An interesting development

Quince & Co., and for those of you on Facebook, here. A new yarn company with top-notch pattern support... and a drool-worthy yarn called "Puffin" described this way:

We love this plump and chunky single-ply. It's soft and rustic with a misty, matte finish—almost as if the strand had been lightly felted. Can you tell from the photo? Knit Puffin on size 11 needles and you have pliable, warm fabric that would make a great pair of mittens for the dead of winter....

A little birdie told me that Pam Allen is involved in this venture, and since I'm a huge Pam Allen fan, you can bet that I will keep you posted on this. . .The company is set to launch in the next few weeks.

p.s. Happy birthday, Véronik!!!

Amy Butler yarn line from Rowan

Check it out: if you are an Amy Butler fan (she is a fabric designer/quilter), Rowan is introducing a new line of yarns designed by Amy, called Belle Organic. Looks like it comes in two weights, DK and aran, and the yarn is a 50% organic wool/50% organic cotton blend. Yum! (Just don't discontinue regular old Wool-Cotton, hear me, Rowan???) There's a brief blurb on Rowan's website here.

Rowan No. 44 Preview

Because I have friends in high (or do I mean "low"?) places, I am extremely fortunate to be able to bring you this extra-special, extra-well-informed preview of the brand-new Rowan Magazine, No. 44. This year the Magazine is being released a bit earlier than usual in honor of Rowan's 30th Anniversary. Holy crap: three decades of Rowan. I wish when I was thirteen, instead of worrying about making my perfectly-straight hair try to do Farrah Fawcett flips, I'd have been out there buying the first Rowan Magazine. . . but I suppose then I would have been regarded as even more of a nerd than I already was.

In any event, in honor of this anniversary extravaganza, we get Rowan No. 44 in July instead of August, complete with spiffy photo-album-inspired cover:



At 186 pages, this one is a bit thicker than usual, no?

No. 44 begins with a note by Kate Buller, editor-in-chief, who notes that the co-founders of Rowan (Stephen Sheard and Simon Cockin) retired at the end of last year -- but she also assures us that we need not fear, for Rowan will march onward. She also says something which must be a misprint: that Kaffe Fassett, the God of Colour, celebrated his 70th birthday last year. Surely that gorgeous, silver-maned man is not a day over 50... and if he is, I want to know what kind of moisturizer he uses.

But once again, I digress. Let's look first at the designs. This year's Rowan features three "stories," as Rowan calls them, overarching themes around which the patterns are organized and inspired. All of them perfectly suit Rowan's anniversary: Nostalgia (a fond remembrance of the past), Renaissance (a rebirth) and Elegance (because Rowan's stuff is nearly always very stylish and elegant; the only reason I said "nearly" is because of that unfortunate Maori warpaint a few springs ago. But let's not talk about that.).

Nostalgia was inspired by 1930s and 1940s glamour (in honor of the Brits, I shall use the "u" spelling throughout). Each design is named after a film icon of the era -- hence the Hepburn Vest, Lamarr Gloves, and Lamour Sweater, shown from left to right below.


Photography and styling, impeccable and inspired as usual, evoke that vintage era.



You'll find rich shades of forest, browns, and purple, along with some muted shades of sage, cloud blue, rose and taupe, and there are lots of stitch patterns and other clever design details. This is the Hayworth Sweater, with a cowl neck and textured pattern:


Many of the garments have that characteristic sweater girl shape, although some are loose-fitting, too.



Designs are by Marie Wallin, Marion Foale, Sarah Dallas, Erika Knight, Jennie Atkinson and Sarah Hatton. The Fontaine fitted jacket, with an all-over basketweave, has great lines:




The second story, Renaissance, features an auburn-haired model who fits my mind's-eye view of what Queen Elizabeth (the first) must have looked like, which I am sure was not a coincidence. Renaissance focuses on pattern and color, both of which have been and continue to be hallmarks of Rowan design through the years. So if you love stranded knitting, you're gonna be in heaven. For example, take a look at the Bellini belted vest, by Sarah Hatton (all of these designs are named after Renaissance artists):

In addition to lots of stranded knitting, you'll find clever and creative embellishment. Take a look at Titian, by Marie Wallin, on the right below:


embellishment is done over the hazy colour-striping of Tapestry yarn, and gives an interesting and unusual effect. Wallin also designed the purple sweater next to it, called Raphael. The crewelwork is extraordinary (and if you didn't want the extra roominess in the bottom half of the sweater that comes with an empire waist, I expect it would be very easy to knit the bottom straight so that you get a more traditional fit. I know that you young-uns like your body-shaping sweaters, what with your lissome, unspoiled-by-childbearing figures 'n all.).

