Books

Reviewed by Julie : Julie is a slightly unhinged fabric junkie! She is stitching and crafting obsessed as well as being addicted to tea and cake. She is a work at home Mumma to three beautiful little girls and blogs at procrasticraft.

Knot Thread Stitch: Exploring Creativity through Embroidery and Mixed Media by Lisa Solomon has been sitting on my desk for sometime and now that I have finally picked it up, I am annoyed at myself for not looking at it sooner!  Lisa has a BA in Art Practice and her extensive experience as a practicing artist is evident throughout the beautifully presented pages.

The book is divided into three chapters: “Let’s Start”, “Make Stuff” and “Find Inspiration”. Let’s Start discusses methods, thread, tools and fabric. As an inexperienced embroiderer, I found the section on thread to be extremely helpful. Lisa discusses the different types of thread on the market as well what it is made from and how it will work up and look. She also provides helpful advice on how to use threads in lengths, tips on knots and dividing strands (helpful to me as I always seem to end up with a tangled mess!).

In “Make Stuff”, there are 17 different projects with patterns and directions however, the interesting element for me, is the way the author has collaborated with other artists to showcase other interpretations of her ideas and designs. In particular, the “Children as Muses” project is a tote bag pattern but when given to artist Amy Karol, it becomes wall art in the form of a quilted portrait. I have previously embroidered my children’s artwork and this was a good reminder to me to get some out and get stitching. In the end, I made a makeup pouch with a drawing by my six year old – as I said, all the patterns are open to (and encouraged to be) your own interpretations.

Chapter Three : “Find Inspiration” provides pictures of other artists work and Lisa comments on the inspiration she has found in each of those works. I like that the author is sharing her thoughts and allowing the reader to get ideas on where they too, may find inspiration in the world around them.

In summing up, this is my kinda book. I’ve written in this space before about my love of craft books that are inspiring without being directive and how I prefer to use books as inspiration rather than as instruction manuals. Knot Thread Stitch has the perfect example of being inspiring and encouraging as well as providing great information on technique. I’m off to stitch up a storm!

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Book reviewed by Megan Enright: Megan is wife to a tolerant and encouraging husband and mother to four children ranging in age from 18 years down to 5 years. She spends her days keeping company with her 5 year old daughter and her evenings cheering on the sidelines as her older sons deal with homework, sport and other teenage issues. In her quieter moments, she likes to knit, embroider, sew and cook. She’d like to have the time and talent to crochet and quilt….maybe one day. She can be found at Notebook from home blog.

The Sock Knitter’s Handbook: Expert Advice, Tips, and Tricks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott. Martingale & Co (March 19, 2012).

If you are a knitter that always has a sock project cast on to your circular needles then “The Sock Knitter’s Handbook” would be a great little book to have at the ready for any troubleshooting along the way. Alternatively, if you are a novice knitter but always wanted to give sock knitting a go this book would be a terrific place to start building your knowledge base.

This great little book has been written as a reference book, a book of “expert advice, tips and tricks”. Basic knitting knowledge is assumed by the authors but anything beyond that, related to sock knitting, is covered in this book. The beginning of the book is devoted to the construction of a sock and how changing the design of various key elements of socks, i.e. cuffs, gussets, heels, can add aesthetic appeal and greater comfort. And really, for me that is what hand knitted socks are all about — they just feel so nice to wear! All the love and care that goes into knitting a pair of socks translates to making your feet feel extra good when you slide those socks on.

The photos in this book were something that stood out for me. As a regular knitter, I have looked at a lot of knitting books and not all those books have provided good photos of stitch patterns or knitting techniques. This handbook has been well thought out and it is very clear that Charlene and Beth are two women with a wealth of sock knitting experience between them. When reading it you feel as though they are there beside you patiently showing you the new techniques that will produce gorgeous socks.

There are tips and hints on how to fix things when they go wrong, a well resourced stitch dictionary and even a chart outlining foot measurements and shoe sizes and how they relate to sock size and construction. In short everything you need to know before you attempt your next pair of socks.

With this reference book now in my possession I feel that much more confident with my beginner sock knitting endeavours. There are plenty of feet to knit for in my family, think I’ll start with the smallest one – and work up!

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