Tag Archives: books

Eat & Knit, by Marianne Isager & Camillo’s Kitchen.

Posted by on

When we’re not talking about yarn, Anne and I often chat about food as we work – we both love to cook and share intriguing recipes. Thus, we find Marianne Isager’s new book especially enticing – let’s take a look inside Eat & Knit!

Eat & Knit is a collaboration between knitwear designer Marianne Isager and Camillo’s Kitchen, a pop-up restaurant in Tversted, Denmark.

The knitting patterns and recipes in this collection are all organized around a particular ingredient – cauliflower, beet, lemon, and so on. It’s fun to see the fruits and vegetables reflected in the knitwear!

We keep a variety of Isager yarns in stock here at the shop, though not every single one – ask us and we’ll help connect you with the yarn you’re looking for or a good substitute.

Eat & Knit is $21.95; order online for local pickup or shipping via USPS Priority Mail!

52 Weeks of Socks.

Posted by on

Update: We are totally sold out of 52 Weeks of Socks, and Laine has no more copies to sell to us. Good luck on your search!

******************

 

We are delighted to announce that we finally have some copies of Laine’s new book, 52 Weeks of Socks!

This is our second batch, actually – the first came and went quickly, every copy spoken for before we could even breathe word of its arrival. This 256 page tome includes 52 patterns for knitting socks and slippers, an astonishingly large collection, and a beautiful one. You can see them all on Ravelry, a virtual way to browse the book; the list of designers is impressive, including Joji Locatelli, Isabell Kraemer, Rachel Coopey, Andrea Mowry, and Caitlin Hunter.

Laine no longer produces their popular knitting and lifestyle magazine, having shifted their focus to book making, but their reputation for pleasing designs and tantalizing photography remains. 52 Weeks of Socks is heavy with inspiring patterns using a variety of techniques, but it is also a beautiful object unto itself.

The book is $47, and while we’re closed to foot-traffic, it’s only available via mail-order. Shipping for this weighty hardcover is $15, but there’s definitely room in the box for a couple of skeins of sock yarn, if you’d like to make the most of it!

We have limited copies of 52 Weeks of Socks available, and Laine has announced that this was their fourth and final printing of the book, so get in touch soon if you’d like to order it from us!

Colorwork stitch dictionaries.

Posted by on

Our current Strange Brew colorwork design classes have students itching for books of colorwork inspiration – stitch dictionaries in particular, books full of motifs that can be applied to a variety of projects. Three of our favorites are back in stock – let’s take a look!

Andrea Rangel’s Alterknits is a playful collection of 200 non-traditional colorwork stitch patterns, with geometric and figural patterns alike – from chevrons and op-art motifs to bicycles, chickens, and sheep.

Mary Jane Mucklestone’s 200 Fair Isle Motifs is focused on the particular Scottish colorwork tradition for which it is named.

Mucklestone has organized the motifs by the number of rows and stitches in each pattern repeat, making it easy to find a pattern that divides evenly into the number of stitches you’re working with on any given project – hat, socks, sweater, etc. Each chart is shown not only in the traditional black-dots-on-a-white-grid style, but also in a color photograph, a color variation, and an all-over version, giving the knitter a jump start on adapting these patterns for many uses.

Mucklestone brings the same inspiring approach to her 150 Scandinavian Motifs, which shares colorwork stitch patterns from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Come by the shop to browse these and other books! We hope you find inspiration here.

Knitting Outside the Box: Drape & Fold.

Posted by on

Bristol Ivy’s new book is here! Let’s look inside Knitting Outside the Box: Drape & Fold. 

Bristol Ivy is an independent knitwear designer whose work you likely recognize – she’s designed for Brooklyn Tweed and the Fibre Company, among others, and her patterns have appeared in publications like Pom Pom Quarterly, Making, and Amirisu. Ivy also has quite a catalog of self-published patterns available on Ravelry, and the variety of techniques and styles among them is also on display in her first book, Knitting Outside the Box, published by Pom Pom Press.

This new title picks up where the first book left off, and finds Ivy exploring knitted garments that drape and fold.

While the first book talks about manipulating knitted fabric as you create it, with stitch patterns and shaping, this new book is all about what can be done with that fabric after the knitting is through – by folding, overlapping, seaming, and more.

It’s a book of patterns, yes, but also an insight into Ivy’s design process and an invitation to knitters to create their own unique pieces.

Look for both of Bristol Ivy’s books here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop, along with many other inspiring new publications!

Strange Brew.

Posted by on

We’re delighted to have Tin Can Knits’ Strange Brew back in stock! Our first batch sold out quickly, before I even had a chance to talk about it here on the blog – today I’ll amend that. Let’s take a look at Strange Brew, a colorwork knitting book that intends to embolden knitters to design!

