And... here I am again with another book review!

I randomly chose a winner from last week's book giveaway. Congratulations to Sangeetha!

For this week I will be reviewing and giving away this copy of Vogue Knitting Knitopedia 

provided by Sixth and Spring books!

And what an amazing book it is too!

This is a fabulous all around reference book for knitters of all levels. It is a thorough, very well written encyclopedia of all things knitting. And what I really appreciated is that it is not just text, but many of the words include pictures too! There are basic knitting terms, as well as obscure knitting related words that Ive never even heard of before. Inside you will find explanations and definitions for techniques, ethnic knitting traditions, history, fibers, and even knitwear designers! 

Um.. on a side note.. I did look up Alana Dakos in there.. and didn't find a listing... but that's ok. :)

Maybe someday though, right?

I found this book to be extremely interesting and very informative. I think it would be beneficial for any knitter to have in their library. I could see this being an absolute "cant-live-without" resource for a beginner especially. 

So.. since I am so nice and all, I will be giving away this copy of Knitopedia to one of you readers. 

To enter to win, please leave a comment under this blogpost that includes your contact information.

Only one comment per person please.

Ill be announcing the winner next week with one final book review.

So please check back then to see if you are the winner!

Since I've started these reviews on my blog, I've been working on some projects behind the scenes! 

I look forward to sharing them with you soon! :)

This post is so terribly overdue.

A few months ago now, I had some samples of my Cloudy Day beret knit up for my trunk shows. As soon as I got them back from my sample knitters I popped them in the mail and never got a chance to get a decent picture of my three Cloudy Day berets all together.

I think they are all so pretty. I had to share them with you.

I always love to show how yarn choice can make all of the difference when making a pattern. 

The gray beret in the front was knit by Sarah from Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight and it is soft, luxurious and much heavier than the other two berets. This would be the yarn I would choose for a warmer, more wintry version.

The second, pale blue beret was my original pattern sample knit by myself out of Classic Elite Fresco. Its soft and very lightweight.

The third, brighter blue beret was knit for me by Veronika and was knit from Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk. I would call this the dressiest of the Cloudy Day berets. The yarn is smooth with a silky sheen. This beret has a lot of drape and the smoothness of the yarn shows off the stitch definition very well.

I feel that all three of the yarns used were good matches for this pattern, and would recommend all of them. 

All are considered sport weight yarns, but all produced a different result.

These gray and blue tones are so calming together, aren't they? I really love this color palette.

Thank you again to my fabulous sample knitters for doing such a good job on these hats for me!

The Cloudy Day beret pattern is available for purchase HERE.

Don't you just hate this? 

When you have to spend your precious knitting time untangling yarn? 

Oh Madelinetosh Pashmina.. you are so beautiful.. yet so tangly...

Hello! I'm back with another book review! 

Congratulations to Juliana, last weeks giveaway winner!

This week I'll be reviewing Knitting Over the Edge by Nicky Epstein. This book has been around for awhile, but is a great one! I'm happy to share it with you!

Knitting over the edge is the second in Nicky's edging book collection. The first book was titled Knitting On the Edge and the third in the collection is Knitting Beyond the Edge. I love and own all three! 

Nicky Epstein is probably the most inventive knitwear designer I can think of and I feel that these edging books just cannot be beat. The first 2 books contain 350 different knitted edges.. EACH! 700 total in the first 2 books. Who can even think up 700 edgings? Amazing, right?

All 3 of these books are excellent reference publications that every knitter should have in their library.

I refer to them all of the time. They provide me with constant inspiration.

Here is what you can expect to find in this particular book, Knitting Over the Edge.

This book contains edging designs broken up into 5 different categories.. Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Colors and Nouveau.

Below are some pictures to give you an idea.

There are also some garment patterns included that utilize some of the edgings featured in the book.

It's jam packed with information. There is something for everyone inside.

If you would like to enter to win this brand new copy of Knitting Over the Edge, please leave a comment under this blog post. In your comment please include your contact information and please remember only one comment per person please.

I'll announce the winner next week with another book review, so be sure to check back!

Thank you for joining me back this week for another book review!

