Books and Boxes

The funny thing about free time is that the number of things I want to do rises proportionally with my amount of free time and, no matter what, I always have more project ideas than time. Compound this with the fact that my to-read list similarly expands and it's a wonder that I actually get work done. (And honestly, who would want to work when there are all of these fun books to read?)

This is the fun half of my to-read pile, the other stack is primarily books on copyright

I totally admit to being sucked in by the books recently, leaving my equally giant to-craft list languishing. The good news is that finally I managed to clear off a large workspace so that I can do some sewing. It's going to be an adventure, however, as most of my sewing supplies are still boxed up (including the instructions for this project). Wish me luck!

Lovely cotton prints for a secret project

Of course, everything is going to hell in a handbasket next week when my roommate moves out. I will get to unpack my crafting supplies, but I'll be unpacking everything else with it. Hopefully, I can still find time to work on a few projects-in-progress or at least finish this sewing project before my roommate leaves with his table!

New Book for Better Sewing

I talk about books a lot on this blog. Perhaps my need to share great resources with you is related to some of the reasons why I’m currently in library school, but really it’s that when I get excited about something I want to tell you why you should be excited about it too. My exciting-thing-to-share today is the lovely new book Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing, which is really inspiring me to improve my sewing skills and add more vintage style to my wardrobe.

This book was just released at the beginning of September, which perfectly coincided with my need to spend a little birthday money. The timing was quite great, especially considering how well the techniques covered in this book align with the things I still need to learn about sewing. In the little time I've had to read it thus far, I've learned a lot!

The book is a modern take on Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing. Gertie's book rehashes these vintage (and couture) techniques for making high-quality clothing without a fancy sewing machine. There is a lot of information on tailoring clothing, drafting patterns, making pattern alterations, and adjusting fit. A bunch of techniques are also covered in detail, from inserting a zipper and making a buttonhole to stabilizing a collar and lining a garment. I've been doing a lot of quick and easy sewing, and this book is just what I need to level up my sewing.

Beyond the wealth of technical information, what really appeals to me about this book are the patterns. The book contains 10 basic patterns (2 skirts, 2 blouses, 4 dresses, and 2 jackets), most of which have at least one variation shown and explained. The patterns are all vintage inspired but made for the modern sewist. I honestly want to make almost every pattern in this book, they are that stylish.

And speaking of stylish, the book itself is quite beautiful. Gertie is an excellent model for all of the clothing and the illustrations are simply gorgeous. I also appreciate that editors did not skimp on the photography in the techniques section. It's great to find a book that is super informative while also being very visually appealing.

I'm still only part way through reading this book in detail and I foresee many happy hours with this book in the near future. So thank you to my mother-in-law for enabling me to purchase this lovely resource!

One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure

Have you heard of the Little Free Library project? It's a project that started in Wisconsin but has sites across the country. The idea behind the project is that people put a little cabinet filled with books out near their sidewalk and their neighbors can borrow and exchange books. It is nothing formal, just book sharing based on good faith that you'll bring the book back or exchange it for another.

I passed by the Little Free Library near my apartment one recent evening and, on a whim, checked out the selection. Happily, I found this little gem of a macrame book, Macrame: Creative Design in Knotting. Needless to say, this book is staying with me and I left a different book in the library as a repayment.

Macrame is one of the fiber arts that is terribly out of fashion right now, having gone through a heyday in the 1970's. Still, I'm really intrigued by how you can use knots to make fabric. There must be a way to utilize macrame without making a project look kitschy or dated to the 70's. It's an interesting challenge.

Despite never wanting to make anything in the 1970's macrame style, I find the photos of such projects in this book endlessly amusing. What's not to love about a macrame poncho? Just don't ask me to wear it.

So I'm enjoying my 'new' book on macrame. The book contains a nice blend of techniques and delightful examples, so it's part tutorial and part 'inspiration'. I'm not sure I'll ever use any of this information, but I'm enjoying learning about the technique in the meantime. And maybe someday I'll find an interesting modern application for macrame.

Millinery

I would love to take a millinery course, partly because making hats seems interesting and partly because I love hats and wish they would come back into fashion. The appeal of a formal course is due to the fact that I find millinery a little intimidating; it uses such different tools and techniques from anything I've worked with before. While I'm still waiting to take my formal course, I do have a less intimidating method for making hats in the meantime: sewing.

I recently picked up the book Hat Shop, which contains 25 patterns for making hats. Most all of the hats can be constructed with a sewing machine, though one hat requires blocking and traditional hat making materials. The patterns themselves range from classic sunhats and baseball caps to cute kid's hats (there's a chicken hat!) and fascinators; there are also several great hat patterns for men. I definitely see myself making lots of different hats from this book.

