I manage two TBRs in my life, my everyday reading TBR (which seems to be getting taller every day) and my knitting TBR.
My knitting TBR is a little different. I buy knitting books when I intend to make projects from them, but I’ve also found that sometimes just flipping through a pattern book and admiring the photos of finished projects can be incredibly soothing. This month I wanted to share the books at the top of my knitting TBR with you.
52 Weeks of Socks by Laine
I love this book so much, partially because I adore knitting socks and partially because it has a kind of cottagecore thing going on that feels very soothing. This book contains–you guessed it–52 sock patterns and utilizes a variety of techniques including toe-up, cabling and colorwork. Many of the patterns include charts. I would say most of these patterns are in the intermediate to advanced category, and almost all of them contain some sort of texture work. This isn’t TV knitting.
That said, this book is huge and contains gorgeous photography. Right now it’s in it’s 5th printing and unless you can find it at a Local Yarn Shop, you need to preorder directly from the publisher.
Right now I’m working on a pair of Bembe socks in Round Mountain Fibers Alder Fingering. If you absolutely must have this yarn (isn’t it gorgeous) you can buy it here. The colorway is Blue Frog/ May semi-solid.
Amy Herzog’s Ultimate Sweater Book and You Can Knit That: Foolproof Instructions for Fabulous Sweaters by Amy Herzog
There are two things I really like about Amy Herzog’s sweater books.
The first is that the sizing is entirely customizable. You knit the sweater based on your exact measurements, from bust to waist to upper arms, meaning you get a garment that fits you perfectly.
The second is that she lays out her instructions in a clear and visual way, making it easy for new knitters to jump in.
If you’ve ever thought of knitting a sweater but backed away in fear, these two books are the place to start.
Mastering Color Knitting by Melissa Leapman
I’ve always been intimidated by colorwork so I told myself this would be my year to try it. I picked up Mastering Color Knitting by Melissa Leapman because its instructions were very clear and very visually oriented, which I need.
Basically it didn’t intimidate me where a lot of Fair Isle books do. The book covers everything from how to read a pattern to how to create your own and offers over 120 colorwork patterns and 12 projects.
Cats in Hats: 30 Knit and Crochet Hat Patterns for Your Kitty by Sara Thomas
Okay, I’ve never actually made my cats a hat mostly because they would hate me for it, but I love this book.
It’s funny and adorable and I suspect with enough rum in my coke, I might actually make one of these patterns someday (and suffer poop in my shoes as a result).
I’d love to know what crafting books are in your TBR right now. What books are giving you joy?
I’ve got six books right in front of me on the coffee table now, which I have been dipping in and out of for the last few months. Two are cooking and food related, and the other four are knitting-related. Working with Wool: A Coast Salish Legacy and the Cowichan Sweater, by Sylvia Olsen, is an academic history of the Cowichan sweater. From the book blurb: “Sylvia shows how the story of the sweater and its knitters reflects the history of the Coast Salish people in twentieth-century Canada. The knitters experienced grinding poverty, destructive racism, government paternalism, and cultural appropriation, but they battled back, using their sweaters to survive and to disprove the stereotypes that excluded them from the mainstream society and economy.” The author married a Coast Salish man at the age of 17 and moved to Tsartlip First Nation. She speaks with authenticity and respect and a love of the craft. The historical photos are amazing. This book was a Christmas present from my daughter, who clearly gets me.
Also on the pile is Norah Gaughan’s Knitted Cable Sourcebook, which is a really good book for anyone who is fascinated with cables. And, of course, anything by Norah has got to be good.
Warm Hands is a collection of mitten and mitt patterns, edited by Jeanette Sloan and Kate Davies. I met Jeanette at a yarn festival shortly before Covid changed things, and she struck me as a really nice person with a cool style. The book, like all of those produced in Kate’s stable, is beautifully photographed.
The fourth is Felicity Ford’s Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook, described as “a knitting book that shows you how to turn everyday inspirations into gorgeous stranded colourwork”. I’m trying to explore more colourwork in my knitting and I like Felicity’s experimental approach.
I have a fondness for big honking half-ethnography half-knitting-reference books.
A few favorites:
Traditional Fair Isle Knitting by Sheila McGregor
Traditional Scandinavian Knitting by Sheila McGregor
Mittens of Latvia: 178 traditional designs to knit by Maruta Grasmane
Selbu Mittens by Anne Bardsgard
Knitting in the Old Way by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts.
The next book I’m going to tackle is actually the latest issue of Interweave. Gorgeous cabled goodies and the photography is all flat lay.
