In our ideal MN yarn shop...what books would we have for browsing ?

[Fillyjonk]

and possibly...ahem...photocopying. or maybe lending...

am thinking

-some erika knight
-mason-dixon
-last minute knitted gifts
-summat by that yarn harlot woman cos she is funny and also canadian

(we won't need how to book because we will painstakingly nurture beginners ourselves)

now presumably we need some kaffe fasset, nicky epstein and barbata walker? but i know nothing about them.

and some histories/sociologies of knitting?

and something to make the crocheters feel loved

Thoughts?

All four Barbara G. Walker knitting pattern books. And of course, Montse.

Oh, I have one with 1000 knitted motifs, but it's out on loan, of course. (Along with my 2nd Barbara G. Walker, which is a) the best of the lot and b) with someone who's moved away )

yes talk to me please of barbara walker

i wish to learn more of lace and edgings

is she the way forward?

i have xmas money to spend, am deciding between her and nicky epstein. i like her feminist fairy tales.

She just does textures. Well, and some ideas about seamfree knitting. Lots of mosaic work. And yeah, lots of lace. Her books are pretty readable. #2 is very big with lots of stuff. #1 includes lots of basic stitches, and then some. #3 and #4 are charted, which takes some getting used to, but is actually easier than written instructions (better for knitting in the round, and makes it easier to see how a textures works). #3 and #4 have lots of very fancy textures in them.

textures good, i have decided i don't do intrasia. would that be this "moasic work" of which you speak?

is 1 worth buying at all, do you reckon?

No, mosaic isn't intarsia, and it isn't fairisle, either. Essentially, you're having multiple colours on the same row by slipping stitches. It's a bit tricky to get used to, but it easy really. I did a giant blanket for my sister's new baby all in mosaic - did you see pics?

1 is worthwhile, there are some good textures in it, classics like brioche etc etc. And lots I hadn't seen before. I'm working a hat right now in a multi-colour variation on her variation of some cable stitch.

noooo didn't see pics...

am tempted. i have 4000 things i have promised others, all for delivery by around march 15, oh clever me but then, I think I will be needing knitting inspiration.

ok will sell some of my dusty knitting books and buy both.

Here . Must do more entries, I don't think I even photographed the last couple of hats.

is it, in essence, the ballband dishcloth technique?

I love the blanket, btw.

ps who is montse?

am nosing through the blog now

omg its in 4 ply

oh jesus

respect.

I have no idea what a 'ballband dishcloth' is. Am looking.

Montse is Montse Stanley, she did a lovely book of knitting techniques, very very detailed, containing everything you need to know.

Ah, yes, same as the ballband dishcloth, really. But on a larger scale. All the stuff on the blanket is mosaic.

I am all 4ply at the moment, pretty much. It's an albatross of a stash.

I have plans to maybe make myself a sweater from the stash, too. In purple.

Makes knitting in DK very odd, like working with broomsticks.

(What worries me is, i'd like to work in smaller yarn now. )

I bow to your superior technical knowledge ladies
I'd want Kaffe Fassett, Ola Gorie, Thing of Norway (mind has gone blank), Brandon Mably, Erika Knight and Sarah Dallas.

ok have nosed through quite a lot of the blog and am sold on barbara walker. I need more texture in my knitting

btw re seam free sweater design books? have you tried elizabeth zimmerman?

ps I LOVE sewing up

its fab

omg

£30 each

omg

interesting

I have Elizabeth Zimmerman, haven't really read it. I keep just making hats.

The Walker books are quite pricey. I think I got some of mine from the US, when DH was visiting there.

am going to buy one i think

for these square things I'm meant to be doing

If they're all the same price, buy #2. It has some great textures in it. And it's by far the biggest of the lot.

Agree we'd need to have several copies of Montse chained down like Argos catalogues, so people could always refer to them. I like the Nicky Epstein edging books, and I like the Vogue Stitchionary books, although you have to watch out for errors. I think a back catalogue of Rowan mags, too- I was looking for a fairly simple DK pattern the other day and realised what a treasure trove the Rowan mags from a few years back really are (before everything got too over-designed). Definitely Ann Budd's books with measurements for absolutely everything, too

excellent

i am going to buy the second treasury now

my credit card is a quivering