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Giveaway: Knitting Architecture by Tanis Gray

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knitting architecture giveaway

Deborah is the winner.

There are so many great knitting books published each year, full of inspiring patterns I wish I could make, but I have to admit to myself that I’m never going to knit all that I wish I could and so I need to pass some of these great books on to others.

That’s the way it is with this week’s giveaway: Knitting Architecture by Tanis Gray. It includes 20 patterns for tops, wraps, mittens and more, the “and more” including a cool colorwork bag and a skirt inspired by a hotel in Dubai designed to look like a ship’s sail. (See all the patterns on Ravelry.)

The name of this book, as you might imagine by now, is literal. The designs actually are inspired by architecture from around the world, and she writes a little bit about the building behind the design of each pattern, which adds to the fun.

I’d love to knit the color-blocked Bauhuas cardigan, designed by Anne Weaver; the brightly colored Byzantine Pullover by Tanis Lavallee; Grace Anna Farrow’s bright-striped zig-zag Popmidou Wrap; or the super-airy Tower of Piza Shift from Veera Välimäki. Maybe you will knit one of these, instead, if you’re the winner.

For a chance to win this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Aug. 14. I’d love to know if you have a favorite building, or a city that includes your favorite architecture (mine is probably Chicago).

Thanks for commenting, visiting and sharing, and good luck!

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Looking for knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Looking for pullover and sweater patterns? Check these books out.

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Comments

  2. I would have to say New York just because of the diverse design. Love Tanis Gray. Would love a copy of this book. Thank you.

  6. I’m not a big city girl, I’m more a fan of coastal, southern architecture. Simple houses and then grander ones with big wrap around porches. I also haven’t traveled much to see the architecture of other places but give me pretty beach homes any day 🙂

  8. My favorite building is an old barn that is falling on both ends that is in our area. Every time we go past it I look to see if it is still standing.

  9. Great giveaway-Amsterdam, when I took the boat tour, truly was an inspiration for so many things. Doll house architecture, very quaint, and yet very, very old!

  12. What a cool book! Someday I’d love to go to Paris to see the beautiful buildings in person…for now, I’ll just admire the pictures.

  15. I guess the pyramids are great structures that look so awesome. However, from the book, the top on the cover is a winner.

  16. Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, I have always loved the old stone buildings contrasted with the newer glass buildings. And lots of bridges. This book looks fantastic–esp love the Beaux Arts Cardigan and the Bird’s Nest Shrug. They look fantastic. Thanks for the chance to win a fabulous book.

  17. I would have to say my favorite city for architecture is Chicago also. (My husband loves anything Chicago) but it is surprising how many unique architectural details you will spot in small cities and towns if you look for the,

  18. I’ve always been partial to New York City because I visited often with my aunt when I was younger.

  20. I love Victorian and Art Deco architecture. Those styles always look like the people involoved took their time to craft something wonderful.

  21. Thanks for the chance to win. I don’t know that I have a city that I love the architecture. I like small old towns with beautiful homes. The Victorian details are amazing!!! This book looks really beautiful.

  23. I love Vienna – the architecture is amazing but there are areas of London that are fantastic blends of ancient and modern. Thanks for the chance to win this book. 🙂

  25. What a beautiful and innovative concept! I love this book! I would love to see a pattern in honor of NYC’s Flatiron building!

  27. I was recently in Shanghai and loved the tall buildings and the bridges with the river view!

  28. I love the old wooden stave churches in Norway, which were built without nails, just fitting the pieces together.

  29. I love Doric columns of Segesta, the Grrek temple on Sicily. So I want to make the skirt that echoes it columns in Knitting Architecture. Thank you for the chance to win it.

  30. New York is the city I love! Huge avenues and beautiful buildings that surround one of the best city park of the world. thanks for the lovely giveaway

  31. My favourite city for architecture is Bath in the UK. All the beautiful yellow brick Georgian houses!

  34. I adore the old-world architecture of Madrid, Sevilla, Toledo. Spain was my first taste of the world outside the US, and it just cannot be beat in my mind!

  35. I don’t know if this counts as architecture or not, but I would have to say the Great Wall of China.

  36. I’m not a huge architecture person, but I tend to get more emotional about historical architecture.

Have you read?

Easy Knit Baskets to Use All Your Stash

For the past few years I’ve taken part in a Christmas in July blog hop that encourages people to get a jump on their making for holiday gifts. 

I love to use yarn I already have for these projects in the hope that people will consider what they already have that they can use to make projects for themselves or to give as gifts. 

This year it was a couple of knit baskets made using partial balls of yarn left in my stash from other projects. 

They use the same basic pattern but the first one is made with two colors of bulky yarn, and the second used two strands of worsted weight yarn held together, which made the gauge about the same, but I cast on fewer stitches to make a smaller version. 

The bottom of the basket is square, though you can make them rectangular if you’d rather. Then I just knit up the sides in rounds until I was about to run out of yarn. This gave both baskets rather short sides — maybe more like a tray than a basket — but you can keep knitting as long as you like to make the sides of your basket as tall as you want. 

They’re worked in seed stitch, which keeps the edges from curling and adds a nice texture to the baskets.

Of course this also allows you to use even more odd balls from your stash. I’d love to make a big one someday combining lots of different yarn. I mean, I’d probably use it to store more yarn, but that’s a fine thing to do. 

As it is, these little trays are great for sitting on your desk or bedside table to hold little things that always seem to appear there. I like to use one to hold the supplies for whatever project I’m working on, things like little scissors, my tape measure, a crochet hook, etc.

And they would make good gifts on their own or as a container to hold some other goodies if you like. 

You can find the free pattern for these stash busting baskets over at Our Daily Craft.