Last week's drawing winner is Lauren! Congratulations! 

If last week's cowls were not your thing, perhaps you'll enjoy this weeks review of the book Mittens & Gloves by the editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine.

This book contains over 40 of the most popular patterns compiled together from previous Vogue Knitting publications. The main focus is mitten and glove patterns, but there are also a few patterns for coordinating hats and scarves included as well.

This is truly a pattern book. There is a teeny tiny section in the back to show you the knitting basics, but the bulk of the book is pattern instructions and photos.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is the variety offered. There are many styles included to suit all different tastes. There are all types of gloves and fingerless mitts.. plain, cabled, colorwork, lace.. everything!

This book contains patterns for beginning knitters and advanced knitters. I think that everyone could find a pattern that they like in here.

Personally, I found many patterns in here that I would love to make and wear. Here are some of my picks.

And of course, I was happy to see Jared Flood's Druid Mittens included. I've always liked this pattern.

If you would like to win this brand new copy of Vogue Knitting Mittens and Gloves provided by Sixth and Spring Books, please leave a comment under this blogpost.

Only one comment per person please, and don't forget to leave your contact information as well!

I'll randomly select a commenter and announce the winner next week along with another book review!

Hello everyone! Thanks for all of the great participation in these giveaways! I'm glad that you are enjoying the reviews! I picked another winner from last weeks drawing. Congratulations j*e*n!

This week I will be reviewing the book Cowl Girls; The neck's big thing to knit by Cathy Carron. And it's at this point that my cursor remains stagnant blinking at me on the screen. What can I say about Cowl Girls? I feel so conflicted by positive and.. um... "less positive" feelings while I flip through its pages.

Let me start off by saying that I really do love cowls. In my opinion, they are the perfect neck warming accessory and I find them easy to knit and very stylish. 

This book contains pretty much everything you would want to know about the cowl. I especially enjoyed pages 10-13 which cover all of the cowl basics. It explains what the differences are between cowls, gaiters, dickeys, snoods, and more. I have always wondered such things, so I really enjoyed this section. It also gives you three different methods to use when knitting up your cowl. I think this would be very helpful information for a beginning knitter.

The rest of the book contains 40 patterns for "neck-wear accessories". While the book kind of lumps all of these patterns into the "cowl" catagory, some are more fashion accessories then functional knitwear.

There are definitely some patterns that I genuinely like in here and could see myself wearing. Here are a few of my favorites.

But honestly, there are other patterns in this book that leave me scratching my head in confusion.

Keep in mind that I am a very conservative and boring person. :)

But if you really like bright colors and funky styles, you will probably love these patterns. 

I do have to say that I am impressed by how inventive some of these designs are. 

There are shapes and textures that I would have never imagined.

There are also many cowls knit up out of bulky yarns, making them probably super quick to knit up and great for beginners.

If you would like a chance to add this copy of Cowl Girls provided by Sixth and Spring Books to your personal knitting library, please leave a comment (only one per person please) under this blog post. Remember to please include your contact information in your comment.

I will be choosing and announcing the winner next week! So be sure to check back! :)

I'm back this week with another book review for you! There were many entries in last week's drawing. I picked out one commenter at random and the winner is Caryl K! Congratulations!

This time I will be reviewing the book Entrelac; The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting by Rosemary Drysdale provided by Sixth and Spring Books.

It's been years since my 'one-time-dabbling' in entrelac when I made the Danica scarf pattern in 2007.

Discovering entrelac for the first time was certainly a fascinating experience. Entrelac knitting creates a fabric that resembles strips that are woven together.. only its not. I found it to be very fun and the resulting scarf got a lot of attention from knitters and non knitters alike.

This book is like entrelac on steroids. It takes entrelac to places I never thought it could go.

The beginning sections contain extensive tutorials to teach you the basic techniques and there is even a section on knitting backwards to avoid purling! I was super excited to see that as I have always wanted to learn this technique. 

In the chapters that follow, you will learn how experimenting with different stitch patterns, colors and yarn types can completely change the look of your entrelac.

Such as adding lace stitches..

cables..

bobbles..

fair isle..

..and self striping yarn.