One of my favorites in this story is this Jewel Square Wrap, designed by Mr. I-Can't-Possibly-Be-Eligible-For-AARP Kaffe Fassett:


Very nice. I might have to make one to compensate for the fact that our thermostat will be set at 50 degrees F all winter...

Another feature I particularly like is the way the garments in this story mix different yarns -- including different gauges and different fibers. For example, the Jewel Square wrap mixes Wool Cotton, and Kidsilk Aura with Felted Tweed, while Titian uses Tapestry, Kid Classic and Wool Cotton. The different qualities of the various fibers (a tweed fleck here, a mohair halo there) give the colorwork added dimension.

Designs in this story are by Wallin, Martin Storey, Hatton and Fassett. Most of these garments feature flowing lines and looser fit, in part because of the Renaissance theme and perhaps in part because of the design challenges presented by colourwork patterns (it's hard to combine the repeats with the necessary increases and decreases that more fitted garments require, and stranded colourwork tends to create stiffer, heavier fabric). Appropriately, the emphasis is on jewel tones like gold, regal purple and emerald green.

The last story is Elegance, in which designs from the previous two stories are reworked and re-imagined, for example omitting embellishment, or changing necklines or sleeve length. So you'll see a version of Raphael (the purple one with the embroidery above) reworked plain. The short-sleeved Grable Sweater (shown above) becomes a tunic. The Lamour Sweater is revised as a vest. Below are the revised version of the Bellini vest, now turned into a cardigan (below left; compare with the one above, worn by the red-headed model) and the scoop-necked version of the Hayworth sweater (below right; compare with cowl-neck version in dark blue, shown above in Nostalgia):



For those who have trouble imagining what designs look like when they've been tweaked a bit, this will be a great exercise in the creative process. I hope it gives knitters the confidence to tailor designs to suit their own preferences even without being provided with the instructions.

As usual, the pattern section in the back of the magazine contains schematics; charts; and color insets of each pattern, along with page references to direct you to the full-size shots. Note that the charts are all in black-and-white, however. Most garments are sized from size 32 bust through 46 bust (those are body measurements, rather than garment measurements). Each garment is photographed at least two, sometimes more times, to give you additional insight into construction and design details. This issue seems to focus much more on knitting than crochet with few crocheted garments (now don't get all huffy on me, militant crocheters; just an observation, not a value judgment).

What else will you find in the fall magazine?

• Seven favourite Rowan designers are interviewed to give their impressions of Rowan style (Fassett, Jean Moss, Martin Storey, Knight, Dallas, Kim Hargreaves and Sasha Kagan);
• an article about the new RYC line of single-breed wools (woo-hoo! more about this in a future post);
• "Clever Ideas," a collection of easy-to-make gifts, like crocheted placemats, a sewn apron and a felted wreath;
• a short article on a new book by Sharon Brant, aimed at providing Rowan-style garments in plus-sizes.

Rowan 44 reminds me that autumn is just around the corner, with all the promise of exciting new yarns, patterns to ogle, and an end to the lassitude of summer. Happy days are here again.

Pam Allen, will you marry me?

Okay, I'm already happily married, and we'd both have to move to Canada (which wouldn't be that much of a hardship, but still, those pesky green cards), and you probably prefer tall, dark and handsome to medium, blonde and plump.

But I must say that receiving three brand-new CEY (i.e. Classic Elite Yarns) pattern booklets in the mail on Saturday made me very, very happy, reminding me of those halcyon days when you were editor of IK (not that I don't still love IK, mind you).



Oh the gorgeous photography!



The adorable models who don't irk me at all!




The lervely, lervely patterns!



