Knitting Out of the Box

Every so often, someone thinks of something really new!

Craft Work Knit

Infectious exuberance, deliciously unexpected style, and masterful knitting skill permeate every design and page of Craft Work Knit , Ann Weaver's long awaited book. There is a superabundance of wonderful, happy knitting to be had between these covers, with project after project emerging as some of the most joyful, most wearable sweaters and more ever offered to knitters in one place.

Those of us who have followed Ann's blog (http://weaverknits.blogspot.com/) have long loved her designs: frankly, she puts more enthusiasm into her knitting than any three people we know. And more skill, more sense of balance and form, and an impeccable understanding of "what it means to look good without looking depressed."

We just love what she does, pure and simple. She knits with a delectible element of wabi-sabi that surprises and delights each and every time. In fact, most of her designs are rhapsodies to the principle of achieving harmony through balance, not symmetry. Her masterful garment shaping and high-focused, yet simple knitting marry up with her designs to just make them sing.

This is a great book, the first of what we hope are many, many more by a vibrantly alive designer. Craft Work Knit truly qualifies as essential reading for happy knitters.

Personal Footprints for Insoucient* Sock Knitters

Cat introduced me to the basics of her newest sock architecture. I can tell you that this is knitting at its breeziest and creativity at its most inspiring. I can also tell you that you will love what you find in this book.

One year ago I set myself the challenge of developing a sock knitting process that is as simple as humanly possible without sacrificing fit or design possibilities. This is the book.

~ Cat Bordhi

Woolly Thoughts

Here is a book to delight knitters and teachers of mathematics - all at the same time!

How do they do this? Well, they are both mathematics teachers, amazing in their ability to make everything clear and fun. Right from the start, they forge a pathway to knitting heaven by having you take out whatever yarn you like, your choice of needles, and a small calculator. What happens next is a guided tour through a mosaic of shapes and colors -- all of them easy, all of them fascinating and beautiful. With Pat and Steve at your side, you can truly forget about conventional knitting patterns and follow your imagination where ever it leads you. Your students will begin absorbing and delighting in geometric and mathematical relationships without even noticing that's what they are doing. They will also being to love the time they spend knitting simply because they can follow their own inspiration so easily.

Happily and heavily illustrated throughout, with a section of color plates showcasing some of Pat's creations, Woolly Thoughts brings you everything you need for a lifetime of discovering the joys knitting and mathematics. This is a book that students and teachers will love equally - each will discover their knitting and their mathematical skills just get better and better, one stitch at a time!

A beautiful way to unite handwork with mathematics!

New Pathways for Sock Knitters

Discover realm after realm of mysterious knitting as Cat Bordhi takes you on a guided tour on beyond conventional sock knitting. Here, socks begin as a journey along the highway of your imagination, emerging in ways both amazing and beautiful from between your needles. Which should surprise no one -- after all, Cat is the knitter who introduced us all to the magic of Moebius knitting. For Cat, it is a short yet mighty leap of imagination from riding the Moebius Highway to considering what might happen if you approached the shape of your sock from unprecidented angles and in deliciously unexpected ways. (Hint: Magically mysterious knitting will unfold before your eyes and between your needles.)

Seriously, New Pathways is a not-to-be-missed adventure for any knitter, with or without sock knitting experience. We have seen many of the models Cat created for New Pathways and can assure you that there is nothing but knitting joy between the covers of this new book. Once you try out this new "sockitecture", you'll never look back. Suddenly, the world, or at least your foot, will become your knitting playground. Be prepared to romp and frolic with Cat as you find new pathway after new pathway.

Cat's Magical Markers , designed by Cat especially to accompany her New Pathways for Sock Knitters, are here .

We have many of the yarns Cat uses in New Pathways, too!

Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 is here
Fleece Artist Sea Wool is here
Hand Maiden Sea Silk can be found here

Unexpected Knitting

Debbie New has been called "the Salvador Dali of knitting" - and with good reason. Where the rest of us think of knitting in terms of "up" and "down" and "across" and "back," she thinks in swirls, spirals, curving explorations of color and form, textural surprises that wrap themselves around your imagination. Debbie's knitting has found its way into art galleries and museums, it hangs on the walls in homes, and yes, some of it you can even wear. There are more new ideas per page of Unexpected Knitting than I can count - the things to learn and ponder and delight in go on and on and on. This is a book to linger over, go back to, and keep within reach when you are looking for inspiration.

