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The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics
Jun. 4th, 2007 01:54 pmYes, I am a little obsessed with knitting. No, I haven't made a sweater yet myself. Not even a little one for Mr. FP.
The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Beyond the Basics by Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs If you’re a knitter wanting to branch out a little from basic rectangles, but still wanting to keep things fairly simple, this is a good place to start. Well, depending one how much you’ve done, you might want to start with the first one, which has slightly simpler patterns. Both focus on basic sweaters knit in fairly large gauge, though there are a few hats, scarves and blankets as well. In this book, they include stripes, simple intarsia, cables and other stitch patterns, where in the first book, they are a bit simpler. They are mostly nice-looking patterns, ranging from the simple and basic to more modern in style. I say mostly, because while I liked many of them (and am really thinking about knitting the cabled “not your standard-issue sweatshirt, take two”), I personally would not want to wear a pea green sweater with an orange stripe up the middle. The Yarn Girls run New York City’s Yarn Company, and design patterns for a more fashion-conscious population. Anyway, the book is fun and the patterns nice enough to tempt a scarf knitter into the broader world of sweater knitting.
The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Beyond the Basics by Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs If you’re a knitter wanting to branch out a little from basic rectangles, but still wanting to keep things fairly simple, this is a good place to start. Well, depending one how much you’ve done, you might want to start with the first one, which has slightly simpler patterns. Both focus on basic sweaters knit in fairly large gauge, though there are a few hats, scarves and blankets as well. In this book, they include stripes, simple intarsia, cables and other stitch patterns, where in the first book, they are a bit simpler. They are mostly nice-looking patterns, ranging from the simple and basic to more modern in style. I say mostly, because while I liked many of them (and am really thinking about knitting the cabled “not your standard-issue sweatshirt, take two”), I personally would not want to wear a pea green sweater with an orange stripe up the middle. The Yarn Girls run New York City’s Yarn Company, and design patterns for a more fashion-conscious population. Anyway, the book is fun and the patterns nice enough to tempt a scarf knitter into the broader world of sweater knitting.
Castle Waitingby Linda Medley This graphic novel (recently available in a one-volume hardcover) starts by retelling the story of Sleeping Beauty. The young princess veers from the classic story, though, by leaving the castle with her prince as soon as she wakes up. The castle, with all its staff, is left without a ruler, waiting for her promised return. Over time, it becomes a refuge for those cast out from the rest of society, if they believe the legends and can find it. One such is a Lady Jain, pregnant and alone, who comes to Castle Waiting to bear her child. The castle is populated by a variety of interesting characters, including three now ancient ladies-in-waiting, a crane named Rackham, John Henry, and a horse-headed man called Sir Chess. The rambling story shifts its focus in the second half from Jain to a Solicitine nun, who shares her story and the history of her most unusual order. It’s funny and serious at the same time, and full of sly references to the characters of folk and fairy tales. The introduction by author Jane Yolen, hinting at the difference between truth and Truth, was a delightful addition.