Kate Gilbert, you can be a bridesmaid at our wedding --I love this sweater


Don't forget the purty new yarns -- in addition to Wool Bam Boo, which I dearly love working with, there's a new Cotton Bamboo and a blend of linen, wool and alpaca called Soft Linen (which is what this hoodie is knit in).



[Sigh of pleasure.]

It was almost enough to make me forget about the dreaded Bus Incident. (Thanks for all your comments and ideas. We're drafting our letter and sending it out today. In the words of John Paul Jones or Patrick Henry or whoever it was, "I have not yet begun to fight!" My kids are everything to me and woe betide anyone who doesn't treat 'em right. I'll keep you posted.)

We have no exotic dancers....

Well, we could have predicted this, no? Once I get some suitably snappy answers from my loyal readers, not a single middle-aged white guy asked me what I did for a living. Hmph. So it was the usual: scintillating conversation about leveraged buyouts, trying to communicate social cues to men with mild Asperger's, guessing whose wife had a little work done (you could have bounced a quarter off the newly-taut skin of one woman), and, of course, a handful of minor faux pas on my part. (How was I supposed to know that that woman was a born-again Republican?!).
Back at the ranch, I spent the weekend ignoring my wine headache and getting together my new labels for Black Bunny Fibers. Although I do realize I must obey Sherry W. in all things, it was a happy coincidence that I'd already asked my dear friend to help me put my logo on some labels for the shop. So we will start the New Year with a new label. Photos coming soon.

In other news, this weekend was what my husband calls "the yarn convention," the meeting of industry folks at TNNA in California. I didn't go due to financial constraints, although I will be at the TNNA meeting in June. I am hoping to debrief some of my pals to find out the dirt for y'all -- and I encourage anybody who was there to shoot me an email with whatever you feel like sharing. (In keeping with my commitment to journalistic integrity, all sources will remain confidential unless they want free publicity, in which case I will happily trade pimping for gossip.)

I will share a few tidbits that I discovered on my own over the course of the past week. Berroco just released two new sock yarns. I can't remember Berroco ever doing sock yarns before. One is Comfort Sock, a blend of half nylon and half acrylic, for those who don't want (or can't wear) wool, knitting around 7.5 sts per inch. The other is Berroco Sox, a more traditional blend of 75% wool and 25% nylon, in self-patterning colorways, also knitting around 7.5 sts per inch.

Looking ahead to the bookshelf, there are some interesting books about to be published (other than Knit So Fine, of course). Keep an eye out for

• Michelle Rose Orne's Inspired Knits, from Interweave Press;
• Sasha Kagan's Knitwear;
• More Big Girl Knits, from Jillian Moreno and Amy Singer;
• if you're a Yarn Harlot fan, she's got a new one coming in spring called Things I Learned From Knitting (Whether I Wanted To Or Not);
• Shannon Okey's How To Knit In The Woods (I'm not sure exactly what she's got up her sleeve in this one, since it's subtitled "20 Projects for the Great Outdoors"; maybe a knitted tent? a hunting knife cozy? Shannon, if you're there, let me know...)
• Knitting New Mittens & Gloves, by Robin Melanson;
• Guy Knits: Sweaters and Vests for Men, a "Best of Knitter's" volume by Rick Mondragon, sure to appeal to all the men you know who like, um, gaudy colorwork and hairy novelty yarns?;
• Retro Knits, by Kari Cornell, inspired by vintage patterns from 1900 through the 1970s.

Finally, you must check out Veronik's updated website, which recently premiered her on-line shop. The gorgeous Wallpaper Mittens are the first PDF pattern ready for sale there. More, please, Ve-Ve?

Coming this week: The first No-Bull Book Review of 2008...

The best laid plans....

So I had to (sniffle, sniffle) own the fact that I wasn't going to make it to FibreFest North this year. (Insert frowny-face emoticon here.) It was logistics that doomed me -- Wiarton is so damn far from me -- and my transportation plans fell through. It truly sucks that I won't be getting to spend time with Ted, or meet Mona, or get to say G-day to M-H, or get a big bear hug from Lars, or take a jacuzzi with the Knitting Curmudgeon.

I was especially looking forward to the jacuzzi part.

