So the yarn-tasting at the Hawai’i State Library downtown this past Saturday went well – but I didn’t take any pictures, and when I realized that, immediately thought “great, now nobody is going to believe me.” I had capped attendance at 25, figured we’d be lucky to get 20, and then 30 people signed up (and I think a couple more showed up).
Fortunately for me, Nadine Kam from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin was there, took photos, and blogged about it (thanks Nadine!)
There were a couple of things I wish I’d managed to do differently – I’d wanted to talk more about knitting/crocheting for charity, and I also wanted to chat more with the attendees! I did get to talk briefly with a few people, but I wanted to hang out with *everyone* who attended – I hope I’ll get to see some of them at an Aloha Knitters meeting, ’cause like I said at the tasting, you people are the ones I need to talk to – you don’t need to be listening to me. Seriously, you should have seen some of the gorgeousness being kipped/cipped in that crowd! Thanks to all who attended, and for reals, I want to hang out with you all.
Most of the yarns in the tasting came from Isle Knit. The Maui Yarns came direct from Sara, and the Peaches & Creme came from Wal-Mart (and as I mentioned at the event, Wal-Marts nationwide are closing their craft departments – Ben Franklin has Sugar ‘n Cream; if they don’t have Peaches & Creme you might want to ask them about carrying it).
Oh, and someone had asked about a knit clothes hanger cover pattern in a book – I knew I’d seen at least one.
My current plan is to have a short talk on the library collection of knit/crochet books and specific books particularly applicable for our climate, and then a quick review of the yarns. I haven’t chosen and acquired all the yarns yet; Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton and Skinny Cotton, Cascade Eco Wool, Lana Knits Hemp for Knitting, and a seacell/silk blend are on the for-sure list, though.
Quick update:
“Come to the library for quick reviews of knitting and crocheting books in the library collection and a yarn-tasting! Sample bags will include mini-skeins of yarns good for tropical-weather garments as well as yarns good for use in felting and making warm garments and accessories for cold-climate friends, relatives, and charitable organizations. Feel free to bring a project to work on during the presentation, or to show off afterwards if you like. There will be a brief Q&A session if you have any questions about knitting/crocheting in Hawai’i. No how-to knit/crochet/spin lessons will be given at this event; reviews of instructional books, videos, and DVDs will be included in the presentation, though, and a handout of yarn shops and where you can take lessons will also be available.”
Chronicle Books, it seems, has taken note of the rising popularity of Japanese craft books – they have published three books of patterns translated into English, and have plans for more (Woolly Embroidery and Fuzzy Felted Friends are will be released later this month). I haven’t had a chance to look through these books, but I recognized the projects on the covers of Lacy Crochet and Amigurumi. The prices are reasonable and I’m putting them on my Amazon wishlist, so hopefully I’ll be able to review these in more depth.
Amazon is still carrying the English translation of Ondori Basic Knit as well.
This was supposed to be a review, but the blurb for Croq really sums it up better than I can. It’s informative, in-depth, and a better value than most of the shiny craft magazines on the rack at the big chain bookstore. How about a serious article on how to sell your handmades to shops and boutiques? Alicia Paulson’s blog post (Wholesale, Retail, and Beginning to Sell Your Handmades to Shops) has also run as an article in Croq and is a great example of the actual, for-real helpfulness you can expect to find in this ‘zine.
In this world of blogs, craft books and boutiques agog, we’re not trying to show you what’s new and hip. This zine came about due to a mutual frustration in regards to the current craft resurgence.
Why isn’t anyone writing about the importance of what we’re doing? Why isn’t there a craft zine written by people who make stuff? And most importantly, we wanted to see a real print and paper zine that we would actually read. With strong online as well as real-life networks, we are entering a new era never before seen.
By combining the power of the internet with the power of personal creativity, we are proving that things do not have to be mass-produced, that we can be our own stylists, that there is strength in mastering the sewing machine or the knitting needles or the silkscreen.
We’re about not only recognizing the past legacy and the future possibilities of craft, but about reminding you, the reader, that you’re not alone. Some say that the bubble has already burst, that craft has reached its apex and is destined to plummet. We say bring it on.
There are times when I pick up a book or magazine and the description “fun and funky” comes up, in a way which is, quite frankly, more a warning that the items being showcased are likely to be uncomfortable, difficult to wear, and flattering only to 15-year old Brazilian models who have been worked on by a team of makeup artists and carefully lit by a professional photographer. For example, a fun fur dress in a recent magazine – just looking at it made me feel itchy and overheated, and it made the sleek, slender model wearing it look chunky. There are times when I pick up a publication and find myself wondering if I am looking at randomly selected projects with only the vaguest of themes (perhaps, “using specialty yarns you can’t find locally”). Get Your Crochet On is not one of those books. This is a strong, cohesive collection of genuinely fun and funky patterns by Afya Ibomu, who sells her handmade creations through shops and boutiques and well as styling such luminaries as Erykah Badu, Common, and M1 (who also appear as models in the book). All the patterns are designed by Afya and are based on the hats she makes, sells, and wears. The photos in the book are people on the street type shots, and I really get the feeling that the people modeling the hats are people who would be wearing them even if a camera was not pointed in their direction. The styles shown in the book are very much what you would expect to see walking down the street in certain Brooklyn neighborhoods, if that helps.
