Custom Crocheted Sweaters

I am looking through a fabulous book by Dora Ohrenstein called Custom Crochet Sweaters . This is her latest book published by Lark Crafts.

What can I say. The designs in this book take my breath away. I love that every single design is elegant, wearable and fits beautifully. The focus of this book is on providing the reader with certain tools and knowledge that he/she will be using to make the next garment fit.

Dora begins with an important and a lot of times underestimated stage of the custom design: taking correct measurements and understanding the fit for your body. For those who are new to making garments in crochet, there are lessons on reading a pattern and schematics, shaping and alterations, importance of gauge (if you ever thought it's o.k. not to make a gauge swatch, after reading this book you will change your mind. I guarantee that.), and finishing.

Each of the designs can be done as is, if the measurements fit you just as you like it, or you can modify it with the help of the author. At the end of each pattern there is a lesson that you can study and follow to alter that particular pattern. After reading through all the patterns and their lessons, you can also combine what you have learned and apply to other designs or, if you are that brave, design your own garment.

So, this book is not the type you look through, put on the shelf and never touch again. It is a reference book with the information on custom design and a perfect fit. It is a huge leap from what many people used to think when they heard the word "crochet".

Dora loves good and sophisticated clothes and loves to crochet. In this book she is sharing with us both the craft of designing in crochet and the fashion trends that she admires. Above are some of the designs from this book. The rest you will appreciate only after reading through it. I highly recommend this book.

Giveaway of Complements Collection by Kristin Omdahl

You are at the next stop of the blog tour for the Complements Collection.
This collection is a product of wonderful collaboration of a prolific designer Kristin Omdahl and Bijou Basin Ranch. This collection of 13 designs is released at a perfect time. Summer is coming and we all want to work on small projects either we are on a trip or at home. You can choose patterns that use only one skein of yarn or up to three.

Whatever you choose, I guarantee that you will enjoy working with this exquisite yarns and well-written and clever designs that Kristin offers in this collection. When I look through this book I recognize the yarns featured there. I worked with Bijou Basin Ranch and I can appreciate the way Kristin is letting the natural characteristics of these yarns shine by the way she is using them in her designs. The drape is incredible and when you look at this knitted shawl, for example, you want it to hug you with its softness.

The designs in this book call you to explore the use of both crafts and see the exceptional qualities of both. If you do only one of these crafts, maybe it is time for you to try the other? This shawl is crocheted and looks very soft with a nice drape.

I think it is wonderful to see a book that gives us this opportunity to expand our skills and do something different. The projects in this book range in difficulty and the are some designs for a beginner.  I love this cowl. It is interesting and fun. Wouldn't you like to make it? It is on my list, for sure.

I had a chance to ask Kristin a few questions. See our conversation below.

FG: Kristin, I love this elegant collection of small projects that people can take on a trip. Can you say a few words about the yarns you chose for these projects? Are they easy to handle? What behavior were you expecting from the yarns for some specific projects?

Kristin: Thank you! I love the yarns I chose for these projects. Some I chose based on weight, others on yardage, and I'm always drawn to how the color varies from one fiber blend to another.

FG: This book has both crochet and knit designs. It is about time that we see such collection. Are you encouraging people who only knit or crochet to try something new as they are looking at your beautiful designs? Or you are offering a little bit of each so everybody can find a pattern that apply to the skills they have?

Kristin: Both, actually. I have always knit and crocheted simultaneously. I wanted to explore being inspired by something and creating a vision in each craft, but not identically. For example, the shawls are inspired by a scallop sea shell from the beach near my house. Each shawl has a predominate scallop shape, but they are not identically made but in the different crafts. And the tiered cowls, while they are both tiered, they are constructed differently and have different types of edging (and obviously one is knit and the other is crocheted).

FG:. Should we hope to see more of this type collections from you?

Kristin: I still have a few tricks up my sleeves :) Thankfully!!





