Synopsis: Subtitled: “Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet.” Review: Sheepish is simply adorable, a sweet memoir that will delight and please anyone who loves knitting, women, candor, humor, and sheep. There’s even a meditation on the environmental pros and cons of wool vs. artificial fibers. My only wish is that it came with patterns and pictures, but maybe someday she’ll feature some on her website.
Synopsis: A full color introduction to the craft of crochet, with 30 patterns. Review: I am a dedicated knitter and have never really understood the appeal of crochet–until I started thumbing through the Chicks With Sticks: Guide to Crochet. The patterns are gorgeous and I found at least four things I want to make immediately. I’m particularly drawn to the flower-shaped washcloths, which would be perfect for using some cotton yarn in my stash. The illustrations make the stitches very easy to understand. The patterns…
This is a total PSA for 2 new photography books from Watson-Guptill. They publish great books on knitting & crafting that I adore reviewing, and they also send me review copies of photography books that my husband says are really awesome. I am not equipped to comment so this is just a shameless plug in the hopes that you’ll click through to buy the from Amazon. Mastering HDR Photography by Michael Freeman Use HDR technology to create dramatic images that meld photography and art High…
I’m late getting to Gautami’s Non Fiction Meme. * a) What issues/topic interests you most in non-fiction, i.e, cooking, knitting, stitching, there are infinite topics that have nothing to do with novels? Books about food, books that explain scientific topics for general readers, biography, memoir, history, travelogues. I love reading books about my hobbies, particularly knitting and cooking. My library is filled with books of film history, criticism, and theory. I like some books on Christianity by authors like CS Lewis and Dan Allender. Lately…
Synopsis: A compendium of stitches and techniques for crochet. Review: As with Super Stitches Knitting, Super Stitches Crochet is packed full of gorgeous photos and easy-to-follow instructions. Any beginner could easily pick up this book and begin to crochet immediately. And expert crafters are sure to be smitten with all the possibilities presented by the stitch pattern dictionary. Personally, I much prefer knitting to crochet, though I learned to crochet first. It always makes my wrist ache, and I’ve never felt confident enough to do…
Merry Christmas, everyone! The Superfast Three are snuggled up in our apartment with my parents and my younger brother watching Fargo and waiting to get hungry for round 2 of the Irish ham we enjoyed last night. I got a few books for Christmas this year, fewer than usual because I asked for clothes to accommodate my postpartum body. So the stack was small, but noteworthy: From my dad: An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton. It’s a compendium of the specific term to refer…
Synopsis: 18 original designs that illustrate different techniques for knitting with beads. Review: Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I am now dying to get my hands on some beads and work with Scarlet Taylor’s fabulous patterns in Knit With Beads. It’s the follow-up to a book I have not read, but these aren’t advanced techniques, as far as I can tell. Anyone proficient in intermediate knitting techniques like cabling and lace will be able to follow the lesson segments and pick up beading techniques quickly and easily.
Reading is only one of my many loves. I also enjoy knitting, cooking, and running. I am not superfast at any of those. In fact, when it comes to running, I’m superslow. I received review copies of three DIY books from the publisher Watson-Guptill, and I’m going to my best to let you know whether or not they will bring crafting goodness into your life. Super Stitches Knitting The first is Super Stitches Knitting by Karen Hemingway. It opens with the requisite “Knitting Basics,” covering…
This morning’s work read was depressing, but well-plotted. No blogging on work books–read here to find out why. You can’t run and read at the same time. Believe me, if somebody told me how, I’d be all over that action like unsupervised kids at my local YMCA. Ever since I started running, I realized that most of the time I’m in pursuit of distraction. Reading is a noble pursuit, but there are many times when I’ve chosen to read because I don’t want to just…