The season of summer — what little there was — is waning. It’s time to think of woolly things to knit and dream of cozy evenings curled up with yarn, knitting needles and crochet hooks. And, of course, a few new knitting books.
When you are planning which books to add to your shelves consider these:
“Simple Style” by Ann Budd, a well-known and respected knitwear designer. In the book she offers 19 projects by 16 designers that can be made with simple knitting techniques. Projects include cardigans, pullovers, skirts and vests.
Pam Allen’s Four Quarters Pullover design is knit in four sections with seams on the sides and center back and front. Body shaping is achieved by “knitting upward with progressively smaller needles.”
Margaret Hubert’s Kokopelli Jacket frees the knitter from buttons and bands, with the exception of a single buttonhole at the neck edge. The sweater is knit in stockinette stitch and sports rolled edges at the cuff and bottom edge.
Katie Himmelberg’s Kaleidoscope Yoke pullover is enlivened with self-striping yarn at sleeve edges and yoke. It has a funnel neck and sleeves that flare a bit at the wrist. It put me in mind of a garment that would complement Katharine Hepburn’s wardrobe in “The Lion in Winter.”
“Japanese Inspired Knits: Marianne Isager Collection,” offers a garment to knit each month of the year. The designs are inspired by Japanese design and sensibility.
The Fan, the design for March, features short sleeves, a fold-back collar that flows gracefully from the back of the neck down the front and to the sides and back, skimming the top of the hip. A lace pattern makes the edges scalloped.
The design for November is called Maple Leaves, a cardigan knit in vertical stripes of coral, paprika and cherry with a vertical lace pattern running through each band of color.
Each design in the book is prefaced with a paragraph about Japanese culture.
“The Harmony Guides Colorwork Stitches,” edited by Susie Johns, offers instructions in a dictionary format for knitting colorwork designs that will allow knitters to create a project incorporating motifs of the knitter’s choice to create a unique item, be it scarf, baby blanket or sweater. Each pattern is shown as a color photograph and as a chart in color. This handy reference book makes it easy to experiment with color for both beginner and advanced knitters.
“Design It, Knit It,” by Debbie Bliss. Knitwear designer Bliss shares some of her secrets in this book. The book includes chapters on designing for the body, designing with color and texture, designing for children and designing with details. It also includes a Design Workshop section with pattern silhouettes and graph paper.
A snazzy project in the book is a ribbed jacket knit in cashmere-merino blend yarn. The design is easy enough for the first-time sweater knitter to attempt.
Or try the button detail top — cleverly knit in two ribbed strips that are buttoned together to create the garment.
Other designs include jackets, pullovers and cardigans.
Ask for these books at your local library or visit your local bookstore to buy or order copies.
Snippets
· The Verona Island Women’s Club is seeking crafty ladies and gentlemen to rent table space in its 25th annual Christmas Craft Fair to be held 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Verona Island Town Hall. For information, call Cora Webster at 469-3740 or Marlene Smith at 469-7992.
· Becky Tenan of Orland is seeking a Leisure Arts Leaflet crochet pattern that is no longer in print. It is a pattern for a wreath skirt to attach to twig or straw wreaths. The leaflet also contained various edging patterns. If anyone has a leaflet to share or knows where to obtain one, e-mail Tenan at n1867@hotmail.com or write her at P.O. Box 335, Orland 04472.
· Coastal Quilters will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Lions Club on Lions Lane. The general fall organizational meeting will include social time, refreshments and show-and-tell. Local quilter and artisan Sarah Smith will lead a “Chunk and Jigsaw” workshop.
Programs and meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, about Coastal Quilters, the meeting or the workshop, call Janet Knapp at 596-7818.
· The New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Mass., is auctioning a quilt signed by 24 members of the 2009 Red Sox baseball team. The auction will be conducted on eBay beginning Tuesday, Sept. 15. The quilt, measuring 54 inches by 40 inches, features a panorama of Fenway Park and is hand-quilted. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the museum and its programs for children and families. Visit nequiltmuseum@nequiltmuseum.pmailus.com for information and to see a photo of the quilt.
· Mary Bird of Orono e-mailed this Web address, http://apinnick.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/periodic-table-sweater/, a blog that will be of interest to knitters. A clever and creative knitter who lives in Israel knit a sweater for her husband in 1996 that featured the Periodic Table, which might classify as the ultimate in knitting for nerds. But wait, there’s more: On one sleeve she knit the names of bacteria and on the other the names of fungi. Also included on the blog is a list called Books for Geeky Knitters. My favorite title is “Kilobyte Couture: Geek Chic Jewelry to Make from Easy-to-Find Computer Components” by Brittany Forks.
· Want to Knit Your Bit for veterans? The National World War II Museum in New Orleans has scarf patterns in knit and crochet available at its Web site, www.nationalww2museum.org/education/knitting.html.