One comment I’ve heard on the patterns was “I think I’m the wrong flavor for that” but I’m of the opinion that a closer look and a little time spent on thinking about color and yarn possibilities would open up the possibilities. The granny square cap, for example, done in a solid cream, would be worn by a certain teenager I know who likes to shop at AE, and the soldier style cap would probably have a $50 price tag dangling from it at B*b*. It’s easy to choose your own favorite yarns to use with the patterns, which will call for a certain weight of yarn and three colors, without specifying brand or color (she does, in a section in the back of the book, provide information about the yarns she prefers – the easy care, easy to find, inexpensive craft shop standbys like Red Heart, Lion Brand, and Sugar ‘n Cream). Pattern introductions often include suggestions on how you can make choices to make the pattern your own (how to make the fedora pattern more appealing to the girly-girls, for example), and your own creativity is encouraged. The patterns include a quick, simple bun cover, a standard baseball cap, and styles for those who wear their hair in dreadlocks (like a colorful net tam).
The book includes well-illustrated instructions on the basics of the patterns used (stitches and assembly) and an explanation about gauge. The patterns have written instructions, photos, and some patterns include photos of some of the steps used (like attaching a bill). Instructions on how to add details like earflaps and pom-pons are included. There are no schematics and no symbolcraft is used.
The Kinky Reggae hat pattern is available for free through Afya’s site, and if you would like to buy a finished hat, you can do so through nattral.com, which is also a nice way to check out the sorts of hats you can expect to find in the book. Amazon.com does have the “search inside” feature for this book so that you can check out the “getting started” section, covering yarn, hooks, and the basics of crochet.
Little things: Oh, you probably knew I was going to say this: hey, Taunton Press, craft books are easier to use if you can lay them out flat! Also, some of the photos weren’t very sharp and I think may have been tinkered with, which doesn’t really make them sharper, but a little harder to look at.
Overall, an enjoyable book with a friendly, encouraging tone and great patterns. Wrapped up with a couple of skeins of yarn and a hook or two (or the always popular gift card to a yarn shop option), this would make a lovely gift.
Motifs of Crocheting www.boutique-sha.co.jp
ISBN 4-8347-2331-3
Barcode 1: 9784834723311
Barcode 2: 1929476009432
Printed in Japan
I went to Hakubundo on a lunch break and came back with this book. One of my co-workers asked if I could read Japanese, and when I said I couldn’t, she asked me why I’d purchased a Japanese book and then spent the next few minutes probably wishing she hadn’t said anything as I extolled the layout, the use of symbolcraft, and the Japanese symbolcraft standards. My illiteracy does limit my use of the book in a couple of respects (I had to get someone else to translate the title for me, for starters), but the hurdles are easily overcome.
The sections are organized by motif shape (circle, square, hexagon, triangle, and floral), with an illustrated tutorial at the beginning of each section which presumably gives tips and explanations (the illustrations are easy to follow; the text accompanying it is, due to my Latinate-centric education, impossible for me to follow). Each motif is shown in four variations using different yarn textures and colors, from fuzzy mohair to shiny ribbon to smooth cottons and wools, although the yarns used vary from motif to motif (not every motif will be shown in different yarns; some are shown only in different colors). Every pattern is given in symbolcraft, with the sort of added detail that delights me: each row or round of the pattern is in a different color and clearly numbered. Swoon! The sections begin with photos showing projects made using motifs, including handbags, scarves, and shawls, with instructions for the projects given at the end of the book (between the photos and the illustrations, even the Japanese illiterate can manage them). The projects are generally simple and rather conservative, although yarn and color choices could make a big difference – for example, there’s a fringed mesh shawl on page 23 which could be appropriate for my former art school girl of doom self, or for my practical mother who would want something warm that goes with most of her wardrobe (more on this here). There are no people in the photos, just the items, sometimes shown on a wooden mannequin. I like this – it’s easier for me to not delude myself into thinking that a hat strongly resembling a crumpled brown paper sack will look just as cute on me as it does on the kawaiiiiiiii model (please note that no such hat is in this particular book).
Additionally, the book includes a section with step-by-step illustrations explaining each symbol used, removing any confusion that would arise with text-based patterns (such as the US single crochet vs. the UK single crochet), and illustrated instructions for joining motifs.
The book is about the size of a standard magazine, so it fits neatly into my messenger bag. I’ll probably take this to a print shop to have the spine replaced with a spiral binding. $17.35 at Hakubundo.
For more on Japanese craft books and links with information on the symbols used, etc., please check out my earlier post on Japanese Craft Books.
