Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A book I can recommend:

The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes. Not that I should be surprised, since Clara Parkes is the publisher of Knitter's Review and a contributing editor to Interweave Knits.

Okay, it's true that the cover is adorable, something that shouldn't sway me and always does. But you find out pretty quickly that you're in competent hands and will finish the book with more than just an understanding of the properties and behaviour of different yarn and what you'll have to compensate for; you're going to know where the fibers come from and how they're processed. And you canNOT beat a book with beautiful photographs of yarn and Finished Objects. Finished Objects for which patterns are provided, no less.

I was particularly interested in the entry on bamboo, having hung out recently with a knitter who was making a drool-worthy* baby sweater from lavender and pearl tinted bamboo yarns. And oh, the cabled tea cozy in two colours... I so need to make that, and then have a tea party.

I think this one definitely needs a place on my bookshelf, yes? and when it comes out in October so will its companion, The Knitter's Book of Wool.


* I refer of course to adult drool; not the baby variety. I would be reaching instinctively to get a bib over that cardi at the first hint of spit-on-lip, it was so sweet... though really, drool happens, and a girl oughtta be allowed to drool on her very own summer sweater, don't you think?

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