So, tell me your crafting New Year Resolutions. Do you plan on organizing your yarn/fiber stash? Do you plan on finishing your UFO’s? Do you want to learn a new skill within your craft? For me, it’s all of the above. I always think about starting the year off with choosing a new organization method for yarn, needles, spinning, and weaving materials. I have a list of things I’ve been working on that I want to finish. Hmmm. That temperature blanket from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. And I usually turn to something by Stephen West to learn a new stitch or skill for my knitting. This year I will learn to crochet with more than one color because I love all the sweater and bag patterns I see on different posts. And I’ve discovered that I can crochet rather quickly.
In past years, January comes along and I have promised myself that I wouldn’t buy new yarn for a project until I finished two projects in my stash. Then February comes along, and I’ve altered my resolution to buying new yarn for every one project I finish. Then by March, I’m buying yarn and new projects and I’m back into my old habits. But it is fun thinking about being organized, finishing projects, and learning new things.
For this year, I thought it would be fun to add a book to the blog. Yes, reading does take time away from knitting/crocheting/spinning/weaving, however, sometimes there are books that really inspire. I hope you will be interested in the books I choose. They will be fiber related in one way or another.
My book recommendation:
I love the illustrations in this book. They are clean and concise.
I also find the illustrations humorous. When she is talking about ribbing and how the purl stitches recede. She explains that the knit stitches are wider than the purl stitches and shows this in an illustration of two wider women with a slimmer woman between them🤣. Don’t worry, she uses two men (of different sizes) to illustrate a knit one, purl one rib. I enjoy her humor, and it makes me laugh when I’m doing ribbing in a garment.
This book teaches the knitter to look at the work and read the stitches in the yarn. Reading your work will assist you in being able to fix your mistakes (or your design features – I’m not here to judge). You will become a more skilled knitter if you can identify a purl stitch vs a knit stitch; if you can see a yarn over; and being able to see the difference between a knit 2 together and a slip, slip knit stitch. We’ll have copies of this book in the shop by Friday, January 5 if you would like to check it out.
Does that jog in your row drive you crazy when you are knitting stripes in the round? This book will teach you how to keep the colors even when knitting in the round in multiple colors. She calls it “Stripe gladness”. This book is a great addition to a new knitter’s library; however, I refer to it when I have questions, and I’ve been knitting for quite a while. There is always something new to learn or improve on.
Christmas Cast On?
My Christmas night cast was the Vanilla DK sock. I admit I didn’t start this until the 26. What did everyone cast on?
Happy knitting!