Saturday, July 28, 2007

*Nerd Alert!*

I got my package today from Knitpicks today. EEEEEE!! They're currently running a book sale at 40% off! Purchases over $45 get free shipping. I was particularly excited about this since I had just finished slobbering over full priced books at Barnes and Noble. The first two books I chose without hesitation were Sensational Knitted Socks and More Sensational Knitted Socks.

When I saw the first book on Amazon.com, I dismissed it purely on its cover alone. Unfortunately, the publisher chose not to disclose any of the inside of the book. If they had, I would have made my purchase long ago. Oh, speaking of Amazon, all these books are much cheaper on their site than in stores. But they were even less at Knitpicks.

OK, so here's the cool thing about the books. They divide patterns into chapters based on the number of stitches in the repeated patterns. The socks in the above picture are based off 5 stitch patterns. Other chapters include 12 stitch, cabled, chevron, fair isle and mosaic patterns.

You pick out the pattern you're interested in, then use the provided chart to decide how many stitches to cast on. Some patterns are available cuff down or toe down and also include instructions in 4dpns, 5dpns or 2 circs.

At the end of each section you'll see several different stitch patterns you can plug in to create the sock of your choice. What it really does is give you the knowledge you need to create your own socks patterns.

Another book I found at Barns and Noble was Victorian Lace Today. However at $29.95, it was out of the question. Thank goodness for KP!!

The chapters are organized patterns created by women during the Victorian period. The above photo is the beginning of Mrs Jane Gaugain's chapter. The glossy pages are full of extravagant photos, the editors were very generous with space for all the photographs.

Each pattern is photographed several times so you really get an idea for exactly what you'll be knitting. The patterns are labeled Easy, Intermediate or Expert Lace.

The patterns seem to be laid out simply but I still don't understand them. Of course, I haven't taken the time to read the special section for newbs. There's no time, I'm knitting a sock! I hope to get to lace soon but based on past experiences, there is a bit of fear. Hopefully I'll get over it soon. Meanwhile, I think I'll comb over these sock books and look for something to cast on. It's about time I start having more than one project going at a time!

2 comments:

Jen said...

Wow, lucky girl!

aimee said...

Those are pretty awesome! *sigh* I need to get back into knitting again. Dang school and work are taking time away from important things like knitting!!!