The Book

Last fall I pre-ordered a copy of the very much anticipated: THE PRINCIPLES OF KNITTING by June Hemmonds Hiatt (New York: Touchstone, 2012).

I had first heard of this book a few years ago, reading (online) that it was out of print and that existing copies of it were selling for $300 on eBay.  I made a mental note, those few years ago, to search for it at any used book sales that I attended.  I memorized "principles of knitting" but of course I never found one.

At some point in the year 2011, I read that a new and revised version  of "principles" was being released later in the year.  In September 2011, I saw (I think it was on a blog) a link to Amazon where the book could actually be pre-ordered.  I went there and read this...

"The definitive book of knitting techniques  A word-of-mouth phenomenon since its original publication, with a passionate and loyal following, The Principles of Knitting has served as a treasured resource for an entire generation of knitters. Now completely revised and updated, this long-awaited new edition contains indispensable information for every knitter, from the beginner to the most experienced, on all aspects of the craft."

...of course, I ordered one.

When the book came in February, it was mostly as I expected.  (It weighs in at 4.6 pounds and has 712 pages.)  I always felt that this would be a reference book.  (It is encyclopedic.  I think it could be called a "tome".)  I read the introductions which convinced me that June Hemmonds Hiatt did a very thorough job.  But then I got on with my knitting and put it away.

I put it away, because, as an experienced knitter, I did not need any help on that day.  In my next post, I will refer to "THE BOOK" and tell you how it aided me on a recent day when I did need some help.

Which Was It?

What did Abe really say?

Was it this?

"The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read."  ~ Abraham Lincoln, Finest Quotes

Or was it this?

“The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who'll get me a book I haven't read.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln, goodreads

Maybe it really was this.

"Denny, the things I want to know is in books. My best friend’s the man who’ll get me one.”  ~Abraham Lincoln, evidenceanecdotal

This last link is to a blog that indicates that the quote comes as a recollection from Abraham Lincoln's older cousin, Dennis Friends Hank, when he was 90 years old.  They both loved books.

Midweek Meditation

"The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I haven't read. "  
                                                                         ~ Abraham Lincoln
 

That Wasn't All

I must confess that there actually was one more color book to arrive in my home in January.  For quite a while, I had two Fair Isle pattern books in my shopping cart at Amazon.  They were Alice Staremore's Charts for Color Knitting and 200 Fair Isle Motifs by Mary Jane Mucklestone.

After I received my book order from Schoolhouse Press, I felt that it was time to take a leap and pick one or the other of these Fair Isle chart books.  I choose:

This is a great book.  It has nearly 40 pages on the fundamentals of working in Fair Isle, some of which overlaps my Knitting With Two Colors book, and yet, they are a compliment to each other.  The charts (200 of them) are shown in black and white, as well as in two suggested color palletes per each motif.  In addition, there are charts showing how each motif may be expanded into an allover design (as opposed to just a patterned band as shown on the cover).  So many choices.

And did I mention it is colorful!  Joyously colorful!

All My New Color Books

I love color.  I found myself craving color at the start of the year.  When you can't have enough daylight, a little color can help.

I went on a mini book shopping spree in January.  I had been reading reviews of the book, Knitting with Two Colors by Meg Swanson and Amy Detjen.

At the Schoolhouse Press website, the book is described as, "a two-color knitting workshop for beginner to advanced knitters."

The book is only 64 pages, and has no actual patterns, but it is full of everything technical about colorwork.  Though I have been knitting for a very long time (and have always enjoyed working with color) I came across something in the first 10 pages that I had never heard of before.  I am trying to read it cover to cover; but there is also a great index and photo list (there at lots of photos), making this a fantastic reference book.

So, a funny thing happened while I was on the Schoolhouse Press website.  I found several books on sale at very good prices.  (You know they are good prices when they are less than at Amazon.)

I bought Poems of Color by Wendy Keele.  I do not know how long it will be on sale, but here is the link.

The book covers the history of Swedish Bohus Stickning.  Quoting Schoolhouse press, "Extraordinary designers were drawn to this cottage industry established by Austrian-born, Emma Jacobsen. Upon Emma's death, the collection of mesmerizing patterns were in danger of disappearing until Wendy Keele - making numerous trips to Sweden to meet with the remaining designers and with the founder's daughter - gathered together the original charts in this lovely book."

I also bought Marianne Isager's Inca Knits.  It, also, is still available at the sale price, here, but I do not know for how long.

Marianne Isager is a designer whom I have long admired.  In this book she embraces South American art and interprets it in some fantastic knitting patterns.  I am sure that I will be making the Inca Jacket for myself.  Whenever I might have a child to knit for in the future, I would love to make the Inca Child Pullover with the dancing girls and boys border.

So, another funny thing happened when I opened my package from Schoolhouse Press.  It was only then that I realized I had actually ordered three books that were essentially colorwork books.  I laughed at that.  I do love books.  I do love knitting.  I do love color.  I was very happy.

A Book I Recommend

I have often recommended Nancie M. Wiseman's book on finishing techniques to my knitting students.  It is aptly titled THE KNITTER'S BOOK OF FINISHING TECHNIQUES [Martingale & Co, 2002] and the publisher's description may be found here.

I have learned much from this book, though I have owned it for only about five years.

I have learned to make all kinds of woven seams.  It is a fact that back in the dark ages, when I first learned to knit and seam sweaters, my mother taught me to make back stitch seams (it was the only kind of seam that she and her sisters ever used).  I could do a decent job with these, but it was always a pain to have to keep turning the work to see how it was coming out on the right side.  Woven seams are done with right sides facing and are practically invisible.  The book covers all possibilities in woven seams.  Now I always adjust my ribbing for seaming as on page 66-67.  Often I wonder why I did not think to do that on my own.  But I did not.

See more on this project here on Ravelry.

See more on this project here on Ravelry.

There are side seams in the middle of each photo above.
My favorite button hole is the One-Row Buttonhole -- Revised Method, pages 116-117.

See more on this project here on Ravelry.

My first tubular cast, pages 20-23, really impressed me.

See more on this project here on Ravelry.

What I plan to talk about even more in my next post is Nancie M Wiseman's "Grafting or Kitchener Stitch Bind Off", pages 54-55.  It really is a beautiful thing!

See more on this project here on Ravelry.

I modified the above sweater just so I could use the Kitchener bind-off (in the round) for all of the ribbing.

Final thoughts:  There are so very many knitting videos out in the world today.  I have students who literally learned to knit from videos.  I do tell those students that this book might not appeal to them.  It is somewhat old-fashioned with finished photos followed by only words and illustrations to describe what to do.  But in just five years it has taught this "old dog" some "new tricks".
Thanks, Nancie!