I have three knitting books open at the moment, Super Socks by Christine Perry, I’ve never knitted a sock and this is a really basic ‘how to’ with one pattern; I am knitting a sock from it now, but I think I will try for another sock book as it’s top down and I’d prefer to do toe up so I can more easily fit the socks to my OH’s enormous calves, so any suggestions for books concentrating on toe-up socks would be appreciated. I have Kitting from the Top by Barbara G Walker which I bought as it seems to have insired so many other knitting book writers, and I can see why as it goes through the process of knitting vrious garmnts from the top down so you can do them with no seams. I really really hate seaming so top down kniting everything in the round is my preferred method and this book is quite wonderful at showing you how to do this, so so glad I bought it! I also have Cables Untangled by Melissa Leapman open partly as I’m working out how to knit a pattern from that top down. The other reason it’s open is that I am contining to knit my ‘cable sampler’ squares for a blanket. I love this book too as as well as several patterns it has an encylopedia of cable stitches so you can work out your own patterns of cables to put on different things. Waiting to be read is Top Down Sweaters by Ann Budd, because, yes, I am just a little obssessed with top down knitting, this one goes through how to do different types of yoke/sleeve – seamless, raglan, set in, and saddle with patterns and variations.
I have been mostly getting pdfs of single patterns or checking out books from the library, but one book that I own and love for inspiration is Hansi Singh’s Amigurumi Knits. I am stuck on several sweaters so I might need to pull that back out and make a Jackalope or Jellyfish…
No knitting, as despite 50 odd years, I still suck at it, but lots of sewing/quilting books for ideas and inspiration.
I love Home Sewn from French General, https://www.frenchgeneral.com/products/french-general-home-sewn. I love it for the simple country designs from totes to linens to home decor. The photography is beautiful and the hand drawn patterns are charming.
Then there’s Sweet Nothings, https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Nothings-Handmade-Unmentionables-product/dp/B00FGVKAL2, is full of delightful little lingerie and clothing items that I would have made for myself 40 years ago. Not that there aren’t kimonos, jammies and camis that a middle aged potato woman can’t wear, but oh, for the days when I could rock the corset laced garter belt… Still a good resource for inspiration: repurposing vintage textiles, mixing textures, and lingerie sewing techniques.
Because I am staying home and not spending money, I have been using my (ridiculously huge) fabric stash exclusively and Nancy Martin’s The Creative Pattern Book
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Pattern-Book-Complete-Intriguing/dp/0929589068, is full of beautiful scrappy designs. Having run through all my small projects 2 months ago, I’m working on bigger projects for quilting in the winter when it isn’t 100 damn degrees out.
I have been spending a lot of time per
The knitting books I am most likely to pick up for inspiration (or to actually knit a project):
one of the books in the One-Skein Wonders series edited by Judith Durant (they have some great sock yarn projects that aren’t socks – I don’t knit socks but am addicted to sock yarn) – good for stash-busting.
Northern Knits by Lucinda Guy
Power Cables by Lily Chin
Ann Budd’s sweater book – fantastic book for frankensteining your own pattern.
Plus my “how the heck do I do that/fix that?” book, Margaret Radcliffe’s The Knitting Answer Book (because my living knitting oracle moved to Colorado!!!).
My go-to book for crewel embroidery is still my grandmother’s Dover stitch encyclopedia from the ’70s, which is fantastic.
I love both LAST MINUTE KNITTED GIFTS books by Joelle Hoverson. Ranges from hats, scarves, Mitts, leg warmers, vests, shawls, sweaters, etc..Thick yarn, funky patterns, and great TV knitting as well as more complex pieces. Best of all, the patterns knit up quickly, so you have a feeling of accomplishment.
I love poring through Kafe Fassett’s books for the gorgeous designs, photography, models and settings. True knitting pron, even if I never knit any patterns out of them. I found them very soothing to read post EQ.
I don’t knit, but may I recommend a book called “Sweater Quest”? The author decides that she MUST make a Fair Isle sweater. The pattern is in an out of print book (which she engages in an eBay battle to win), the yarns called for were made by a company that’s out of business and she’s never knitted in the manner/style required. She makes friends, visits a knitting retreat and works on the sweater. It’s engaging and quite funny.
I have been perusing the Selbu Mittens book too! I am debating which project to start from Brooke Nico’s LLOVELY KNITTED LACE (full disclosure: she is a dear friend). The new fall Rowan Magazine won’t be out until 9/1, but that is always tremendous eye candy for me.
I´m a crocheter and I have a dedicated list for (mostly) crochet books. There may be millions of patterns online, but like Elyse I just love paging through the books, looking at all the beautiful things I might make next. Recently, I´ve acquired Vanessa Mooncies “Crocheted Birds”, and I´m quite happy with my very first amigurumi tit. Next up are the “Crocheted Dinosaurs” (for my nephews, if anyone asks).
My “Knit This Now!” Bookshelf includes
three of the MDK booklets – great photography and very approachable patterns
52 weeks of socks and I totes agree with you on that one!
One-skein baby knits – super cute and easy to moderate things for wee ones
An old Rowan Nordic-themed pattern book and I bought new yarn just for a pattern (I usually stash dive)