But as God as my witness, I AM going to Rhinebeck, and I am going to Stitches East. I've got hotel rooms booked for both, I've got wicked cool traveling companions lined up, and both events are within driving distance. See you there. Especially YOU, Anonymous L**** of the Blogless (for now) Knitterati.

Closer to home

My weekend plans took a little U-turn, too. I had planned to take Elvis to the Garden State Sheep Breeders festival on Saturday, which isn't too far from here -- and has the distinction of being the fiber festival where we were enticed to consider getting a pet bunny. Just as I returned from bringing Li'l Miss home from her first ballet lesson (gulp)

I was met at the door by Tom, briefcase and laptop in hand. Going into the office at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Feh. So the kids and I went to N.'s soccer game instead.

Which led to way too many encounters with Malibu Barbie moms (orange vinyl skin and white-yellow hair that never occurs in nature, at least not with black eyebrows), and their jocky stockbroker husbands (nearly always named "Jack," with ironed polo shirts and decidedly firm handshakes). Double feh.

So we had to postpone our trip to the sheep show 'til Sunday. I'm still trying to load some photos from there (I'm thinking my USB cable is on the fritz) and I'll try to post them tomorrow.

How could I have forgotten?

Crapola. I completely forgot Kristin Knits, Kristin Nicholas' new book which is coming out soon -- maybe around mid-October? Kristin has an exquisite eye for color and I've got some of her other books, like Kids' Embroidery: Projects for Kids of All Ages which is a great one (even though I haven't done that kind of stitchery in years). (I think I might add Colorful Stitchery

to my Christmas wish list -- hint, hint, Tom.) Rumor has it that there is a bitchin' interview of her in a forthcoming IK but I don't want to steal the author's thunder so I'll just tease you. Anyway, I've met Kristin briefly and she is extremely warm, down-to-earth and friendly, and add to that her multi-faceted talents and devotion to family, and you've got the kind of knitting designer I want to support whole-heartedly. So I'm sorry I forgot to put that one on the list and thanks for reminding me...

Fall Book Preview

Earlier this week, it was ninety-five degrees and as humid as an armpit in my neck of the woods, but the weather has, thankfully, turned more comfortable, with just the tiniest hint of fall in the air. So let's dream longingly of cooler seasons as we take a quick peek at some of the books to be published this fall.

New Offerings from Old Favorites

Kaffe Fassett (say "Kafe FASS-itt" -- NOT "coffee faucet") releases Kaffe Knits Again: 24 Original Designs Updated for Today's Knitters (Potter Craft; due early October), in which he revisits some of his most popular patterns, updating them in current yarns. (He'll be signing books at Stitches, I believe.) Kaffe also has a new quilting book out in October, Kaffe Fassett's Quilts in the Sun: 20 Designs from Rowan for Patchwork and Quilting, which also features designs from elite quilting designers such as Liza Prior Lucy. (If you've ever toyed with the idea of quilting, go to Liza's website and take a peek at her gorgeous fabrics...)

Another designer who frequently designs patterns for Rowan is the prolific and talented Martin Storey. Knitting for Him: 27 Classic Projects to Keep Him Warm (Taunton; expected release September 25) aims to provide more options for knitting for the guys in your life, with that classic Rowan sense of style. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this book contains new designs rather than a repeat of garments that have previously appeared in other Rowan publications sinceI like Martin Storey's designs a lot and probably already have most of his previously-published designs for Rowan.

Rowan alum Louisa Harding -- who has been designing her own yarns and pattern booklets, too -- has written a book full of small projects called Knitting Little Luxuries: Beautiful Accessories to Knit (Interweave Press; early November). This book promises quick projects for accessories and other items that require a minimum amount of yarn.

Fiona Ellis, who released an interesting book on cables last year, follows up with Inspired Fair Isle Knits: 20 Creative Designs Inspired by the Elements (PotterCraft; early October). The book description sounds intriguing:

Using unconventional placement of Fair Isle patterning, such as at the cuff or shoulder, and asymmetrical or striped color placement, Ellis creates a wide
variety of moods, movements, and graphic impact. And Inspired Fair Isle Knits isn’t just about Fair Isle knitting; it combines the basic method with other knitting techniques such as cables, lace patterning, felting, and even pleats.

