I will admit it. I love books. I love books so much that I was a remedial reading teacher before my husband and I had kids. When we moved from St. Louis to Fort Collins three years ago, I got rid of a lot of books. The moving company charges by weight. Guess what weighs a lot? BOOKS! One thing I did not get rid of were my knitting and quilting books. (Because that would just be silly.)
Some books I buy because I want to make some of the patterns in there. Here’s what my knitting and quilting bookcase looks like at home. (Hey – there’s still plenty of room to add more. I might need to go shopping.)
Some books I buy just because when I look through them, I get inspired. I keep a small stack of these books on the shelf right behind my sewing machine table. These are the books that I want to have quick and frequent access to, because I love looking through them. I love the patterns, I love the colors, and reading through them makes me want to knit (or quilt). I don’t want them to get lost in the multitude that sits in the bookcase. Here is what is currently on that little shelf.
Today, I want to share some books with you! I have two books from market – a brand new stitch dictionary from awesome Wendy Bernard – signed!, a book of pretty sweaters from talented Vicki Square, and two of my all-time favorite knitting books by Hunter Hammerson – Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet books, volumes 1 and 2. These are always on my little shelf, because I love reading through them and being inspired by her designs. Hunter sent me these copies, which I will share with you! These books are not just socks – there are mitts, hats and shawls in there as well. (Volume Three comes out later this month. We’ll be featuring Hunter in a Designer Spotlight when her third book is available, so you’ll learn more about her.)
To enter the contest, leave a comment and tell me about a knitting/quilting/sewing book that you would keep on your little shelf, if you had one. (Not a collector of books? Then tell us something else that inspires your creativity.) You can also tell us which of these four books you’d love to win. I’ll draw names next week and will be sending these books on their way to new homes soon!
Sheri hopingthereareotherbookcollectorsouttherelikeme
Oh gosh, I would have to say anything by Stephanie Pearl McPhee! It’s reassuring to know I’m not blundering along alone!
I have all of Elizabeth Zimmerman and Alice Starmore and just recently acquired the Master Knitting book, my little shelf is growing.
Everything Barbara Walker, love Wendy Johnson, and EZ. My first knitting book and how I learned to knit? Knitting for Dummies – the illustrations made sense to me!!!! : )
I have a small bookcase full of knitting, and some needlework, books in my studio. I am not sure I could name just one, but I do love the photography in Coastal Kmits.
I would love either the WB or HH books I think. What a fun contest!
I love all of the One Skein Wonders books as well as the Knitting and Crochet Answer books. And sock books! I just started doing socks, so I need them close at hand.
I forgot to say that I’d love the Up Down All Around book. I like to just stare at new patterns and stitches sometimes.
It’s so hard to choose just 1 book! Probably would have to have EZ’s Knitters Almanac or Knitting Without Tears. Then, with those for basic patterns, if I won the Wendy Bernard stitch dictionary, I would be all set 🙂
I love sock knitting books and accessory knitting books – can’t get enough of them! I would love to win the sweater book.
I would actually keep Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s very first book (“Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter) on my shelf. Almost ten years ago,the insights and inspiration within transformed me from a casually interested knitter into a ravenous addict. Every time I need to rediscover that love, I turn to her humor and joy. I would love to explore the stitch patterns in Wendy Bernard’s book!
I LOVE stitch dictionaries. Besides Barbara Walker, I also love “The New Knitting Stitch Library” by Lesley Stanfield (1992). It reminds me of an excellent 5-session class that I took that used this book. It’s where I found out that I love texture and cables and lace, oh my! And it’s where I figured out that I do actually have a creative gene hiding somewhere inside. I would be happy with any of the books you listed, but would love Wendy’s book (as I love her Ingenue sweater pattern from her first book).
I would love Up Down All Around on my bookshelf….
You don’t ask easy questions, do you? I think my little shelf would be home to Barbara Parry’s ADVENTURES IN YARN FARMING: FOUR SEASONS ON A NEW ENGLAND FIBER FARM. I read it a few months ago, and am looking forward to re-reading it soon.
As for the books, I’d love Hunter Hammerson’s–she does such neat things with pattern and shaping.
The next book I want to get is “Vintage Quilt Revival”! It’s going on my little shelf.
I’d love to win the “Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet” – really want to try making some socks.
Great giveway – thanks!
I adore Japanese stitch dictionaries for inspiration 🙂
I knit for charity and I’m always looking for fun new stitches to incorperate into my blankets. So “Up, Down, All Around” it is!
I have a few bookshelves of knitting books, some that I never look at that I should go through. I know I will never get rid of my Alice Starmore books. Someday, I do want to knit some of the sweaters.
Ann Budd’s books…
Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s “Knitting Rules” is a favorite of mine. It reminds me that knitting is just knitting and not something that I’ll be judged on. And I love her Plain Vanilla Sock pattern in it. 🙂
I am a huge fan of Debbie Bliss especially her baby and kid books.
I keep my copy of JC Briar’s knitting chart book next to my knitting chair.
I always find myself reaching for the Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques.
Up, Down, and All Around is high on my want list.
I have a little shelf- it has The Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques (Nancie Wiseman), Cast On Bind Off (Leslie Bestor), two of the Clara Parkes books and some EZ and Barbara Walker (yes, it is a packed “little shelf”).
I still need Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books! And I would take Ysolda’s, too!