(I love how this looks.)

The last section of the book contains more than 25 patterns that feature entrelac in different ways.

There are patterns included for hats, scarves, ponchos, bags, sweaters, vests.. you name it.

I especially liked this poncho featured on page 76. 

I like the subtle use of entrelac on the front.

Altogether I found this book very interesting, inspiring, and imaginative. If you would like to try this technique out for yourself, this would be a great book for you to learn from.

To enter to win this brand new copy of Entrelac, please leave a comment under this post.

Remember to include your contact information!

I will announce the winner next week with another book review!

Thank you to everyone who participated in last week's book giveaway! 

I picked out one comment at random and the winner is Carolina! Congratulations!

For this week I'll be reviewing the book Knitting At Home by Leanne Prouse, 

the designer behind the Ella Rae brand.

When I first received this book in the mail from Sixth and Spring Books, I kind of just glanced through it but quickly dismissed it as a "home decor" knitting book. And those sort of books rarely appeal to me because I hardly ever knit anything for the home.

I was very wrong. After looking at this book in more depth, I have to tell you that I absolutely love this book.

It is not just a book of home decor patterns. This book has a wide variety of patterns including garments, cushions, accessories, bags, throws, and children's wear. Yet most patterns follow the same theme... All of these knits are cozy and comfy pieces you would use around your home.

While flipping through the pages, I found that the designs evoke feelings of comfort and relaxation.

All of the wearable items seem very comfortable and practical.
These are things I could see myself actually using.

Nothing high fashion, form fitting, or fussy. 

Instead all are loose fitting, cozy, knock-around-the-house types.

This book has patterns to accentuate every corner of your home with sweet knitted items. 

Is there any better way to showcase your love for knitting than to surround yourself with it?

I also especially enjoyed the section for little ones.

I love these knitted dolls..

And I found the children's blanket patterns to be quite charming.

This book contains so many cute blanket patterns. I haven't made an afghan in forever, but this book makes me want to.

Altogether, Knitting At Home offers 60 designs. 60! That is a whole lot for one knitting book!

I was very impressed by the beautiful layout and style and I would love to knit many of the patterns included.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I think this is a great book for many different knitting levels. Many of the patterns could be easily knit as a first knitting project, but there are some challenging projects included for more experienced knitters as well.

There is a lot of variety.

The only thing that didn't offer much variety were the yarn choices offered. All of the patterns are knit from one yarn, Ella Rae Classic. It is understandable. Leanne Prouse is after all the creator of the Ella Rae yarn brand. And it is actually kind of impressive really.. It shows exactly how versatile this yarn really is. 

If your local shop doesn't carry Ella Rae Classic, it seems to be as easy enough yarn to substitute. Its a worsted weight wool, so you have many options available.

Although I very badly would like to keep this book for my own personal knitting library, I am going to be very nice and give it away to one of you!

To enter to win this brand new copy of Knitting At Home provided by Sixth and Spring Books, please leave a comment under this blog post. Don't forget to include your contact information!

I will be announcing the winner next week with another book review!

Since it is now officially spring, I thought it would be quite fitting to choose the book Knitted Flowers by Nicky Epstein for my first review and giveaway.

I know that not everyone reading this is a knitted flower type of person. 

I happen to like them though. When I first started knitting in 2002 I really really liked them.

Back then I knit and crocheted tons of flowers and attached them to hats, scarves, baby booties, purses.. Everything.

I haven't knit a flower in awhile, and I probably am not as excited by them as I used to be.. but I still definitely think they have a wonderful application.

I happen to have a 5 year old girl in my home who loves all things pink, frilly and princess-like, so I will most likely be knitting up more flowers for her knitted accessories as the years go on.

So if you are a knitted flower type of person, you will really enjoy this book by Nicky Epstein. 

I have to say, I have always thought that Nicky Epstein was a remarkable designer. She is very inventive and comes up with very unusual and interesting ideas. I own several of her books and I use them regularly.

In this book, Knitted Flowers, she offers a variety of flower designs using different techniques. I find myself especially drawn to her felted flowers. I think they are quite beautiful.

I've also always been attracted to her "Wallflower" pattern. 

