Cruising the Knitting Internet
I've had a truly pleasurable week, internet-wise. With so many of my favorite bloggers relating their experiences at the Sock Summit I admit I'm beginning to believe it has become the "Woodstock" of this knitting generation! It's a strange kind of voyeurism, I suppose, getting so much pleasure from other people's happy experiences, but what else is there for those of us who couldn't attend? 
The latest issue of Twist Collective is out, if you don't receive their notifications by email. It is far and away the best issue yet! Let me start with the Problem Ladies advice on how to prevent your stash from taking over your spare bedroom, livingroom, house, life.... it has to be approached with humor - either that or hysteria sets in! LOL!
There were 2 "sister" articles about a previously unknown Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater now turned into a pattern available from SchoolHouse Press which are SO worth reading! I was tempted to hunt down the pattern but I think I spent enough... (*ahem!) after reading this article by Pam Allen about how she used unique yoke shaping to create her latest sweater patterns. Two words - "yoke" and "sweater" and I was a goner! How many times have I said, "I'm not much of one to buy single patterns"? but - I couldn't resist these beauties!
I bought (in order) Vaganova (which I definitely will make a different collar on), Come Together, (which I am thinking of some handspun for and longer sleeves) and Lily, which is not Pam's design but I love the lace. There must have been some aberation in the alignment of the stars that day because just when I thought I was free from the purchasing patterns madness I went to Jared Flood's Brooklyn Tweed blog. Really really bad decision! It seems he and Classic Elite Yarns have just published his first book of designs called "Made in Brooklyn". He has half a dozen blog entries introducing different designs, telling a bit about his design process and the yarns that went into them. He did all his own photography to boot - insisted on it, in fact as part of his creative control (any of you who have seen his blog know why this is a no brainer!). The book is luscious and the designs... well, if I had any hesitation in buying the book, his "Seneca" sweater certainly made short work of it!
Yes, this sweater features sideways cables on the yoke, hem and sleeves. No, the yoke is NOT knit sideways, it is knit from the bottom up. Intrigued? I sure was! Now the book is on it's way and soon I'll know how he put the caramel into the.... well, you know the rest! LOL! But all his designs are elegant with the meticulous attention to detail we've come to expect and treasure! I think what made me happiest was that I didn't have to join Ravelry to be able to buy it. He does market many of his book and non-book patterns through his Ravelry shop so if you see something on his blog you like you can just buy the single pattern but since I am not a member of Ravelry (definitely NO time for it!) it was nice to just go to the Classic Elite website and buy a copy. I highly doubt you will see it on Amazon or eBay as I think they made a pretty exclusive publication deal. No matter. I know this book is worth every penny and I don't even have it in my hands yet! To be perfectly honest, I wish I had gone to his blog first because I got a whole collection of patterns I am panting for, for less $ than I paid for 3 single patterns! And irregardless of the additional shipping cost, his are superior in every respect, IMHO. If this enthusiastic review doesn't make you want to run out and buy it, let me tempt you further! (Bwahaha!) In addition to spectacular sweaters, some really delicious hats and accessories, the collection includes several lace patterns that left mealmost weak in the knees! He is truly a versatile designer! I think it's because he has one personality element that many modern designers lack - he is an artist in the most classical sense of the word. His thoroughly contemplated combinations of color, texture and form produce true design classics that will endure. I find most modern designers have items I like and others I go "Ugh! WHAT were they thinking when they came up with THAT ugly/useless/shapeless thing?". Not so here! No drunk-but-playing-with-yarn experiments ever! I think the book is long over-due and I certainly hope it won't be his last! Now go check out his blog, then run out a buy a copy, Okay? You'll be sooooo glad I told you to!
The latest issue of Twist Collective is out, if you don't receive their notifications by email. It is far and away the best issue yet! Let me start with the Problem Ladies advice on how to prevent your stash from taking over your spare bedroom, livingroom, house, life.... it has to be approached with humor - either that or hysteria sets in! LOL!
There were 2 "sister" articles about a previously unknown Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater now turned into a pattern available from SchoolHouse Press which are SO worth reading! I was tempted to hunt down the pattern but I think I spent enough... (*ahem!) after reading this article by Pam Allen about how she used unique yoke shaping to create her latest sweater patterns. Two words - "yoke" and "sweater" and I was a goner! How many times have I said, "I'm not much of one to buy single patterns"? but - I couldn't resist these beauties!
I bought (in order) Vaganova (which I definitely will make a different collar on), Come Together, (which I am thinking of some handspun for and longer sleeves) and Lily, which is not Pam's design but I love the lace. There must have been some aberation in the alignment of the stars that day because just when I thought I was free from the purchasing patterns madness I went to Jared Flood's Brooklyn Tweed blog. Really really bad decision! It seems he and Classic Elite Yarns have just published his first book of designs called "Made in Brooklyn". He has half a dozen blog entries introducing different designs, telling a bit about his design process and the yarns that went into them. He did all his own photography to boot - insisted on it, in fact as part of his creative control (any of you who have seen his blog know why this is a no brainer!). The book is luscious and the designs... well, if I had any hesitation in buying the book, his "Seneca" sweater certainly made short work of it!
Yes, this sweater features sideways cables on the yoke, hem and sleeves. No, the yoke is NOT knit sideways, it is knit from the bottom up. Intrigued? I sure was! Now the book is on it's way and soon I'll know how he put the caramel into the.... well, you know the rest! LOL! But all his designs are elegant with the meticulous attention to detail we've come to expect and treasure! I think what made me happiest was that I didn't have to join Ravelry to be able to buy it. He does market many of his book and non-book patterns through his Ravelry shop so if you see something on his blog you like you can just buy the single pattern but since I am not a member of Ravelry (definitely NO time for it!) it was nice to just go to the Classic Elite website and buy a copy. I highly doubt you will see it on Amazon or eBay as I think they made a pretty exclusive publication deal. No matter. I know this book is worth every penny and I don't even have it in my hands yet! To be perfectly honest, I wish I had gone to his blog first because I got a whole collection of patterns I am panting for, for less $ than I paid for 3 single patterns! And irregardless of the additional shipping cost, his are superior in every respect, IMHO. If this enthusiastic review doesn't make you want to run out and buy it, let me tempt you further! (Bwahaha!) In addition to spectacular sweaters, some really delicious hats and accessories, the collection includes several lace patterns that left me
Posted by Gloria Patre at 8/20/2009 10:44 AM 
Categories: Books
Tags: brooklyn tweed patterns twist collective
Categories: Books
Tags: brooklyn tweed patterns twist collective
Excellent choices you've got there! I like the middle one of the pullovers best. I have my Made in Brooklyn booklet already! I hesitated for 2 days to buy it, because of the horrendous shipping costs with shopatron, but I really didn't want to miss out on this one. I like all his designs in this booklet, even if I'm not going to knit all of them. So worth it! Oh, and you are missing out on not being a ravelry member. I don't spend a lot of time there, but the resources, all the info you'll find there is just too good to miss out on.
Reply to this
Ya, I hear you about the shipping costs - absolutely outrageous! ($18!) But it's the only way to get the book *sigh!* I'd wager the actual cost is closer to about $7 - I'll see when the pkg arrives. Thanks for the advice about Ravelry... I'm thinking about it.....
Reply to this