Tin Can Knits is the collaborative name of designers Alexa Ludeman and Emily Wessel, known for their approachable pattern-writing, and especially for designing for an extensive range of sizes. Anne and I have both knit their “Dog Star” several times, a colorwork yoke pullover knit seamlessly from the bottom up; it goes from 0-6 months up to a 63″ chest circumference – truly inclusive sizing that appears in Strange Brew, as well.

They’ve dubbed Strange Brew a “colorwork knitting adventure,” an apt description for a book bursting with the information and inspiration you need to make colorwork sweaters in 3 gauges and 25 sizes, from the top down or bottom up.

The book begins with the Strange Brew “recipe,” a blank canvas of a sweater pattern with all the numbers crunched for you – how many stitches to cast on, how and when to work the shaping, etc.

What they’ve left up to you is the colorwork patterning, though they offer lots of resources for designing and knitting it.

There are diagrams showing the differences between working top-down and bottom-up, notes on fit, pattern alignment, and swatching, and charts and motifs you can apply to the yoke, sleeves, or body of your sweater.

There are also patterns you can work from, if you’re not in the mood to design your own, that are pleasing to the eye, in fun color combinations and yarns we know and love.

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, Shelter, and Tukuwool Fingering all make appearances in this book, and you can find all three here at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. These are genuinely some of my favorite yarns to work with, and Tin Can Knits’ cheerful, adventurous use of them totally charmed me.

Look for Strange Brew on the teacart at the shop!

Back on the shelf: Knitting Ganseys.

Posted by on

Beth Brown-Reinsel’s Knitting Ganseys is back on our shelves! This classic book was revised and updated last year, and after selling out of two orders, we’re delighted to have a fresh stack of them on our teacart here at the shop.

Originally published 25 years ago, Knitting Ganseys is a book of knitting history as well as knitting patterns. Ganseys were traditionally worn by Scottish and British fisherman during the 19th century, designed to be hard-wearing and comfortable, but decorated with intricate texture patterns.

In the book, Beth Brown-Reinsel shares some of the history of this classic garment, then explains how to knit a traditional gansey on a smaller scale for practice. She covers all the techniques required, from cast-ons and stitch patterns to fit and finish.

Our friend and teacher, Nancy, has recently taken a class with Beth Brown-Reinsel and wants to share what she’s learned in an upcoming class here at our shop. Focusing on the “Newhaven” pullover, students in her class will learn about traditional gansey construction and techniques. Head to our Classes page to learn more about it, and sign up now if you’d like to attend!

Look for Knitting Ganseys here at the shop!

Stitches, by Helga Isager.

Posted by on

Helga Isager’s new book is here! Let’s look inside Stitches.

Stitches is primarily a collection of garments, with a few accessories sprinkled in. Her focus in this book is on embroidery and embellishment, pointing out that both knitting needles and sewing needles make stitches.

As in her most recent book, K (Knit), Isager includes a full-size photo of the swatch for each project, so you can see in detail what it should look like as it grows, and even measure it against the photo.

Look for the book on our teacart, and find Isager yarns in the lace, fingering, and DK weight sections here at the shop!

Twelve Knitted Sweaters from Tversted.

Posted by on

Today, let’s take a look at Marianne Isager’s latest book, Twelve Knitted Sweaters from Tversted.

Twelve Knitted Sweaters from Tversted features a sweater for each month of the year, a premise well-suited for this moment as we begin 2019.

As usual, these designs are knit with Isager’s own yarns, most of which are available here at our shop – Anne has been passionate about the Isager yarn and designs for years, and makes sure we have plenty of each on hand.

These yarns vary in gauge and in fiber content, but share a harmonious color palette, and Isager often combines them in her designs for unique fabric.

Look for this lovely book on our tea cart at the shop, with the latest books and magazines. We hope you find inspiration here!

Knit How.

Posted by on

Pom Pom’s newest book is aimed at new knitters – let’s take a peek inside Knit How!

It’s exciting to see a fresh learn-to-knit book, one that’s as enticing and beautifully designed as books and magazines for more experienced knitters.

Knit How begins with the fundamentals of knitting: casting on, knitting, purling, and binding off. The instructions are friendly and the photos and illustrations are clear, and helpful tips are sprinkled throughout.

From there, the book guides knitters through 10 patterns, each of which introduces a new technique, like increasing and decreasing, working in the round, cables, and lace.

Look for Knit How here at the shop!

Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide No. 8: Merry Making.

Posted by on

The eighth installment of the Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide series is here! Let’s take a peek inside.

Ann Shayne and Kaye Gardiner’s series of Field Guides are pocket-sized booklets focused on a particular theme or knitting technique. This little book is dedicated to small projects that make great gifts.

As in every Field Guide, Ann and Kaye’s ruminations on the topic at hand are featured, but they’ve also brought designer Thea Colman in for a few patterns and a cocktail recipe.

Look for the Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide No. 8 on our teacart, with the latest books and magazines. See you at the shop!