Crafty Reads: Fall Knitting

Vampire Knits and Brave New Knits add to the draw of cold-weather wooly hobbies

By Maya Mackowiak Elson
Published: October 14th, 2010 | 12:15pm

The leaves are starting to change. A chill is in the air. And this weekend I head to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in lovely Rhinebeck, NY to shop for yarn and pet some sheep. Plus, this is also the time of year that a flood of new knitting books come out. No wonder I’ve got knitting on the brain. If you knit, you know what I mean—it’s hard to resist the pull of the needles and string this time of year.

Here are two new books that caught my eye and found places on my bookshelf:

Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep You Knitting from Twilight to Dawn

by Genevieve Miller
Potter Craft
September 14, 2010

When I first saw this book, I’ll admit it, I scoffed. Sure, I was drawn in by the Twilight series and devoured the books in a matter of minutes (though I can’t say I loved them. But that is another review...). Who wasn’t? The thing is—upon reading the title alone, I couldn’t imagine how a whole book of knits inspired by the current pop-culture obsession with vampires could surpass the eye-rolling cheesiness of it all and be any good.

While not every pattern in this book is my cup of tea (or blood, as it were), I have to admit that designer Genevieve Miller did an excellent job here. There is something for everyone, from beautiful to kitchy, easy to challenging, whether you’re into the whole vampire thing or not.

The Bellissima Mittens, inspired by the mits Bella wears when Edward first saves her life in Twilight, the movie, look like fun to knit and a lot of coziness for the hands. The Lore Hoodie is simply gorgeous with it’s voluminous hood and lacy details. And the Tourniquet Scarf, which is red where it wraps around the neck and then tapers off to grey on the ends, is a clever play on a well-placed vampire bite. The Little Fangs sweater featuring, what else, bloody fangs, is cute (and creepy) for kids. And the Blood Bottle Cozies are just kind of silly, but would be a funny gift for a True Blood fan.

Brave New Knits: 26 Projects and Personalities from the Knitting Blogosphere

by Julie Turjoman
Rodale Books
August 31, 2010

Considering that the online knitting community has been wildly popular for many years now, I’m surprised this book is only now coming out. It focuses on the knit designers and bloggers who’ve made it big on the internet, and features patterns by each one as well as essays telling their success stories.

There aren’t many knitting books out there that are fun to read as well as worth their price tag in terms of how many good designs are inside. Patterns from big names made famous by the Internet, such as Ysolda Teague, Jared Flood, and Melissa Wehrle, are of the high quality we’ve come to expect. Reading the oft unheard stories—of how they got started, their approach to design, and how the web impacted their art are truly inspiring diversions—literally made me want to knit more often and get better at it, something that always makes the hobby more fun.

As for patterns, it’s so difficult to choose! The Gobal Cable Coat by Jennifer Hagan looks so warm and inviting, and I love knitting cables. But then there’s the Orchid Theif Shawelette by Ysolda Teague—so classic, yet versatile, and lace is fun, too. I’m also drawn to the Delysia Camisole by Jordana Paige. Though I don’t normally go in for dainty knit tank tops, there’s something about the buttons and lace that make this one intriguing. And then there’s the Hydrangea Neckwarmer by Anne Hanson. As an alternative to scarves, cowls are starting to take up more space in my closet, but this one is so pretty, I might just have to make room for it.