Ondori Basic Knit Full Color Illustrated
Ondorisha Publishers Ltd.
ISBN 0-87040-745-7
Regular readers may recall that I’ve been on the lookout for a Japanese knit book which includes the symbols used, explained with the handy step-by-step images I’ve seen used in Natural Taste. What if I told you there is indeed such a book, it’s readily available at a low price, and printed in English? Not to mention, sitting right under my nose at the local Japanese bookstore? While browsing through a sale table at Hakubundo, I came across Basic Knit. I’ve seen it before, but this was the first time I had the presence of mind to check and see if it included a symbol chart. Yep. It covers the basics as well, with the same clearly illustrated diagrams and helpful notes I expect from a Japanese knit publication. The section on grafting is particularly helpful for me, as it shows where the needles are (something lacking in most illustrations for grafting that I’ve seen). Overall, a good basic Japanese learn-to-knit book (in English!).
There is also a book on learning to both knit and crochet; however, I haven’t had a chance to go through this one yet.
For more on Japanese craft books and links with information on the symbols used, etc., please check out my earlier post on Japanese Craft Books.
I picked this up at the library out of idle curiosity and flipped it open. I don’t run in the library, so I walked very briskly over to the nearest available chair and settled in. See, I’ve picked up many a book of afghan blocks, gone through pages of free afghan block patterns on the internet, gotten a little jaded.
It’s not so much the blocks themselves that really grabbed me (although there are many beauties in here), it’s the way this book has been organized and presented. Jan Eaton has put out several books for needleworkers of all stripes – in addition to the knit and crochet books, she has done books and charts for embroidery, cross-stitch, and needlepoint. Enhancing her prowess, this book has been published by Interweave Press, which specializes in the fiber arts. Eaton and Interweave know their market well.
This book is designed to be a pleasure to work with from start to finish. When you open the book, this is how you are greeted: with an index listing all 200 blocks as thumbnails. Each one is labeled with a name, number, and page number. For the second half of the book, in which squares are shown with color variations, the thumbnails have a separate number for each color scheme (and yes, each color scheme is shown in the thumbnails!).
You then go through a quick introduction and two pages of how to use this book – there is a plan, and it is good. Each block pattern has symbols indicating difficulty level, how it is worked (back and forth or in the round), and the colors used in the block. For the first hundred, suggestions for three blocks you could mix each block with are shown (again in thumbnails). Details on how to read the afghan plans are given – each plan includes individual images of each block used, how many of them are needed, the colors used, and the number each block is labeled with. There’s a nice combination of ideas you can use as well as information to help you design your own blankets in the following sections, which cover thoughts on how to choose and combine blocks, plan a design, and use colors. The suggested designs cover 9-patch pillows, baby blankets, throws, and full-size afghans, like the simple Baby Stripes (using the same block turned in two directions to create a stepped pattern) and Eastern Promise (at first glance, it looks elaborate, but uses only two blocks).
There are two patterns per page in the first 100 blocks, with the photos at varying sizes to accomodate varying pattern lengths – all of the blocks will work up to the same size, however, if you stick to a single gauge. There are traditional favorites as well as Eaton originals, and it looks like the block patterns were arranged with the colors used in mind – two facing pages will have blocks that all use shades of blue, for example. I’ve already mentioned that the second half of the book shows each block in four different color schemes, and I don’t know if I can express how much I love this. Color makes a huge difference, and it appears to me that the schemes chosen include one each of neutral, warm, cool, and bright. This can make all the difference between flicking past a square and going breathless at the sight of it; thinking that hmm, it’s nice, but I’ll never use it and say, that would make a gorgeous throw for the couch.
Finally, the back of the book includes techniques (I really appreciate the basics of crochet going to the back of the book, sparing those of us who know how to crochet the slog through beginner instructions), a few edgings, abbreviations, suggestions on choosing yarn and calculating yarn amounts, and – and! – a full list of the yarns used throughout the book, arranged by color, using the same color dot symbols as the patterns. People, details like this make me take out my hanky and dab at my eyes. Details like this take work and planning, all so that you and I can, if we so desire, use the exact same yarns as the book (now, how easy it would be to get those yarns is not up to the author or the publisher, so I’ll let that go).
Overall, I think this book would make a fine addition to my personal library, and a nice book for the nightstand – something to daydream over before going to sleep and letting ideas percolate. I imagine this would be a wonderful resource for groups looking to make a blanket together, as well as individuals who would like to get started making afghans tailored to their own specifications. The book would be even easier to use if the patterns were available as symbolcraft as well, but I’m not going to kick about that. 200 patterns, half of them with 3 additional color schemes…that’s a lot of work. As my usual, I’m going to point out that you have to do unkind things to the book in order to get it to lay flat (this is generally up to the publisher, so I’m wagging my finger at Interweave here).
Errata is available from Interweave as downloadable .pdf files. Later printings may not have the errors in them, so do check the copy in your hands; the corrections may already be in there.
, is currently available for pre-order.
