Bunches of new Books

Be sure to check out the great new Harmony Guides series of books. They're updates of the classic handcrafters' reference books that were first published over 30 years ago. There are 3 books in the series, each featuring 250 stitch patterns and authored by Erika Knight:

Knit & Purl starts with the most basic stitches, then quickly moves far beyond into a variety of stitch patterns that are sure to inspire. There's a great mix of classic and contemporary patterns from the basic seed stitch to bobbles, ladders and diamonds. Or try the Space Invaders stitch?!There are also lots of design tips to help you create your own unique look.

Cables and Arans is a great guide to creating textures, dimension and scale in your knitted fabric. This is another great mix of classic and contemporary designs - a wonderful and easy to reference library of ribs, twists, cables, woven and aran stitch patterns.

Lace and Eyelets showcases some delightful lace designs that will add a touch of sophistication to your knitting projects. Try knitting some little flowers, falling leaves or butterfly lace. From simple eyelets to gossamer-like cobwebs, lace stitches offer endless possibilities for experimentation.

These are great reference books for knitters of any level who'd like to expand their repertoire. Watch for two more Harmony Guides, Basic Crochet Stitches and Crochet Stitch Motifs, coming in Spring, 2008.

We have some other fabulous new books from Interweave. This one is The Best of Interweave Knits, Our Favorite Designs from the First 10 Years, by Ann Budd:

You can't go wrong with this one. There are 25 designs from more than 20 notable designers, including scarves, stoles, cardigans, pullovers, vests, jackets, tops and totes. Also included are 12 of the best articles from the popular Beyond the Basics column, a great reference tool. These articles provide detailed info on essential techniques including casting on, increasing, decreasing, binding off, seaming, grafting, blocking, reading charts and working short-rows.

We also have Getting Started Knitting Socks, by Ann Budd:

Knitty.com says this is... "The best beginning sock book that has been published so far. That is all. Go buy it." Nuff said.

You should also have a look at the latest books in Interweave's popular "Style" series. Bag Style, with 22 designs for inspirational handbags, totes and carry-alls to knit and crochet:

Or Folk Style, by Mags Kandis, with loads of innovative designs to knit including sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves and more.

And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the classic Vogue Knitting Quick Reference book:

Nothing new about this one but it's a must-have technique and reference book. It's a handy, portable and less expensive version of Vogue's The Ultimate Knitting Book. We think that "Quick Reference" contains the best elements of the hardcover "Ultimate", with 128 pages of excellent illustrations and explanations of essential knitting information.

Any of these books would be a very welcome Christmas present for a knitting friend, or even better, for yourself! Better check 'em out....