Just a Pig in Slop

In first grade our teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. I responded, "Librarian!" 

This answer proved to be prophetic. The fact that my life took a different direction professionally didn't change the dynamic: I have surrounded myself with books all my life. 

By surrounded I don't mean what interior designers seem to mean, with their minimalist bookshelves filled with knicknacks and carefully curated volumes placed here and there. 

No, I mean there are bookshelves in very room. Filled Crammed with books. Not precious first-edition collections. Books that have been used.

And I've got to say, from this point of view 2011 is shaping up to be a banner year for a book-loving fiberista! First of all, a book that I've been waiting for ages:

The Zig-Zag Jacket modelled at knitting camp

Knit One Knit All by Elizabeth Zimmermann

"I like to think that the very first knitter, doodling with sticks and sinews at the sunny entrance to his cave, or peering at his knitting by the flickering firelight, doodled with, or peered at, Garter stitch; the bread and cheese of knitting, the basic stitch—surely the prototype." EZ

After the publication of Knitting Without Tears, EZ proposed to her publisher that she write a book of patterns based on garter stitch. This project never materialized, but EZ continued to explore the possibilities of garter stitch designs. Many of these appeared in her many books, but a surprising number were never published. Cully Swansen (EZ's grandson) gathered together the bits of written notes, the garments that were never written down, and some designs that were published in newsletters but that never reached a wider audience. These were all made comprehensible and knitted by a slew of EZ fans, some of whom had to reverse engineer some complex garments (witness Medrith Glover's interpretation of the beautiful Mitered Cardigan and Joyce Williams' deconstruction of garter gloves).

Some 39 designs for hats, hand coverings, slippers, baby clothes, vest, sweaters, and jackets in different weights of yarn. All open to interpretation! Not all of these projects are in garter stitch, by the way—some involve stocking stitch knit in the round. 

When available, EZ's original notes are reproduced along with the pattern. My favorite, which she wrote about the Icelandic Overblouse: "Fall '78 I find I'm wearing this a great deal. Peel it off so that it's inside-out every 2nd time."

I was particularly touched by the reproduction of EZ's watercolors at the start of each section and the closing photograph of artist Andrew Wyeth wearing his New Zealand Sweater. 

Norwegian Knitting Designs by Annichen Sibbern Bohn (reprint) $19.95

This sweet, short 1929 classic has been reprinted with a lovely introduction and supplementary material by Terri Shea. This book is about the charts: generall a chart is paired with a black&white photo of the motif used in a garment (generally mittens or knee high sweaters). General directions for 2 sweaters and a cap are included, but this book expects the knitter to know how to create their own pattern. (I carry this book at Feral Knitter.)

And coming up:

The Fiber & Fleece Source Book by Deb Robson and Carol Ekarius  $35 Any minute now... 

I was able to leaf through a preview copy of the veritable encyclopedia of information last weekend and I had to resist the temptation to steal the book when the shopkeeper's back was turned! So beautifully photographed, so filled with information, so inspirational! So BIG at 435+ pages!

From the publisher's blurb: Spinners (and knitters) this is the book you've been asking for: more photos and breeds than In Sheep's Clothing and more sheepy and animal goodness than The Knitter's Book of Wool. A labor of sheepy love and a stellar book.

Little Red in the City by Ysolda Teague At the printers! 

Not just a collection of garment patterns, this includes what promises to be an excellent section on making knits fit, with the specific information that is so difficult to find elsewhere. For example, here you can seen an example of her directions for placing bust darts. You can order a copy from that link.

Traditional Knitting: Aran, Fair Isle, and Fisher Ganseys by Michael Pearson (reprint) $19.95 Pub date: July

This oldie but goodie returns after 27 years—thank you, Dover Press! (I will carry this book at Feral Knitter; you can pre-order.)

200 Fair Isle Motifs by Mary Jane Mucklestone Pub date: September $24.95

I have long admired Mary Jane Mucklestone's vibrant Fair Isle designs, so I am looking forward to this new resource. (I will carry this book at Feral Knitter; you can pre-order.)

Charts for Colour Knitting by Alice Starmore (reprint)  $19.95 Pub date: October

This book has been out of print for years and selling for exorbitant prices on eBay. I've never looked through it, but I can predict that is will be another Fair Isle enthusiast's go-to resource. (I will carry this book at Feral Knitter; you can pre-order)

Whew! I'm a happy knitter....

 

Comments

[Therese]

What a feast of new books! But what I want to know is...are there clothes under that Zig-Zag Jacket??

[Skylark]

You are a first class enabler! I want them all.

[Freyalyn]

Lots of lovely new books, I'm particularly looking forward to the EZ one. I shall start stockpiling handspun!

[Andrea]

Banner year is right. I knew about the EZ Knit One, Knit All and the AS Charts for Color Knitting, but not the others. Thank you so much. I agree with Skylark--what an enabler you are! ;)

[Caroline]

Holy moley, Charts for Color Knitting! Is that Dover? I never thought I'd see that one come back while the Scottish Collection hasn't come back.

[Gretchen]

Fabulous news, Janine! I've been restraining the urge to buy more books (on knitting and many other subjects too), but this could be the call to action. And of course, I endorse your philosophy of filling book shelves.

[gretchen]

If you've never seen it, there's a great Anne Fadiman essay about being a courtly lover of books (preserving special editions carefully as cherished objects) versus a carnal lover of books (read them to pieces, dog ear favorite pages, fill them with crumbs, cram them everywhere). I suspect most fans of the essay are, like Fadiman, denizens of homes filled with well-worn books of all types, stuffed everywhere.

[Sylvia]

Pearson's book is a gem, my all-time favorite knitting book. Starmore's charts book is very useful -- well-organized and just the thing to break a mental block when you can't conjure just the right pattern or peerie. I use it when I need a filler between motifs, too. Have put EZ's book on my wish list. Sure wish she could have lived forever...