Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Book Review: Knitting Ephemera

by

knitting ephemera book reviewAny craft that has been around as long as knitting has is sure to have a lot of lore, fun facts and trivia attached to it. Carol J. Sulcoski gathered a bunch of those facts, stories and tidbits into her book Knitting Ephemera: A Compendium of Articles, Useful and Otherwise, for the Edification and Amusement of the Handknitter.

That pretty well explains what the book is. It contains a miscellany of information about where knitting came from, how it has been practiced through the years, different techniques and styles, facts about fiber, famous knitters and famous people who are knitters. There’s information about fictional knitters, knitting acronyms and figures of speech that come from the fiber and knitting world.

Opening the book up randomly, I find a discussion of the difference between the knitting patterns Feather & Fan and Old Shale, a collection of surnames derived from fiber-related occupations (like Howard, from an Old English word for one who tends ewes), a collection of punny yarn shop names, a brief history of Bohus knitting, the possibly apocryphal story of why William Lee invented his sock knitting machine and the story of the name Susan Bates.

It’s a really fun book if you’d like to know more about the history, personalities and trivia of knitting, if you’d like to know and share fun facts about your favorite craft with others, or as a gift to a knitting friend.

About the book: 136 pages, hardback with ribbon bookmark. Sixth & Spring Books, published February 2016. Suggested retail $14.95.

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. I love all that trivia. So fun to learn how things got started or used to be used. I think the shepherds used to knit while tending the sheep.

  2. How fun to put my love of reading together with my love of knitting and yarn!! :>)

Have you read?

Book Review: Knitovation Stitch Dictionary

There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background. 

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design. 

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs. 

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs. 

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects. 

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.