This book is available on the Bijou Basin Ranch website. A few of the projects from the book are also available separately as kits.
 
And now...

 GIVEAWAY !  GIVEAWAY!

Bijou Basin Ranch is very generously providing a copy of this eBook for me to give to a lucky reader of my blog. What do you need to do to win this book? Just leave a comment with a few words about Kristin Omdahl's designs and if you ever used the Bijou Basin Ranch yarns. Any fun stories about your knitting experiences or your trip projects also will count. Let's have some fun here. Summer is coming after all.

Do not miss all other wonderful blogs on this tour. Next stop is tomorrow at Romi's Studio.

HOLD YOUR NEEDLES 1 and 2

Two amazing designers from Finland Mari Muinonen and Suvi Simola joined their forces to produce these 2 fabulous books full of interesting designs while staying true to their own design esthetics.

You probably recognize their names from Vogue Knitting, Twist collective, their own lines of patterns, and some books.
I love the name of their book sequel Hold Your Needles. I thought it was to the point and humorous. There are designs  for men, women, and children. Every design is supported by charts, interesting schematics, and clear instructions with careful explanation of used techniques. The photography is gorgeous and shows us some insight into life in Finland. Here are some of my favorite designs from these books.

All designs are very wearable, and well designed. I hope you will take a look at them on Ravelry.com
and I have no doubt that you will find something that you just have to make. There will be Mari's interview  published soon on the Designer's Studio, so stay tuned.

CIRCULAR KNITTING WORKSHOP

 Margaret Radcliffe's new book with Storey Publishing is everything I was hoping for. I love her writing style and respect the amount of research that goes into her work. This time her focus is on mastering techniques of knitting in the round.

The 320-page book called Circular Knitting Workshop has a feel of a classic classroom with the chalkboard background.

It goes so well together with step-by-step explanations supported by photos and notes. In depth analysis of cast-on looks. Have you ever worried about the beginning of round stitch being different and loose? Margaret has a cure for it.

She has subheadings like Solving Circular Knitting Problems, Making Circular Swatches, Solving Problems with Double Points, and so on.

Almost every page has 3-7 photos on it. I love that. You can follow the tutorial on each technique by reading and seeing.
The first half of the book is focusing on how-to techniques and swatches addressing all main problems with circular knitting. You might find there something you did not know before. This book is a compilation of all known up-to-date circular knitting technique including working two tubes at a time, magic loop method and so on.

There are 10 chapters in all. Each of last 5 chapters is concentrating on a specific type of project:sock, shawl, hats and bags, mittens, and sweaters and vests. In depth explanation of each type of project is supported by a design.

 

In summary, this is a great book that you will want to keep as a reference. The book will be released next month.

An iPad app The Knitter's Companion by Vicki Square

When Vicki Square published her book The Knitter's Companion in June of 2006 (Interweave Press) it was received so well by knitting community that later in 2010 this book was put on a DVD. This is an interview with Vicki on Knitting Daily. Since then we have moved on to our iPhones and iPads and we want the convenience of having this information with us at all times we are at our knitting project. Our wish came true in this new application for an iPad. 

 This app is like an e-book version of the hard cover. We have all basic techniques of knitting, tips including how to knit back, great illustrations and short and clear directions. Here are some snaps of pages we can see there. If you are a beginner, it is a great tool. If you are an advanced knitter and just want to recollect something you have seen or tried before, it is very useful as well.

 

 

 

Let me know if you like it.

Yarn U. Review of an iPhone/ iPad app.

When Mary Beth Klatt contacted me about reviewing her app for iPhone or iPad called YARN U, I agreed to take a look at it since we all love apps and if it is about knitting we say, how can I pass this.

