Companionable...

This last week had its ups and downs and in betweens - basically it was an average week in an average life. My husband and I had great conversations about issues that are important in our lives, we shared fun stories and the news of the day around the dinner table. All in all it was a very companionable week.

This week's book review should give us all that same feeling - A Knitter's Home Companion by: Michelle Edwards. This is little book is filled with lots of love, laughter and stories with which you can easily relate. Michelle breaks her chapters into subject groupings allowing you to pick and chose the order that you prefer to read the book. As I tend to be quite linear when it comes to reading (except that I am a firm believer in reading the last page -it really doesn't give away a story and it helps me imagine the scope of a story while I read) I have been reading beginning to end, but for the rest of the world that is not necessary to enjoy this book.

Along with all the stories, Michelle gives us all a great deal of patterns to make. Everything from baby blankets to socks, slippers, and Chicken Egg Warmers. Each one a lovely little item to make and share. These are all great projects to get started on for the forthcoming holiday season (yes - it's coming sooner than you think). As an added bonus, this collection brings us recipes as well as the patterns. Ideas that would work wonderfully for summer picnics and BBQ's as well everyday meals. Such scrumptious delights as - Genie's Killer Deviled Eggs, Jon's Roasted Root Vegetables and much more.

All in all, A Knitter's Home Companion allows one to sit back, enjoy, and feel a companionable kinship with the author and with our own personal knitting journey.

Published 2011 - Pictures by: Jen Gotch - Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, USA.

Michelle's Website

Knit On, Read On....
The Knitty Scribe

I Ravelry, Do You????

I suppose that many people that read this may already know what Ravelry is, but for those that don't here's the skinny. If you do, maybe there will be something new for you as well.

Ravelry is a knitting/crocheting web based community. I like to think of it as a Facebook type social network for knitters and crocheters. You have a Notebook page of your own, you can add your projects, stash , library, send messages, list your blog and website, befriend lots of lovely people and join numerous groups with specific themes. For Me Ravelry is a place where I have met some very dear people, learned tons of things in regard to my art, rekindled my love for other art forms, promoted my own designs (did I mention that you can sell your own personal designs - great way to get started) and basically made myself a village. Joining Ravelry costs you nothing - you can be as involved or not as you like.

Here are five things I love best about Ravelry:
1) the people- I've made some great new friends and they all have interests like my own. Yeah!!!

2) Being able to sell my original designs and get feedback on those designs before going public, from people with a similar interest (see a theme there?). You can offer your designs for sale or for free, which is fab!!!

3) I love the pattern database. This one function has saved me days worth of time in finding a pattern or a pattern book. Searching the internet at large can be a daunting task.

4) Being a member of group with a special interest that I share. For example: The Annual Dishcloth Swap. This swap is loads of fun and has a small time commitment. So, if you're really busy and how many of us aren't, eh?? - you can enjoy the fun and be done quickly and move move to the next thing on your To Do List. I highly recommend checking this group out - the moderators are awesome women and know how to have fun!!! There are other groups as well, things I never thought would fit into a knitting/crocheting social network, such as - IKEA Fans. Now, to be completely honest - next to knitting there is nothing more I love more than a trip to IKEA - I mean you should just see my home! And right there on Ravelry, I found a huge group of others that love their art and IKEA just like I do - and my goodness can we get chatty. There are other types of groups as well, things like design support, groups dedicated to specific people (The Yarn Harlot - Alan Dart or Debbie Macomber). You name it there's a group for it or you can start one of your own.

5) The fifth thing I love about Ravelry is the people that I've met. Yes, I know that was #1 on the list, but I'm using a literary technique here of book-ending. Start and end with the most important thing. If it weren't for the people and the developers of Ravelry, all the stuff in the middle wouldn't exist. So, "the people" is worth a double hit on the list.

I highly encourage anyone that's never taken a look at Ravelry do so. If you are a knitter or a crocheter, you will find yourself and your art opened up to a world made just for you and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I've never done this before, but I love this site so much and it has meant so much to the growth of my art, my skills, my business, my social connections that I am also going to share this blog thread on the Green Girl blog.
If you do Ravelry, tell us what you love best. If you don't yet Ravelry, go - go now - spend some time on yourself and have a blast. Ravelry

Knit On, Read On....
The Knitty Scribe. 

Playing With Blocks....

I've learned a lot about knitting a square this past year while a member of the Ravelry group Baker's Dozen. It's a simple idea, each month you knit/crochet a block for a specific person and each person ends up with 12 blocks to make a blanket. Each square must be 12x12 inches. So, the first lesson you learn is gauge so that you end up with a 12x12 square. Will this pattern give a little in the blocking, is the yarn forgiving, do I make everyone a different pattern or use the same one for each square???? These are all questions that you ask as you sit down to a relatively simple task.

One of the main stays in conversation on the chat board is ideas about new patterns. As many people in my group crocheted, I actually started to enjoy that art form again and did a few small crochet projects over the year. However, for those of us that knit, Nicky Epstein to the rescue with her newest book, Knitting Block by Block.

This is a lovely hardbound book with 150 different block patterns inside the covers. Now these are not just any blocks, lest we forget this book's author doesn't do anything halfway. These blocks are works of art. There is applique, cables, colorwork, entrelac, and if you like applied i-cord this book is your new best friend. Nicky has given us enough new ideas to mix and match to our hearts content and several patterns with which to use the blocks if you're stuck for a project. I like to think of this book as a stitchionary, except for blocks. Truly endless ideas await you.

Now, back to the Baker's Dozen group. Yesterday, I received my last square and low and behold, as if by magic, my dear group member, Jennifer had knit for me a block called Cathedral Windows - straight out of Nicky's book. It is a lovely shade of teal with multi-colored edging. Beautiful work, Jen - thanks! In the book this block is shown as part of a pattern for a lovely cropped vest. I think it would work perfectly in the Autumn with a long sleeved tee, some jeans and boots. Just a thought as to what the Knitty Scribe might be wearing in the coming season.

Well, Nicky has come through once again - many thanks. And to Jennifer, your hard work is going to make a lovely pillow to accent the rest of my blanket and will be properly used in my studio when I'm cuddling up on the chase to knit and read - many, many thanks!! And to all my Baker's Dozen group - it has been a pleasure working and getting to know you all. Have a lovely summer, thank you for all your work on my behalf and I hope to see you around in September when we start up once again. Peace and joy to you all....

Knit On, Read On....
The Knitty Scribe