Books I want to "read"

Here is a short list of books that I'd like to "read". I got this list from Kelly Petkin of Knit Picks from her podcast #76 Knitting in Literature

Anne MacDonald
No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting

Maggie Sefton
Knit One, Kill Two
Needled To Death
A Deadly Yarn
A Killer Stitch
Dyer Consequences
And Fleece Navidad

Monica Ferris
Knitting Bones
Sins and Needles
A Murderous Yarn
Unraveled Sleeve
Hanging By A Thread

Mary Kruger
Died in the Wool
Knit Fast, Die Young

Sally Goldenbaum
Death by Cashmere
Patterns in the Sand

Elizabeth Lenhard
Chicks with Sticks (It’s a Purl Thing)
Chicks with Sticks (Knit Two Together)
Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise)

Kate Jacobs
The Friday Night Knitting Club
Knit Two

Ann Hood
The Knitting Circle

Beth Pattillo
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society
The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love

If you've read over my list and found that I may be missing a biggie - I've already "read" them. They are:

Debbie Macomber
The Shop on Blossom Street
A Good Yarn
Back on Blossom Street
Twenty Wishes - currently "reading" to :)

When I say "read" I mean listen to. I can't read and knit at the same time so listening to audio books while I knit is the very next best thing!

Knitting Rules!

I really feel like a REAL knitter now! After reading The Yarn Harlot's Book "Knitting Rules!" I feel much more at ease about the whole thing.

This chick really knows what she's talking about. I hear her voice in my head sometimes while I'm knitting (although I've never heard her actual voice) tell me that "It's only Knitting" "It's supposed to be fun" and above all others "There are NO Knitting Police"!!!!

I can't wait to read her next book.

Onwards.. and Upwards...

So... I'm going to get on with my life... without my sock... my first knitted sock... EVER... and get back to updating you on all that is going on with me :) because most of it is happy happy!

On Thursday I got my Knit Picks order! Whee!!! Lots and Lots of stuff for MEEEEEEE!

I took advantage of the sale Knit Picks was having on books (until Aug. 8th in case anyone was interested) and got a few that I've had my eye on for quite some time. Just in case you can't tell what they are... The first one on the left is the "Knitting Workshop" by Elizabeth Zimmerman - what good knitter would be without one of these??? I had to wait for it to become available (which also held up my order with KP) but I just knew it's going to be WELL worth the wait. When ever I'm talking to Muggles (as I've heard someone call non-knitters) and I tell them about Elizabeth Zimmerman I call her "THE Grand Mum of Knitting". I think that she would be one of the 3 people I would want at my dinner table (dead or alive) if I ever got the chance. You know that hypothetical question that some people like to ponder. Although right now I don't feel worthy enough since I am such a beginner... but then again... who better to learn from right?

The next book is the "Sweater Workshop" by Jacqueline Fee. I've also heard lots and lots and lots of good things about this book as well. Kelley Petkun talks about it often in her podcast. At this point in time I'm a little intimidated about knitting a garment for myself or anyone else for that matter. When I first started thinking about knitting it was SOCKS that I wanted to knit the most. But from what I've heard about this book that this is THE book to learn how to knit a sweater from. If I follow it from beginning to end I'll be a pro and know all there is to know about knitting/designing/tailoring a sweater.

The next book is called "I Can't Believe I'm Knitting Socks" from Leisure Arts. I'm not sure where I heard about this book - it could have been Kelley Petkun or it could have been Lime & Violet or both... but it looks good to me. I think it was Lime & Violet that raved about the basic sock pattern in this book because the instructions have you make each part of the sock in a different color so that you'll really really be able to visualize the different parts that make up a knitted sock. Very cool!

The last book on the right is called "The Magic Loop" by Bev Galeskas and based on Sarah Hauschka's Magical Unvention. I'll admit it looks strange but anyone I've talked to about it LOVES knitting socks this way. I don't know if I'm quite ready for it but I got the book on sale for a really great price so even if it sits around for a while who cares right? It was on Sale!!!

Now for my goodies! Of course after getting "The Magic Loop" book I had to have some longer cable needles to do it with right??? So that's what you see on top of my books - All 3 are size 1 needles in 32" length, 40" length and 47 " length. Oh, and you can't tell in the picture but they are made out of Knit Pick's Harmony wood which is absolutely beautiful. They truly are pointy pieces of art!

Now what kind of knitter would I be if I didn't get YARN too???? Duh!!! I am trying to keep my stash down - as I can become quite a hoarder when it comes to a new craft. Let's just leave it at that shall we??? So I only bought what was on clearance because: A. IT WAS ON SALE!!! and B. it was most likely going to be discontinued right??? I got 2 skeins of Essential Sock Yarn in colorway Dune Twist - I thought this would make a nice pair of brown socks. I also got 2 skeins of Shine Sport in colorway Sky and 3 skeins of Shine Sport in colorway River. Now to be perfectly honest... I'm not sure why I ordered the Shine Sport yarns. I vaguely remember looking through the site and coming across a book with a pattern to make a knitted puppy... out of these two colors. But I didn't' buy the book that went with it... hmmmmm..... yup that's what it was... I meant to buy "Knitted Toys" and make the Floppy Dog pattern out of this yarn... maybe FAB all ready has this book... hmmmmm...

So that was ONE of my exciting moments on Thursday. When I take pictures of the other one I'll post it.