo. Photographed by Tom Barr, and with accompanying essays and profiles written by Kate Davies, this book is produced in celebration of the vital contemporary work of Shetland wool."--Publisher description.




The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs


Book Description

Discover the satisfying fun of spinning your own yarn! This step-by-step guide shows you how to create 80 distinctive yarn types, from classics like mohair bouclé to novelties like supercoils. Covering the entire spinning process, Sarah Anderson describes the unique architecture of each type of yarn and shares expert techniques for manipulating and combining fibers. Take your crafting to a new level and ensure that you have the best yarn available by spinning it yourself.




Ethnic Knitting Discovery


Book Description

"Introduction to traditional knitting techniques from the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and the Andes, with small projects to build skills followed by drop-shoulder pullover sweaters. Techniques include color and texture patterning; simple color work; half-gussets; knitted, cut, or steeked armholes; and decorative edgings"--Provided by publisher.