While I love the range of hats in this book, I do have a couple issues with the book's format. The book is obviously a compilation of patterns from many different designers and I wish there had been a little more editing done to the individual patterns. There's very little consistency between patterns on things like seam allowances and the some of the photographs that accompany the instructions are downright terrible. So while the final stylized photos of each hat are adorable, I'm going to proceed with a little caution when it comes to the instructions in this book.

I have already made one pattern from the book, The Classic Sun Hat; this is the project I was working on in my last blog post. The hat came together fairly easily and quickly, but I’m not super happy with the results. The brim is much too deep, which obstructs my vision, and the circumference of the inner brim is too small both to fit the cap portion of the hat and my head. I’ll definitely be tweaking this pattern before I make this hat again with my second set of fabric.

See what I mean about the brim? I don’t want to say that I’m disappointed by this hat, but rather that it will fit me better (both in dimensions and in style) after a little pattern editing. I'm hoping that the other patterns in the book turn out better than this one because I am very excited to start making hats!

Moving

We're in the middle of moving this week; I'm moving to a furnished apartment 2 blocks down and the husband is moving in with a friend in Milwaukee so he can start his new job there. This is a temporary situation while I finish up my classwork, and I'm looking forward to moving to Milwaukee myself at the end of the year.

(These tubs are just my yarn and fabric. Let's not talk about the other craft supplies I have packed.)

The hardest part about this move has been deciding what to take with me, as most everything else is going to Milwaukee to sit in boxes for six months. I'm obviously keeping all of my clothing, and I don't want my yarn to sit in boxes in a basement for 6 months, but it's less obvious what to keep of the books and the other craft supplies. After several rounds of deliberation, final books selection has been whittled down to the following:

I'm keeping my two favorite cooking books (How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and How to be a Domestic Goddess), a couple sewing books (Everyday Handmade and Sew What! Skirts), my go-to book on crochet (Stitch'n Bitch Crochet), and my favorite knitting books (The Opinionated Knitter and Whimsical Little Knits), in addition to a couple other books I've been meaning to read for a while. I guess I now know what books I'd take with me if I am ever stuck on a deserted island!

Hopefully, I'll get settled into my new apartment quickly so that I can get back to crafting and telling you all about it. Wish me luck!

Sewing Inspiration: Style Stitches

The fun part of learning a new hobby is finding out all of the things you can do with that hobby. While I’m currently stuck on sewing dresses, I’m sure that a time will soon come when I move onto sewing other things and a book recently came to my attention that is inspiring me to make that time sooner rather than later.

A work friend of mine is really into sewing bags and recently showed me her copy of Amy Butler’s Style Stitches. I was immediately impressed by the beautiful designs in the book, made all the more lovely by the use of Bulter’s bold and feminine fabrics. The range of designs is also great, going from simple triangle bags to large tote bags to structured purses.

I’m particularly in love with the purse above, which may be the most difficult project in the book. Given my current sewing skills, I'm not quite up to tackling this one yet so I will probably practice my skills on the pattern that graces the front cover first. And possible a couple of the triangle bags (below).

The funny thing about this book is that it's grown on me since borrowed a library copy to peruse more thoroughly. It took a little while to look beyond the bold fabric to really see that these designs have a lot of potential. And that potential is so inspiring that it is worth sharing with you.

One Seam at a Time

I'm finally making progress this week on those darts I blogged about a month ago. After a couple calculations, I ripped them out and made them half the original size, which seems to be working out well. I'm also making progress on the project that those darts are attached to: a dress (specifically Vogue 8280). I've got most of the top finished and am now working on the sleeves.

Oh those sleeves! Between the flanges, the pleats, the gathers, and the lining, these sleeves are decidedly fiddly. I don't know how a pattern rated 'Easy' can be this fiddly. It makes me apprehensive about eventually tackling an 'Average' or 'Advanced' pattern. Still, I'm taking things one step at a time and trying to learn as I go.

What's been really helpful in calming my fears is reading the book 'Sew Everything Workshop', which I picked up from the library. The book covers everything a beginner should know about sewing and, even though some of it is old material for me, I've found it incredibly helpful. As a bonus, the book contains several cute and simple patterns in the back, so I might have make one or two to keep practicing my sewing skills.

I'm looking forward to having more time to work on this dress once my semester ends next week. Between finishing this dress and making the next one (I already have the fabric picked out), this might just turn out to be the summer of sewing. But I have to finish up my final projects for school first.