A Mochimochi book, would be so much FUN! My kids and other peoples projects inspire me. The up down all around book.
I would have to choose Elizabeth Zimmerman’s ‘Knitters Almanac’. Wonderful narrative, and classic techniques and patterns.
I love pattern books – I look for them in used books stores and thrift stores because even if there is only one pattern I look, the inexpensiveness of the book justifies the purchase! I would love to win Wendy’s stitch dictionary as I do not own a stitch dictionary yet!
When I want to roll my own sock pattern (and don’t want to do something vanilla) I browse through Barbara Walker’s Treasuries (yes, I have all four of them). I have long longed for the first Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet book, because I really like the concept of it.
Always at hand – Cast On Bind Off, and Principles of Knitting. Brilliant reference books.
Also Tudor Roses by Alice Starmore to browse through … and ‘The Book of Forgotten Crafts’, another browsing book – one to remind us of our crafting roots.
My shelf would absolutely have my Elizabeth Zimmermann books on it. I love her attitude towards knitting, and she’s just a good writer. Stephanie Pearl McPhee would be there as well, especially “Knitting Rules”.
I’d enjoy any of those books, but especially the stitch dictionary.
I’m moving and I tried to put some of my knitting books in the to donate pile . . . they all made their way back to the to move pile. I guess I need all my knitting books!!!
Oooh, those are books I have been wanting to buy. Up, Down, All Around looks awesome and I love Hunter Hammerson patterns. I keep going back to November Knits for projects and planning.
Ah, books. Despite having other stitch dictionaries, I just bought Wendy’s too. It looks great! If I had to chose just one author, anything by Lynne Barr inspires me to look at more knitting possibilities.
Anything by Cookie A. Her designs are amazing! I only have one of Hunter’s patterns right now, but I’d love more.
I love ‘Journey’ by Jane Richmond and Shannon Cook. The photographs are stunning and the patterns beautiful and well written.
I love stitch dictionaries. When I want to make something other than a plain vanilla I find a lot of inspiration just paging through.
My little shelf would contain Cast On, Bind Off (I have 2 books with this name; one by Cap Sease, and the other by Leslie Ann Bestor); Knit to Flatter by Amy Herzog; The Kntter’s Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd (and The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns).
I keep a stitch reference nearby, and also my Sensational Knitted Socks book. They are good reference books!
For me, my little shelf would have to contain Knitted Lace of Estonia. I’m on a life-long quest to knit everything in it. I even used the lace stitch dictionary in the back to design my wedding veil! (URL: http://ravel.me/MagdaBiroshak/2v2al)
My first knitting book was Stephanie’s “Knitting Rules” and that’s where my first pair of self-knit socks came from. Now I own a couple dozen of knitting books, about half are sock patterns from designers like Wendy Johnson and Cookie. It would be hard to get rid of any of them!
I have a 2-shelf bookcase next to my knitting chair and lamp. I have a large bookcase in another room with my knitting magazines. I still love reading “Knitting in Plain English,” Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s books, especially” At Knit’s End,” and “Stitch ‘n Bitch” which I have given to new knitters. Vickie Square’s book looks intriguing. I collect knitting books like my mom did cookbooks.
My daughter took me to a wonderful little knitting shop in London, England called Loops. The shop’s owners put together a great little book called “Juju’s Loops”. I want to make most of the patterns in the book. Just holding the book makes me think of the shop; and of the great day we spent with our daughter in London.
I will always have Knitting Without Tears on my bookshelf because it was handed down to me from the grandmother who taught me to knit, and has her handwritten notes in it. Recently, I’ve added to my Elizabeth Zimmerman library in my gma’s memory, and to learn more about no nonesense knitting.
I would love to own a stitch dictionary!
I find inspiration in lots of places…. I really like stitch dictionaries, and have a couple of Barbara Walker’s. I also like to look through Cookie A books and Victorian Lace Shawls (even though I haven’t managed to knit an entire shawl yet).
I was just looking at Wendy Johnson’s lace book this afternoon. I believe that her sock patterns really spurred me onto try harder projects. Her books would be on my little shelf. Would love one of the knitter’s curiosity books.
Lace books of which I have many, so hard to choose. Love EZ and Barbara Walker’s stitch dictionary’s cause there is a lot of lace in there, and I can always find a pattern to knit. I love Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl McPhee as a reference book and the Knitters Handbook. Thanks for the contest.
I have a very tall bookcase next to my desk with shelves of knitting books, notebooks of patterns, and holders of knitting magazines, along with my dad’s hard hat, a polar bear from my niece and a beaver from my daughter! Oh, and a hand made red flag in case of emergencies, compliments of my father. One of my all time favorite books is Wendy Johnson’s Socks from the Toe Up. It is due to that book that I can knit socks of any pattern and they fit my feet perfectly. What’s not to like about that???
Knitter’s Curiousity Cabinet? That sounds like one I need!
I love knitting socks so Sock innovations by Cookie A and Alice Yu’s Socktopus book. They are really inspirational ❤️❤️❤️
I just ordered the Wendy Bernard stitch dictionary and I think I’d like a book like that on my shelf! I’d love to win the Vicki Square patterns, though!
I keep Mason-Dixon Knitting on my bookshelf, and I give it to friends not long after they learn to knit. It’s funny, it has hilarious tips, and it’s incredibly inspirational.
I love books, and I really want to become a better knitter. I have a long way to go.