And my longtime favorite Debbie Bliss just released another book of baby knits, called Essential Baby: Over 20 Handknits to Take Your Baby from First Days to First Steps (Trafalgar Square; already available). I'll probably pass on this one, since I've got tons of baby patterns and my kids are getting too big for this size range, although I'm sure it's lovely, as Debbie Bliss's books always are.

Interweave Press

In addition to Louisa Harding's new book, our friends at Interweave -- always a source of excellent knitting and crochet books -- have just released The Best of Interweave Knits: Our Favorite Designs from the First Ten Years. As you may have guessed, it's a compilation of the best-loved patterns from past ten years of Interweave Knits magazines. If you've got all your back issues, then you may not want to spring for it, but if you're like me and your magazines get all dog-eared, it might be nice to have a beautifully-bound book version of the best of the best. This one is already on sale at some places and should be at your local yarn shop or bookstore soon, if it isn't already.

Kim Werker -- new editor of Interweave Crochet -- has written Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution (expected October 28). I met Kim at a booksigning last year and although I found it hard to believe she's only been crocheting a few years, she is so cute and nice that I found it easy to get over my hook envy. (Plus she's pals with Shannon Okey, who's always fun to hang with.)

Bag Style: Innovative to Traditional, 22 Inspirational Handbags, Totes, and Carry-alls to Knit and Crochet, edited by Pam Allen, is the next installment in Interweave's beloved Style series, and Folk Style: Innovative Designs to Knit, Including Sweaters, Hats, Scarves, Gloves and More came out a few weeks ago, edited by color-savvy Mags Kandis (the owner and founder of Mission Falls yarns).

All Toilet-Paper Cozies, All the Time

On the (ahem)more eclectic side, a book devoted entirely to toilet paper roll cozies is slated for release this fall, Toilet Roll Covers, along with a prequel (?) Tea Cozies.

I Guess You Can't Trademark Titles

You might think that Interweave's super-strong "Fill in the Blank" Style series -- e.g. Lace Style, Scarf Style, Bag Style -- would have put the kibosh on another publisher starting a knitting/crochet series with Style in the title. However, Martingale is releasing "Stitch Style, Mittens" and "Stitch Style, Socks". Each is a compilation of knit and crochet designs having to do with mittens and socks, respectively. I'll leave it to you to debate whether that is a blatant attempt to trade off the popularity of Interweave's series or simply a coincidence.

In addition

you'll find the following titles, fellow knitting-book lovers:

• the ever-prolific Deb Stoller releases Son of Stitch 'n Bitch: 45 Projects to Knit and Crochet for Men (yep, had some designs dinged from that one, too), with patterns for men and boys (Workman; late November).
  
• Candace Eisner Strick -- who, rumor has it, has one of the most attractive, mellifluous and charming test knitters in the world -- has a book devoted to self-striping yarns called Knit One, Stripe Too: Making the Most of Self-striping Yarn (Martingale; due October 8).


• Knitter's Review founder Clara Parkes releases The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn (PotterCraft; mid-October).


• Vogue is putting out a book called Designing Custom Knits (Vogue Knitting Techniques Series) which could be interesting
  
• Donna Druchunas will be guest-blogging in a few weeks to coincide with her new ethnic knitting book, Ethnic Knitting: Discovery: The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and The Andes (Nomad Press; late October)-- ethnic knitting always being a fascinating and rich source for exploration, and Cables, Diamonds, & Herringbone: Secrets of Knitting Traditional Fishermen's Sweaters by Sabine Domnick is coming from Down East Books (late October).

I'm sure there are some more titles that I missed, but this will give you a flavor for some of this fall's offerings. We live in good times for knitters: the fact that there are a lot of new knitting books coming out on a such a regular basis is a great sign for the continuing vitality of the craft.

Spring preview: Rowan

It's that time again: a few weeks before the new Rowan Magazine will come out. Even though there's still plenty of winter left in this hemisphere of the world [updated to remove my Northern-Hemisphere-normativity, with apologies to M-H], and there's still plenty of time to wear all those sweaters and socks we've been knitting on, we are daydreaming about spring. Here is some of what I was able to glean about the spring '07 line from Rowan and its sister companies, RYC and Jaeger. Get ready to drool.