The mohair yarn and the tiny pearl in the center is so delicate and feminine.

Aside from the multitude of flower pattern instructions, there are also patterns included for larger garments and accessories on which to attach the flowers to. Such as a pillow, wrap, bag and poncho. 

Nicky also offers many ideas of how to use and attach the flowers to various non knitted accessories such as a belt or shoes, or even as a pin on a jacket.

To sum up everything, I think that this is an interesting book full of lots of fun ideas surrounding the subject of knitted flowers. It's a beautifully presented 133 page publication full of lovely large photographs and easy to read instructions. Additionally, the back of the book contains pages of helpful information such as technique and abbreviation explanation, templates, and schematics.

I like and would use many of the flowers pictured, but since this book was originally printed in 2006, some of the yarns used in the samples are somewhat outdated at this point.

For instance..... This.

Many flowers are shown in novelty yarns which we don't see as much of in 2011 as we did back in 2006.

That doesn't mean that these "novelty" flowers wouldn't look totally different knit up in a different yarn though.

But for myself, as a strictly non-novelty-yarn-knitter, coming face to face with a picture like this can be a little unsettling.

But furry, sparkly, ribbon-y, multicolored, shiny yarn might just be your thing, and if it is.. there are many flowers in here that you will love. :)

So guess what? I am giving away this book to one of you! 

If you would like to enter to win this brand new copy of Knitted Flowers provided by Sixth and Spring Publishing, please leave a comment under this post. 

Please remember to include your contact information in your comment.

I will be announcing the winner next week with another book review!

Truckloads! 

Because...

I will be visiting 2 awesome southern California yarn shops this weekend!

On Friday (tomorrow) I will be at Unwind yarn shop in Burbank from 5:30-9:00 for a special "Mini Stitches Extravaganza". There will be refreshments and special sales and it sounds like a whole lot of fun. 

If you would like to attend, please click HERE to sign up!

On Saturday, I have the priviledge of doing a "designer meet and greet" at this amazing yarn shop, Wildfiber in Santa Monica! 

Look at the size of this store! 

I have a feeling that I am going to do some serious damage here! I will be at Wildfiber from 10am-2pm and will be there  incessantly shopping  knitting and meeting people. So come on by and say hello!

At both stores, I will have my all of my printed patterns available for purchase and a whole bunch of knitted samples on display. So please, if you are local to the southern California area, stop by either Unwind or Wildfiber and say hello. I LOVE to meet my blog readers and podcast listeners in person!

I hope to see you there!

Over the past several months, I've received a bounty of beautiful new books from Sixth and Spring Publishing. Since I am currently on a podcast break, I thought it would be fun to organize something new for the blog.

For the next seven weeks, I will be providing a review of each book. One book per week.

This is a great opportunity for you to look inside the publications and figure out if these would be a good addition to your knitting library.

And of course.. there will be a giveaway for each book too! Everyone will have a chance to enter to win one book each week. This will be fun and fast paced and I hope you will enjoy it.

Speaking of giveaways though.. 

Many of you winners have not claimed prizes from previous giveaways. Please check out the previous posts and contact me right away if you are a winner at nevernotknitting@gmail.com.

Thanks! Ill be back next week with a book review!

Get ready for Spring with a special sale!

Get 50% off of my childrens sized Spring Garden Tee and the adult version of the Spring Garden Tee pattern through Sunday March 20th.

This is a very fun and feminine springtime top that is worked entirely in one piece. 

The children's pattern is sized all the way from baby to girls size 14!

To receive your discount, please follow the link to my pattern store here. 

Select the patterns you would like and click "Checkout" at the bottom.

In the checkout process enter the special code "SpringSale"

This code can also be used for pattern purchases on ravelry.com.

Enjoy your springtime knitting!

A few months ago, I started designing some knitted headbands for my daughter. 

You undoubtedly already saw the Roses Are Red headband that I designed for the latest issue of Knitcircus magazine, but now I have 2 new headband designs to add to my personal pattern collection 

just in time for Spring!

Introducing..  The Birds

and..The Bees

(Modeled by my five year old daughter and her little friend. These girls are so sweet together.)

