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Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Scary Calm

I have four weeks before the set up for the Pleasant Home Holiday Shop and I am scary calm. I have an afghan and a hat on the needles having finished the scarf that will not end just the other day. It was the faux cable that was the time consuming thing. Somehow it seemed slower than doing the real cable. Go figure.

The hat I am working on is also a cable design (real) and the same color as the scarf so they could be mistaken for a set. The afghan, oddly enough, is also the same color and is moving along at a pace I can only call slowly fast. It's a 17 row repeat to the pattern and it takes a few hours to get through one cycle of it. I timed it watching Celtic Woman Isle of Hope special stored on the t and v. I also have other things stored and I watch one every evening and as soon as it's over, off to bed goes I. It's quite the little system I will explain one day.

But I am calm - and that's making me nervous. Because I sold a few hats last week, my inventory is down and this show lasts a week. One would think I should work myself up in a tizzy to get myself stocked for what's coming in a few weeks.

I blame the elections. I am so glad they are over and so disgusted at how grown men and women play with our lives that it has left me exhausted for my regular and normal neurosis. Dang politicians - they take the fun out of politics.

Have you seen this item by Kris Percival?
The Knit Knack Kit is a cute little 'book' consisting of patterns printed out on cards you can pop into your knitting bag and take with you. The patterns are all simple enough (though some I will probably never touch like the snake. Can't think of a reason to make it.) I was going through my book shelf when I ran across it. I remember when I bought it. I eyed it on the shelf for more than a month before I finally purchased it. I made my first sweater (the baby sweater) from the pattern in the book. I fell in love with the 2x2 ribbed scarf because I made it in this book. I don't know how many times I made the hats. I even made the halter top. If you have a beginning knitter on your holiday list, this would be a good thing to get. The cards are coded from beginning to advanced (though there's nothing really advanced) and she does a good job with the instructions. Check with your local bookseller to see if they have it. It's been out since 2003 so it might not be easily found and it's the same thing as the book 'Knitting Pretty' by the same author - well almost the same, the book has additional patterns. If your local business can't find it, Amazon will have it.

I am going to work on the hat today and will probably be able to kick it out. I made it (in the same color) when I went to St. Louis and it was done that evening, as I glance at it I see it sitting there calmly waiting for me - other projects have not been as patient. It knows it will be finished today and the confidence shows. After that, I will select another hat to start. Maybe that will trigger the frenzy - though why I am asking for it is hard to explain.


Saturday, November 7, 2009

Book Review: Knitting To Go Deck

Win a copy of Knit Fix and other goodies. Contest rules here!

Knitting to Go by Kris Percival and Sherri Giblin

I was not hesitant about giving Kris Percival another shot, after all, she did Knitting Pretty which has a version that like, Knitting on the Go, is done with cards that you can drop in your bag and carry. (Knit Knack Kit) I have both versions (BTW, I will be giving away the card set in another contest down the road.) So buying this set wasn't a hard choice for me to make.

This set is a lot more challenging than the projects in her previous work, and that's a good thing. As I flipped through the cards, I found some projects that I am looking forward to wrapping my yarn around. There's a blanket, wraps and some animal hats that I want to get to (but you know me, could be years...)

The patterns are easy to read and to follow and the authors do a nice job of offering some variations to the pattern in case you're like me and following the rules all the time begins to wear on you. The photographs are certainly big enough (although a problem I have with a lot of books is that they only show one angle or one side. I would take a slightly smaller photo if I could have the front and back and the occasional side of an object just to make sure I know what it's supposed to look like.)

Most of the patterns seem within reach of a beginner/advanced beginner and every once in a while an intermediate pattern shows up. But that's fine. There's nothing wrong with an easy pattern - it opens up your mind to change it around to create something unique or it allows you to enjoy the process of knitting more. At least that's how it works for me.

Overall, I like it. Out of the 25 patterns in the book, I will probably tackle about half and that's a good ratio. If you've a mind to try it out, you can find the book new and used at Amazon and other book websites.


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