The Professional

We’ve been making some big life decisions this month, culminating in my husband’s acceptance of a job over in Milwaukee. He’ll be starting sometime in the summer but I’ll be staying in Madison through the end of the calendar year finishing up most of my graduate coursework. It’s not ideal, but it’s one of the better outcomes for two people with too many degrees trying to find jobs on different schedules.

I’m not ready to look for jobs myself, but that hasn’t stopped me from starting to think about the process. One thing I’ve slowly been working on in this arena is to stop looking like a grad student. Part of this is involves phasing professional clothing into my wardrobe and another part encompasses learning how to do things with my hair that aren’t putting it into a ponytail. Pinterest has been very helpful in this regard, pointing me to these great hairstyling tutorials. The other fun hair resource I’ve come across is a neat book called Vintage Hairstyling.

I’m kind of in love with this book. Not only does it teach you the basics of curling hair using several different methods (pincurls, wet set, hot rollers, etc), but it then walks you through using those techniques to recreate hairstyles from the 20’s through the 60’s. The book covers everything from finger waves, to victory rolls, to beehives. For someone like me who never really learned how to curl and style hair, it’s a great resource and I’m having fun trying things out like the 1930’s hairstyle I’m wearing in the first photo.

Don't worry, I’m obviously doing more than just playing with my hair and wardrobe to get ready for the job hunt, but I didn’t think you would like to read a blog post on crafting a resume or cover letter. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry much about that stuff quite yet, as I have some time before I will be applying for jobs. Still, it’s exciting to plan now that we finally know where we will be living next!

Pattern Parade

Some exciting pattern collections have found their way into my home in the last month and they're definitely worth posting about on the blog. The first group includes both Whimsical Little Knits 3 (WLK3) and Saturday Treat, which should satisfy all of my readers who I've infected with Ysolda fever.

The two books focus on accessories such as scarves, hats, and mittens, though WLK3 has 9 patterns to Saturday Treat's 6. Each collection has a pattern that I can't wait to knit (Not-so-tiny slippers and Sherbet Lemon, respectively), though I personally prefer more of the Saturday Treat patterns. The two collections are currently available as book/ebook sets and not as individual patterns, so it may be worth waiting to buy if you only want a pattern or two from each collection.

My other new patterns come from indie sewing designer Colette patterns. Their patterns have a slightly vintage feel to them and, based on the photos from the Colette Flickr group, are very flattering to many types of figures. I've also read a bunch of reviews saying that their pattern instructions are very clear. Between these sewing patterns and my new Ysolda books, I am looking forward to a lot of happy crafting!

Knit One Knit All

My discussion of short-rows and their execution in garter stitch from last week seems to be a natural segue into a review of the new Elizabeth Zimmerman (EZ) book, Knit One Knit All. If you've never read an EZ book, get thee to a library and pick up a copy; Knitting Around and The Opinionated Knitter are my favorites. The focus of this latest EZ book is patterns that maximize knitting and minimize purling. Needless to say, garter stitch takes center stage here.

Not all of the patterns in this book use short rows, but a lot of the more innovative ones do. Patterns like the Ambidextrous Mittens, Sideways Gloves (below), and Brimmed Hat - Panache [Ravelry links] all make use of this technique. EZ is a master of creative construction and these patterns demonstrate the type of outside-of-the-box design that EZ was renowned for.

Beyond accessories, sweater and vest patterns make up the other large portion of this book. Again, you find uniquely constructed knits such as the Mitered Cardigan (below), Suspender Sweater, and New Zealand Pullover [Ravelry links]. The neat thing about a lot of these sweaters is that different parts of the sweater are oriented in different directions (for example, the front panel is vertical garter stitch while the garter stitch in the back panel is horizontal). The best part is that, since these are EZ designs, there will be minimal seaming.

Overall, I would say that this is another excellent EZ book but isn't quite a stranded-on-a-desert-island-with-only-one-knitting-book book like some of her other titles. Still, given the focus nature of the patterns, there is some pretty innovative stuff within these pages; there was a lot of oohing and aahing the first time I flipped through this book. So even if you don't buy this book, you should definitely borrowing a copy from your local library.

The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook

I borrowed this gem of a book from my local public library and just had to rave about it to you. It's the type of book that I love the most--a book that is filled with a vast amount of information on a relatively focused topic. In the case of 'The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook', that topic is wool as viewed through the lens of a spinner and knitter/crocheter.