 

I had so much fun designing these!

This pattern comes in sizes to fit a baby, toddler, or child. 

The band is knit in garter stitch which makes for a nice stretchy fabric that stays in place.

They are super fast to knit up and a GREAT solution for leftover sock yarn.

I chose Louet Gems Fingering weight yarn for these headbands, but really any sock weight yarn would do.

Here is the pattern information for those of you interested in knitting up these headbands for the little one in your life:

SIZE
Baby (Toddler, Child)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Headband: 12 (14, 16)” long, 1.25” wide.
Stretches to fit 15.5 (17.5, 19.5)” head circumference.

MATERIALS
MC Louet Gems fingering weight 100% Merino Wool; 185 yd/169m per 50g skein 1 skein of each color or approx 35 (40, 45) yds of a fingering weight wool or wool blend.

For the Bird Pattern

CC1 color: Aqua #48 or Mustard #1352; 1 skein or 10 yds.

CC2 color: Pewter #43; 1 skein or 10 yds.

CC3 color: Fern Green #39; 1 skein or 5 yds.

For the Bee Pattern

CC1 color: Pewter #43; 1 skein or 10 yds.
CC2 color: Mustard #1352; 1 skein or 10 yds.
CC3 color: Cream #30; 1 skein or 10 yds.

Alternate Yarns: Malabrigo Sock, Spud and Chloe Fine

2 US1 / 2.25mm double pointed needles
Tapestry needle
Small amounts of black embroidery floss for bumblebee’s eyes, bird's eye and legs, and orange for bird's beak
Sewing needle for embroidery
Straight pins

But wait.. there is more! These are not your everyday knitting patterns. No.. not at all. 

These are super special.

As a mother of a little girl, I am always looking for ways to include her in the knitting process. So with this pattern I wanted to do something extra special for kids. Thanks to my awesome graphic designer, Jill, these patterns are beautifully and colorfully illustrated with a hidden picture game just for kids. While you are knitting these up, your little one will have fun trying to find all of the birds and bees in the pattern pages! There is also a fun little riddle for them to figure out. The game instructions are on the cover of each pattern and the answers are found inside. It's super fun! My daughter loved it!

Both "The Birds" and "The Bees" headband patterns are available as individual pdf downloads below.. but I highly suggest that you get the beautiful print version through your local yarn shop!

The printed version is a flip and turn pattern! With one pattern on each side. 2 patterns in 1.

Below you can see 2 copies of the same pattern.  (One is just flipped over.)

Here are some of the fun illustrations that you will find. I love how the inside middle of the printed pattern is a whimsical multi-directional tree, with birds on one side and bees on the other.
Its so fun. I know that the little ones in your life will love it!

I hope you and your family will enjoy this pattern as much as my daughter and I have together. 

It really is a special treat. So much more than just a simple set of instructions.

If you would like to see this pattern in print, please have your local yarn shop owner contact me at nevernotknitting@gmail.com for wholesale information.

Enjoy!

I know that as knitters, we have all seen pretty yarn before... 

But seriously now, have you ever seen a skein as pretty as this?

I don't know if it's the depth of color, the blended tones or the fact that this is my favorite color green, but I am completely in love with this skein of Pigeonroof Studios Cassiopeia DK in Juniper.

I acquired this skein (among others) from Krista at the Pigeonroof Studios booth at Stitches West.

I have been staring at it ever since. 

I know that I've said this before.. about other yarns.. but this might be my new favorite.

This texture. This colorway. The fact that it is an insanely indulgent blend of merino, cashmere and silk... 

I just love it.

I've wound it up and it's going on my needles right now. 

I need to find the perfect project to showcase it. 

I'll let you know what I come up with when I've figured that out.

More beautiful Pigeonroof Studios yarn available HERE.

 There are two fun new children's patterns that are coming out shortly...

These new designs are very special to me. I look forward to sharing them with you soon.

You and your little one will love them.

Illustrations provided by JillZielinskiDesigns.com

I'm back from the

Stitches West Convention

! What an amazing experience that was!

I was able to capture the show in photos and in audio for you.

Setting up....