Let's start with new yarns:

• Damask, which is DK weight, is a blend of 57% viscose, 21% acrylic and 22% linen, a yarn with slightly different color plies and a fairly dressy look.

• Bamboo Tape is a, well, tape made out of bamboo. (No duh, right?) 100% bamboo, in fact, and around worsted weight, with its own book of designs by Marie Wallin and Martin Storey. Looks like a chained construction. Think drape, more relaxed fit than we've seen, and that gorgeous bamboo sheen.
  

Summer Tweed gets some new colors for '07, along with The Kasbah Collection, a booklet featuring 12 new designs in Summer Tweed -- including some stripes, an assymetric cardigan with a keyhole opening in the front (?), and what appears to be a lacy dress.



Four new shades of Kid Silk Haze -- biscuit, black, frosty lavender and a dusty sage; an updating of the Handknit DK Cotton palette with ten new colors; a couple of new colors in Cotton Rope, Cotton Glace, Calmer and 4-ply Cotton.

Magazine No. 41, thankfully, looks a bit more traditional and accessible than last year's Maori abomination. Some of the preview shots show a pink cardigan, 3/4 sleeves and a wide V-neck, with ruffle and embroidery trim photographed in Ye Olde English Greenhouse; a lovely lace stole which looks like it's in Kid Silk Haze, photographed in Ye Olde English Meadowe of Wildeflowers; some nautical stripes (shot near Ye Olde English Coaste?); a stylized intarsia throw (or maybe a very large and drapey jacket -- it's hard to tell from the shot -- that has Kaffe written all over it (oh God, how embarrassing it will be if I'm wrong....);



and a muted striped short-sleeve sweater with some chevron patterning.


(Anyone else notice that she's giving us Yanks the one-fingered salute?)

From RYC, we've also got some new yarns and books:

• Cotton Jeans, a worsted-weight, 100% cotton in an interesting palette of sort of subtly-marled variations in color. Reminds me a little of Debbie Bliss's Denim Cotton Aran, but not quite as heavy. Coast is a collection of 15 designs by Martin Storey featuring Cotton Jeans and Natural Silk Aran (we've got the Natural Silk Aran at Rosie's, and it's a very pretty yarn).

• Bamboo Soft, a sportweight 100% bamboo, soft and beautiful, with a sheen and lots of drape. Twelve colors, including some neutrals and deep, complex pastels. Nature is the pattern book -- also by the uber-talented Martin Storey -- using Bamboo Soft as well as Luxury Cotton DK.
  
• Mother & Baby is yet another new book with 17 knitting designs by-- you guessed it, Martin Storey. Looks like a mix of moms' and kids' designs in Natural Silk Aran and the Cashes (Cashcotton 4-ply, Cashsoft DK and Cashsoft Baby DK). Look at this cute baby blanket, reminiscent of some older Debbie Bliss patterns:

That'll get you over your fear of intarsia. New colors in Cashcotton 4-ply and DK; Luxury Cotton DK: and Natural Silk Aran.

Jaeger is continuing its more contemporary sensibility, while still keeping the professional woman in mind. On the casual side, JB43 features several cardigans with lacy and ruffly edgings, a short-sleeved sweater with some kind of patterning across the chest, and a tunic, also showing a lot of cool pastels.



I'm a little troubled by the furry trim on some of these garments --


-- it's like, so 2003, -- but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. For the workplace, JB44 has some sweaters and jackets that one could conceivably wear to the office, depending on your dress code, like a black and white Chanel-esque number. The only new Jaeger yarn I see is called Ascot, which is an interesting blend of 85% viscose, 15% elite (which is elastic like Lycra). It knits as a DK and looks pebbly the way Fixation does. New colors have been added in Aqua and Siena 4-ply.

I haven't gotten any hints about Nashua's new line (hint, hint) but as soon as I do, I'll update you. Now get back to those wool socks and finish those sweaters while you still have time to wear them, missy and mister. I'm off to, gulp, the Dubya-Bee (W-B, or Wilkes-Barre, for the blessedly uninitiated).