The first thing that struck me about this book is its thoroughness; 'The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook' reviews over 200 types of fiber-producing animals, the vast majority of which are sheep breeds. Not only is there information on common breeds like Merino and Blue-Faced Leicester, but the book is also full of conservation breeds that I've never heard of before, such as Manx Loaghtan and Devon Closewool. A helpful table, below, compares all of these sheep breeds by their fiber softness and even recommends types of projects for each category (ie, scarves for soft wool and carpets for coarse wool).

Beyond the book's breed thoroughness, the written and photographic information about each animal is excellent. The authors describe each breed in terms of geography and what they were bred for, in addition to describing the characteristics and preparation of their fleeces. Sample fibers from every animal described in this book have been hand spun and woven/knit up. The written descriptions are accompanied by a photograph of the animal and photographs of sample fiber. Occasionally, the authors also include an interesting story relating to a particular breed, such as that of Shrek the Sheep (Merino).

What's great about this book is that it's very detailed yet focused for the fiber artist. The authors have struck a nice balance between gaining an understanding of individual breeds and learning about the different properties of their wool. While the authors state that their limited sampling cannot predict the behavior of an entire breed, they provide enough information so that you will generally know what to expect should you encounter fiber from a rare sheep breed.

I can't recommend this book enough to knitters and spinners who want to learn more about the range of animal fibers available to them. It's an interesting read and one that will teach you a lot about wool. I have a feeling that this book will eventually make its way onto my bookshelf as my library's 4-week borrowing period is just not enough time to get to know this wonderful resource.

A Pair of Beautiful Books

Two books have recently come into my life that have made me drop everything else in favor of 'ooh'-ing and 'aah'-ing with every page turn. The first book is Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, written by my favorite ice cream maker Jeni Britton Bauer, and the second is Little Red in the City, written by my favorite knitwear designer Ysolda Teague. Both highly-anticipated books have lived up to their hype, making it pretty much seem like Christmas for me this week.

I know you're eager to hear about the knitting book, but I'm going to tell you about this amazing ice cream book while I still have your undivided attention. You may have heard of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream from knitters who attend TNNA, as it is a popular destination while at the convention in Columbus, Ohio. For those of you who have never heard of the brand, Jeni's is known for their bold flavors such as 'Salty Caramel' and 'Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries', as well as their unusual ice cream flavors like 'Olive Oil with Pepita'. Each batch is artisanly crafted and deeply flavorful.

If you love Jeni's ice cream (and you should), you will love this book. She gives away the recipes for her most popular flavors plus many more. There are also recipes for amazing sundaes, colorful push-pops, and delicious ice cream add-ins. Additionally, the book is beautifully laid out and the instructions are clear. I made the 'Baked Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt' and let me tell you that it was incredible. If you've ever thought about making ice cream, you should buy this book.

Now, onto the knitting book! You probably know by now that I have a bad case of Ysolda Fever, so I was just a bit excited to get my hands on a copy of Little Red in the City. The book itself is beautiful and the patterns are classic and lovely. Little Red is a sweater book, both in terms of patterns and techniques, but it stands out in this classification because of its egalitarian view of sizing: the patterns are written for bust sizes from 28" to 60" in 2" increments and each finished sweater is modeled on both a smaller and a larger body. That is quite an accomplishment and one that will benefit every knitter who picks up this book.

Beyond the sweater patterns, there is a great amount of information on swatching, picking the best yarn, and choosing the pattern size and making necessary adjustments based upon the actual measurements of your body. I particularly liked the discussion, complete with photos of a sweater on a resizable dressform, of how bust should not be the sole factor in choosing size. Ysolda furthers this discussion by addressing modifications that make a sweater truly fit. The book gives detailed examples, complete with calculations, of adding short-rows to the bust, increasing ease in the sleeves, and moving a cable motif vertically to flatter the waist. All of this information transforms Little Red from a pattern book into a valuable resource.

I could write at length about either of these books, but perhaps it's best just to say that they've both impressed me with their depth of information, clear instructions, and attractive layouts. I highly recommend both Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home and Little Red in the City.

A Stitch In Time

I mentioned A Stitch in Time in my recent review of another vintage pattern book, and thought it was worth sharing more information about this beautiful book with you.


A Stitch in Time is a treasure trove of women's sweater patterns from the 1920's to the 1940's. The 50+ original period patterns were updated to be written in modern terminology and worked with modern yarns. Additionally, each updated pattern is beautifully styled and photographed, which is a major strength of this book.