While you read, you may feel your brain creaking as it expands its scope of handknitting possibilities. You may be stunned, enchanted, inspired and encouraged all at the same time. Leap right in at the beginning with Swatchless Knitting and follow the progression through Free Form Knitting, Scribble Lace, Swirl, Sculptural, Virtual, Cellular Automaton, Ouroborus and Labyrinth knitting. Try to limit yourself to one chapter each week, lest you succumb to Knitter's Overload.

- from the back cover

Shadow Knitting

I never thought I could love a technique like this - from where I sat (notice the past tense) this sort of knitting seemed a bit too contrived, lacking some of the heart-warmth that draws me to knitting in the first place. That was before Cat Bordhi showed up at my door wearing a Rainbow Jacket she had made (instructions are in the book - kits are also available at several places online). I confess I was blown away by the fluid beauty of it. What you can't see in the photos, though the photos in this book are outstanding, is what happens when a shadow knit garment is worn and the wearer walks across the room. The whole garment comes to life, the colors move and flow in and out of each other, patterns jump to the surface and disappear just as quickly. The overall effect is gorgeous and tantalizing and ultimately very beautiful in the way that a flowing brook is very beautiful. The heart and warmth of this knitting technique lies in its ever-changing color and texture brought about when these carefully planned designs spring to life as they are worn. What could be better! I'm now planning my own sweater and can hardly wait to see it emerge between my needles.

Knitting from the Top

Barbara Walker is the knitting genius who pioneered the "top-down" technique that has since become well-known and widely used. Her book on the subject, still the very best available, unfortunately lapsed out-of-print for 20 long years.

Available once again, it is startling to reread it and discover just how amazingly complete and clear it it is. It covers not just basic technique for top-down knitting, but the basics and not-so-basics of garment design, and offers instructions for everything from basic raglans to capes, skirts, pants and sleeveless sweaters, blouses and caps. There are many variations on these themes which are also thoroughly discussed.

If you've ever wanted to explore this technique -- which has a lot of advantages so far as fitting and design are concerned -- or, if you'd like to refresh your memory about how to go about it, here it is. It's really great seeing this book back in print!

Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles

Learn Cat's technique and never look back!

Cat Bordhi's first book has changed the landscape of handknitting socks. I'm someone who never really minded using 4 or 5 double pointed needles to knit small items in the round; on the other hand, I never really looked forward to it, either. Never once in my knitting experience have I gone out of my way to find an excuse to use double pointed needles. Needless to say, my interest in knitting socks was minimal at best.

All that has changed now: In addition to enticing me with terrific designs, Cat's technique, which replaces the 4 or 5 double pointed needles with 2 circular needles, makes sock knitting fun, fast and much, much easier to do well. Her instructions are crystal clear and well-illustrated and her techniques are elegant and sure. Since learning this amazingly easy and pleasurable technique, I have not only been knitting more socks that I ever imagined could be knit, but I now create sweater sleeves, hats, ties and any other small things on two circular needles instead of double points. If only I could think of a really good use for all those double pointed needles I have that are now taking up space and gathering dust.

Additionally, Cat is very, very funny to read -- the only trouble I had when trying to follow her instructions was that it's hard to keep track of where you are when you are laughing so much. However, even with that challenge, I did manage to move forward and can now zip along on two circulars as though I've always known how.

The Magic Loop

This little booklet has been part of the same revolution in knitting that Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar initiated - one of those "aha!" moments that led thousands of knitters to discover the joys of happier knitting through the simplicity of a single long-cable circular needle.

In it, Bev will teach you how to use a 32" or 40" circular needle to go 'round and 'round any small knit piece, whether socks, cuffs, sleeves, necklines, or more. Really, it couldn't be simpler or more effective.

This little gem is truly a must-have treasure for any knitter's bookshelf.