When I got the app on my iPhone, I was a little overwhelmed with information and how to use it, so I thought: who can tell better about this useful with a lot of potentials app than Mary Beth herself?  I contacted her this time with some questions. Since I was very busy I did not post this right away (sorry Mary Beth). Now after the recent update, I am glad I waited. Since our talk there were some great changes made. For example, this nice tutorial on how to use the app was added later.

There are many more yarns and photos there. By the way, photos on this app are of phenomenal quality and a great source of inspiration. You can find the yarn in alphabetical order, by company,  or by weight.  This is an example of a page when you go to a certain yarn. There is a map where the company is located and a list of information about the yarn below.

Here are the questions I asked:

1. What is the purpose of this app?
My app is an on-the-go reference guide for knitters, something that they can pull up on their mobile devices as they're out shopping in their favorite stores. That said, I've heard of some knitters using my app as a source of inspiration. All the 2,460+ images can inspire new projects.

2. How do you choose out of so many yarns on the market what yarns to catalogue ?
I wanted it to be the top 500 yarns, but since I'm dealing with image use permissions, it's more or less evolved in yarns that I've been able to secure image use.

3. Are you planning on expanding to all yarns?
No, not all yarns. Just the top 500 yarns that are in production.

4. Is Yarn U mainly serving a knitter or both knitter and a professional designer?
Both. The casual user can benefit just as much as the pro designer.

5. I love that you show all available colors of each yarn. Are you planning on updating it if a new color comes out?
No...I rather add new yarns than do overkill with adding new images to existing entries. I only update existing images if they have less than 10 images or the existing images are lackluster. Otherwise, I leave 'em alone. Great pictures are breathtaking no matter how 'old' they are.

6. Can I easily see through Yarn U where I can purchase the yarn near my location?
I've thought about adding this as a feature...but I'd have to keep updating that. Maybe I could put a location or two for each yarn, but I rather just add new yarns and images. I haven't gotten a whole lot of requests for adding a "where to buy" feature.

7. Are the yarns catalogued by company, fiber content or the weight? Sometimes a knitter is looking for a suitable yarn not knowing the name of the yarn?
There is a drop down menu that a user can play with to find yarns that way. For example, you could sort by looking for worsted weight yarns and then search for those that are hand dyed.

8. I would love to see a tip on blocking a particular yarn. Some yarns are fine with soaking, steaming, sprinkling, stretching and so on. Others do not behave well with a certain type of blocking. What do you think about that?
Great idea...Something I could incorporate in the Pro/Con section of each entry. People love this kind of insider information...especially when they're working with expensive yarns. 

9. What is your vision of this app for the future?
500 yarns is the dream. But even that would constantly be revamped as yarns are discontinued. If I could spin the app off into related products would be fabulous. On that note, how about some "Yarn U" yarn at your LYS?

FG: This seems like yet another good source of information about yarns. One great thing about it is that it is on your phone at your finger tips.

TEXTURED STITCHES

Many knitters are familiar with work of Connie Chang Chinchio. Her designs are published in Interweave Knits, Knitscene, Twist Collective, a few books, and through her own line of patterns. Her book Textured Stitches which is published by Interweave Press just came out and it is very "Connie".
It is what you would expect if you know her designs preferences. This book is full of classic, well-made and well-designed projects ranging from mittens and gloves to hats and wraps and all through full garments. No matter what you are looking for, there will be more than one design that you would want to make.

The subtitle of this book is Knitted sweaters & accessories with smart details and it sums it all. Connie is using different textured, cable, or lace stitches to make an emphasis on a part of the pattern while the rest will stay in Stockinette Stitch. Sometimes she is using these stitches as a design element such as decrease or increase fabric without the actual stitch change. Most of the projects are knit in the round which is my preference for most of my work. There is an interesting introduction where we learn about Connie's passion about knitwear designs. There are tips on choices for yarn and explanations of used techniques.

Here are some of the designs to wet your appetite.

These designs can withstand any fashion streams. We always want to have steady smart and elegant clothes and Connie Chang Chinchio is offering it to us.