Knitting

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Giveaway: Knitting Ephemera

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knitting ephemera book review

Mary is the winner.

It’s fun to know about knitting history and some of the funny stories, legends and trivia that go into this craft we love. Whether these facts are amusing to friends or only to us doesn’t really matter. It’s nice to be able to throw out a fact about the origins of the sock knitting machine or the story behind a figure of speech derived from fiber arts.

If you like that sort of thing you’ll love Carol J. Sulcoski’s book, Knitting Ephemera, which collects a lot of knitting lore and fibery fun.

I’m giving away a copy of the book this week, so if you’d like to win it, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, June 12. Do you know any knitting trivia or knitting jokes? Who would you share this knowledge with? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Comments

  1. Unfortunately I do not know any knitting jokes. I might share this book with a friend of mine who also likes to knit.

  2. I am new to learn knit, and I wish to win this beautiful book because I love it’s content. You are lovely people…….Iam your big fan from Pakistan.

  3. Here’s a knitting joke – What happened to the cat who ate a ball of yarn? She had mittens!

  5. I don’t know anyone else that knits but this would be awesome for my own enjoyment.

  7. I was driving on the motorway but the traffic was dreadful, I was at a standstill, so I pulled out my knitting. A police motorcyclist drove up beside me and shouted through the open window ‘pull over’, ‘no’, I replied, holding up my project, ‘socks’, I said! (ah, the oldies are the best!)
    I’d share this with my knit night friends in the pub.

  8. My husband is a master of trivia and frequency shares facts with me. I would love to be able to share knitting trivia with him.

  9. The world’s largest knitting needles and crochet hook are in my hometown – Casey, IL!

  11. I don’t know if this would be considered trivia or just dating myself, but back when I first started knitting, stores like K-mart, Sears, Woolworth (remember them?) and S.S. Kresge sold yarn. They only had acrylic worsted and baby yarn – not all of the selections that are out now, which make you drool!! lol As a matter of fact, I still have a few skeins in my stash, if you can believe it, since I inherited my Mother’s yarn, after she passed away. The craft stores sold things like mohair, which were considered exotic, and a couple other types, but it was mostly acrylic yarn that was available. I had to stop knitting for a few years, due to a severe hand and arm injury, so you could imagine my surprise and joy once I was able to walk into my LYS and saw what was available!! This book is going to be like going back in time for me, and I’m really not that old!! Thank you for the giveaway!!

  12. I don’t know anyone who knits so at times I feel lonely. Reading books about knitting makes me feel connected.

  14. As a Knitter for some 57 years, I would love to know the history of knitting. I have knitted for 4 children, 11 grandchildren, family members, friends and for charity – teddy bears, blanket squares, warn clothing and more.

  15. Love the knitting jokes but some of my knitting is a joke, so I guess it works out! The book sounds fascinating, but if I don’t win it….where can i get a copy?????

  17. I love Carol Sulcoski, i got to take a class from her once. This sounds like a book I need on my bookshelf.

  18. No knit jokes here, I would love to read this book! And better yet, win it! I’d swap trivia and jokes with my knit/crochet pals!

  22. Would love this book! There have been so many changes since I began knitting about 40 years ago as a teen. I think back and remember stores like Woolworth and Kresge were some of the few places to buy yarn. I would visit them weekly looking for new colors, books, patterns…really anything to add yo my stash. Thanks so much for the chance to win this awesome book!

  23. I’ve been wanting to read this book. I’d share knitting trivia and jokes with my mom, who taught me to knit as a child.

  25. I don’t know any knitting jokes. But I would love to win this book and learn some! Thanks

  28. I have never knitted. 🙂 But really would love to start. This would be a lovely way to get started. such a great Idea

  29. I don’t know any knitting jokes, thanks for the chance to win this awesome book!
    Kim R.

Have you read?

Patchwork Blanket Knitting Patterns

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns. 

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn. 

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options. 

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners. 

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set. 

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn. 

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers. 

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.