My husband was so helpful. He did so much for the booth and ran TONS of errands for us during the show. 

I couldn't have done it without him.

 Here is our cozy little booth when all was said and done.

Lisa's

gorgeous hand-dyed yarns

made for a beautiful colorful display on the back wall.

Here is a closeup of the lovely samples we had knit up for the show in the beautiful yarns.

My Dad made this little wooden display for me to hang everything on. 

It turned out super cute and it was great to show off all of the knits at eye level.

This lovely

Cedar Leaf Shawlette

knit by Lisa in the Becoming Art

Lana Sedosa

in the "Mother" colorway 

was the sample that seriously won the most attention. This was my best selling pattern by far and 

I left the show with approx 10 copies left. And I brought a TON. 

This was definitely the most popular pattern at the show.

Another lovely sample was this

Cosette Wrap

that

Lisa

wore on Sunday. 

Its knit out of Lisa's

handspun yarn

which she was also selling at the show. 

I think that this is the perfect pattern for showing off handspun and the finished shawl was soo cushy and bouncy.

I want one now.

All in all, I had a fabulous time! I met so many fun people and saw so many beautiful things...

Which reminds me...

I have a new SURPRISE "Stitches Recap" podcast episode to share with you!

Thanks everyone!

See you there!

In Episode 50 I had the wonderful privilege of interviewing Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon-Osborne, the authors and designers behind the book Vintage Modern Knits!

They have kindly provided 2 fabulous prizes for you to enter to win!

Here is the GRAND PRIZE! 

It includes a brand new copy of the book along with...

2 skeins of Canopy Fingering to make the Cady Twisted-Stitch Mittens...

2 skeins of Canopy Worsted to make the Bramble Beret...

and another 2 skeins of Canopy Fingering to make the Abigail Hand Warmers!

The SECOND PRIZE is this lovely yarn sampler! 

It includes one skein of every yarn type carried by The Fibre Company!

All of the yarns are soo beautiful, but these are my absolute favorites. 

Incredible, really.

To enter to win one of these lovely prizes, please leave a comment (including contact information) under this post. In your comment please tell me if you have used The Fibre Company yarns in the past and if you have a favorite colorway. 

I will be announcing the winner here on March 1, so please check back then to see if you've won! Remember, only one comment per person please.

Have fun!

Drawing Now Closed! 

Congratulations to first place winner Erin Kole, and to second place winner "cricketspaw" ! 

Yay!

Episode 50!

Shownotes:

The Fibre Company

Stitches West

Seedling

 Becoming Art Cielo Worsted

The Fibre Company Canopy Worsted

Cloudy Day

Classic Elite Fresco

The Fibre Company Yarns

Kelbourne Woolens Patterns

Vintage Modern Knits

Vintage Modern Knits Patterns

Join the Never Not Knitting Ravelry Group!

The winner of Episode 49's

Yarn Love Drawing Giveaway

is

Theresa

! Congratulations!

*Please check back soon to enter the drawing for Episode 50!

Get 15% off a

Kelbourne Woolens pattern

of your choice at

kelbournewoolens.com

by March 15th, 2011

by entering code "

C5U67C9N " in the checkout process.

This offer is exclusive to the Never Not Knitting podcast listeners and blog readers.

*Please join me back for Season 6 of Never Not Knitting on June 1, 2011.*

Click

HERE

to download the Episode 50 MP3 file.

Get Vintage Modern Knits on Amazon

At the last minute, despite my insanely crazy, busy schedule, I've somehow cranked out this new 

Cloudy Day beret for a sample at our Stitches West booth.

It's knit out of the lovely Becoming Art Agave yarn in the heavy fingering weight. I always thought that the Becoming Art Cielo yarns were my favorite.. that was until I knit with the Agave.

Wow. That is all I have to say about that.

I thought this gray colorway called Driftwood was a very fitting match for the Cloudy Day beret. 

It's a beautiful silvery color with little flecks of gold-ish tan that show up occasionally.

I wanted to share these photos with you so that you could see how this beret looks knit up in a smooth yarn. It's a different sort of look, but very pretty I think.

Pattern available HERE.

Yarn available HERE.