Two knitting books

One-skein Wonders arrived last week, just in time for me to enjoy it over the week-end. The patterns are quick, easy, and definitely not fudging with that one skein.


However, many of the patterns are ones I already have in some variation or another, or are items I wouldn't make (an ipod pouch, a collar, a head band, etc.). I think this would have been great for me a few years ago when, as a novice knitter, a large project seemed overwhelmingly difficult. Now I think it'll make a good reference for my daughters who knit, and I'm sure I'll try one or two of the sock or hat patterns, and some of the shawls. I'm also glad to have it to recommend to friends and neighbors who are looking for something to knit without using a lot of $$$. (Now I'm re-thinking that collar... one skein of silk for $7 would fit the bill for that, but if I wanted to knit a shawl or a shell with silk, it could be pretty pricey!)





I finally received my copy of No Sheep for You by Amy Singer. (I think I'm the last knitter on the planet to get mine, and it's been pre-ordered since December - but I'm not bitter, or anything.) This is my new favorite knitting book. Amy uses the first part of the book to tell all about the different natural non-wool fibers: what they are, how they are made, what their cellular construction is and how that affects how they feel and wear. I love all the information, both scientific and historical, that she includes. That, alone, makes it worth the money.

Of course, she doesn't stop there. Amy also includes great patterns to knit using those non-wool fibers. (And they're modeled by real people who look as though they eat every day - not humans teetering on the brink of starvation.) This is going to be wonderful for me now that I'm living in Alabama where wool is comfortable for only a few months of the year.