Knitting Books

The librarian in me likes nothing better than exploring new books. And the knitter in me loves digging through information on the craft. Today I got knitting books in the mail. I feel tingly.

First of all, I got a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's The Opinionated Knitter: Newsletters 1958-1968. I've glanced through copies of this from time to time, but needed my own in order to make a version of the Garter-Stitch Blanket (p.52). I'm planning on making it as a gift for Christmas. If it turns out half as good Jared Flood's, I'll be happy. I won't be carrying a double strand of the Cascade Ecological Wool, since it will be used in Texas. I can't wait to explore this book thoroughly. I'm going to have to bone up on my negligible crochet skills to seam this thing together and make a border. I'm nervous, but motivated.

Secondly, I ordered a copy of Charlene Schurch's More Sensational Knitted Socks. Because if I'm going to be knitting more socks, they damned well better be sensational. I enjoyed this first book so much and have made so many socks using her patterns (see here, here, here, and here) that I wanted to get this one, too. I know it's not exactly the same as the earlier book, but I really like the way she writes her patterns.

One thing I see right off the bat (and which someone had mentioned to me) is that all the stitch patterns are stashed away in the back of the book, whereas in her earlier book they were right next to the main sock pattern. I don't know that this will bug me, but I'm thinking probably yeah.

And last, but not least, I treated myself to a copy of Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One. My friend Janelle has been talking this book up for some time, and I knew it was just a matter of time before I got a copy. I'd seen Cat demonstrating knitting a sock using coriolis architecture on a television show (I think it was Knitty Gritty) and was intrigued. I really admire her ability to look at something that knitters have been doing for centuries and see it in an entirely different way. She has a crazy creative brain that I envy.

I can't wait to get reading...and knitting...and reading...and...