Sneak Preview

I've been hard at work putting together another book, which has to be turned in to Interweave next week. Although I can't reveal the particulars yet, I can tell you that it is scheduled to be available in the summer of 2013.
Here's a photo of the projects:

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!
Whenever I think of the many things I have to be thankful for, my life as a knitter is always at the top of the list.
Although I didn't realize it at the time, my parents set the stage by taking the family to live near Zurich, Switzerland, while my father (a university professor) was on sabbatical during the 1968-1969 school year. During that year, I attended a local school where boys and girls were separated one afternoon a week to learn gender-specific skills. That's where I learned how to knit. It's also where I learned to hate having my picture taken after my father snapped the photo below. Nobody is more surprised than me that such an awkward gangly girl was destined to become the luckiest person in the world.

In the spirit of giving thanks, I've made a donation of fiber animals to Heifer International in the hopes that others will discover the joys of knitting. Feel free to join me.
Think of how much better the world would be if everyone spent a little relaxing time knitting!

Classes, Classes, Classes

I can't believe that my last blog post was October 26 -- that was more than three weeks ago!

In my defense, I've been on the road teaching and having too much fun dining and conversing with other knitters into the late hours. Since the beginning of October, I've been at:
Interweave Knitting Lab in Manchester, NH
Wild Purls in Billings, MT
SpinOff Autumn Retreat (SOAR) in Tahoe City, CA
Interweave Knitting Lab in San Mateo, CA
Knitter's Review Retreat in Canandaigua, NY

Happily, I'm home for the next couple of months. But I've got some exciting workshop trips already planned for 2013, including:
Knit and Ski in Steamboat, CA (January 24 - 27)
Loopy Ewe in Fort Collins, CO (April 18 - 21)
Toronto Downtown Knit Collective Knitter's Frolic in Toronto, Ontario (April 26 - 29)
Belle France Tours in Montpellier, France (September 16 - 22)
Knit East in New Brunswick, Canada (September 27 - 29)

I'll post other engagements when they become finalized. I look forward to meeting a lot of you on my travels!

Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters -- Modified-Drop Shoulder Style

The Knitter's Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters has been out for a few months now and I continue to get questions about how to get the chapter that was cut from the print version (page restrictions, don't you know) but included in the eBook (no page restrictions). The chapter in question addresses modified-drop shoulder silhouettes, which, we agreed, is a style that most knitters might prefer to knit from the bottom up.
Still, the chapter includes instructions for 15 sizes at 5 different gauges, or 75 more sweaters (not counting cardigan and neckline variations). Plus, and perhaps more importantly, the chapter includes three additional patterns--two by me and one by Kristen TenDyke. And both of my designs were photographed on men to demonstrate that all of the instructions include men's sizes.
Here's the Unisex Zip (worked with Briar Rose Fibers Legend at a gauge of 6 stitches/inch):

Here's the Weekend Retreat (worked with my very own handspun at a gauge of 4.75 stitches/inch):

And here's Kristen TenDyke's Basket Case Cardigan (worked with O-Wool Balance at a gauge of 5 stitches/inch:

At present, you can only get these patterns and the modified-drop shoulder chapter if you purchase the downloadable eBook. But that seems excessive if you've already purchased the print copy and all you want is the missing chapter. I've been asking Interweave to make this chapter available as a single download for those who don't want to buy the complete book a second time. If you agree, it might help if you contact Interweave's customer service to let them know.

Counting Rows

Whenever I teach a class, I can be fairly certain that I will come out learning something myself. This has never been truer than my recent sock class at Wild Purls in Billings, Montana. I was explaining how to count slipped edge stitches along the selvedges of a heel flap when Joyce Fletcher mentioned the method she developed out of desperation.
Unable to convince herself that she could tell the difference between slipped and knitted stitches, Joyce turned to the wrong side of the flap (shown here on a completed sock) hoping that the slipped stitches would be more visible than on the right side. On first inspection, they're not.

But Joyce took a spare needle and poked around to find that it was pretty easy to slip the needle under the horizontal strand associated with each slipped stitch.

Joyce stumbled on a foolproof method that had the rest of us in awe. There are 8 rows of slipped stitches in the heel flap in this example and I can assure you that they are much easier to count from this perspective. I hope you can make use of Joyce's trick next time you have to count rows of slipped stitches.

The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet

I don't normally review books or products on my blog, but today I'm making an exception.

Hunter Hammersen has self-published a book of patterns inspired by 10 vintage botanical illustrations. Called The Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet, this book contains an exceptional collection of mostly lace socks, hats, cuffs, shawls, and cowls, including a variety of heel flap and edging patterns. The image below provides some general information, the book's cover (top left), and other selected projects.

Unlike some self-published books, The Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet is a visual treat in terms of photography and layout and is printed on quality paper. I haven’t tried any of the designs yet, but I definitely will.

The book sells for $26.95 and is available through Unicorn Books.

More Montana Socks

The third class I taught at Wild Purls in Billings, Montana, was Toe-Up Socks. I don't normally take photos of students, but they gave me permission to click one to share here. Notice the lively walls and displays -- this shop is a visual treat.

Here's a sample of the miniature socks that were knitted for the class. There were 20 students, but I managed to gather only 16 of the socks. (Note to self--don't use a red background for photos.)