In terms of the sweaters themselves, there are a huge range of styles from short-sleeved to long-sleeved, cardigans to pull-overs, lace to fair-isle. I also find the variety in sleeve styles particularly delightful, with several puffed-sleeved sweaters, liberal use of shoulder pads, and a particularly unique sleeve-construction in this sweater (Ravelry link).


I love this book for its depth of vintage sweater patterns and for being an never-ending source style inspiration. I've yet to find another sweater book with over 50 patterns; most have half that many. I should note that the number of patterns and the fact that the book is self-published are reflected in the price, which is about twice as much as other sweater books. Still, I believe that this book is a good value and that it's important to support independent designers.


If you're interested in this book, I encourage you to look into the second volume of A Stitch in Time that is coming out at the end of March. The new book covers the 30's through the 50's, and I can't wait to see all of the new patterns! Both the first volume and a pre-order of the second volume can be found at Knit on the Net.

A Pair of New Knitting Books

I added two new knitting books to my bookshelf in December; the first, Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar Knitting, I bought for myself and the second, The Ohio Knitting Mills, came to me as a Christmas gift from my sister. They are both excellent books and it's worth telling you a little bit about them.


I've raved about the Stitch 'n Bitch crochet book in a recent post and I have to say that this new Stitch 'n Bitch book is even better. Unlike the previous Stitch 'n Bitch books, this book covers advanced knitting techniques, giving pointers on everything from fair isle and lace to cables and designing your own sweaters. Everything is covered so well that even more experienced knitters will learn a new trick or two here.


While this book discusses more advanced techniques than the other Stitch 'n Bitch books, the creative and varied selection of patterns are just what I expect from this series. The patterns themselves build upon the techniques discussed in the first part of the book and include socks, sweaters, blankets, gloves, hats, and even a pair of beautiful skirts. I was also happy to see a few previously published patterns in the pages of this book, including Ysolda's Gretel hat, Elli Stubenrauch's Squirrelly Mittens, and Elena Rosenberg's Rococo Shawl (above).


The new Stitch 'n Bitch book is worth buying for the patterns and the useful information on advanced techniques, but it's the chapter on designing your own sweaters that really makes this book a keeper. This chapter cover a variety of sweater constructions and customizations, as well as how to work out the math for these designs. While this information can be found in other books, such as those by Elizabeth Zimmermann and Barbara Walker, this Stitch 'n Bitch book's lighthearted writing style makes sweater construction accessible to the modern knitter.


Now that I've waxed poetic about the first book, let me move on to the second. The Ohio Knitting Mills chronicles the history of the Rich-Sampliner Knitting Mills Co. the Ohio Knitting Mills in Cleveland, Ohio and focuses on its sweater designs from the 1940's through the 1970's, providing modern patterns for these vintage styles. This selection of 26 sweater patterns for men and women is brightly colored and sometimes kitschy, but really captures the style of these four decades.


I love looking at vintage pattern books to see how styles change over time and sometimes come back into fashion. I'm happy to add this book to my knitting collection alongside my other vintage pattern book, A Stitch in Time, which covers the 1920's through the 1940's. I will have to review that book in a future post because it is also a really lovely book. In the meantime, I will be enjoying lots of vintage inspiration!

Two Crochet Books For Knitters

I don't consider myself a crocheter, though I do know how to crochet. It's something that I do when I find a pattern I like, need to reinforce an edge, or want to use up leftover yarn. While I enjoy the act of crocheting, I always approach it from the viewpoint of being a knitter. In this context, I've found it very helpful to have a few crochet reference books on hand and there are two in particular that I cannot do without.


The first is Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker, which offers very clear diagrams on how to crochet in addition to 40 modern crochet patterns. The how-to section at the front of the book is particularly nice, covering everything from crocheting in the round and stitch patterns to making extras like buttonholes and pom-poms. I always reach for this book when I start a crochet project to double check that I'm doing things correctly.



The second book I recommend is Crochet Adorned, which centers around using crochet motifs to embellish everyday items. I like this book because it has a bunch of small projects, meaning that instead of worrying about screwing up, I just try things for the fun of it. The patterns themselves include earrings and pins, dress/coat/shirt trims, and a beautiful starched lace bowl. Plus, the book has a nice stitch dictionary in the back that includes different trim ideas, flower motifs, and granny triangles and hexagons.



Perhaps the flexibility of the motifs is why I like Crochet Adorned so much. For example, I made elbow patches for an old sweater using a motif that was originally intended for a table mat. Overall, the book really encourages me to explore different uses for crochet that, as a knitter, I would not have otherwise realized were possible.


I hope my book recommendations encourage my fellow knitters to take another look at crochet!