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Giveaway: Modern Country Knits

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modern country knits giveaway

Craftyone is the winner!

Have you ever dreamed of leaving your regular life behind and raising fiber animals? It’s a dream most of us knitters and yarn crafters probably have from time to time, but Susan Gibbs actually did it, and the result is Juniper Moon Farms.

Modern Country Knits is a book full of 30 designs using her yarns, and inspired by country life with a bit of a twist, using lots of details and fun colors to make for a book full of cozy knits you’ll love no matter where you live (check out the full set on Ravelry).

The designs are feminine but not girly and have little details you’ll like as a knitter and when you wear the garments, too.

One copy of this book is up for grabs to someone who comments on this post by the end of the day Sunday, Oct. 25.

I’d love to know whether you consider yourself a country person or a city person, regardless of where you actually live. I think I’m a not-too-small-town person. I like living in a place that’s big enough to have things to do but in no way a big city (and easy access to country, forest, etc., is great, too).

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

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Comments

  3. Definitely a country person here so these designs would suit very well. Thank you for the giveaway chance

  7. I’m like you, I dont like the big city and really enjoy hanging in the woods or at a lake but I like living on the fringes of the city

  8. I think I’m a medium town person living in the country… I’d actually like to move. In the meantime, I’d love to win a knitting book!

  9. I’m a city person. Maybe not a big city but one that has fun things to do and good employment.

  11. I love the Juniper Moon Farm story, I’ve been following them for a long time. I’m a seaside kind of girl. I know, that wasn’t one of my choices! I love living near the ocean/beach in my little town that is only 45 minutes from a big city and 15 minutes from horse country. I get the best of all worlds!

  12. I’m a country person, and I love to knit! I think I would like a lot of the patterns in this book.

  15. I’m a city girl…as long as it’s not too big of a city! Looks like a great book…thanks for the giveaway!

  17. Grew up a small town girl, learned knitting for 4-H project.
    I am now a country girl. I married farmer and we enjoy the outside country life of raising livestock and pets. ( and some pests – Mr. Possum who keeps eating the cat food.) The nearest yarn stock is 45 miles away, so I use the internet and free delivery a lot.

  20. Love the look of those hats on the cover. We live about 15 minutes out of San Francisco, but you would think it was in the country. We have constant animals visitors to our property, a parade of deer that we have named. A buck named Vincent – because he has lost half an ear, Jack Bauer – a grizzled scarred huge buck with such an impressive set of antlers, and Magic Mike, who is just the most handsome buck you have ever seen! So I am like a few other – half city, half country. And I love to knit and crochet!

  22. I agree with your description of yourself, Sarah. I too do not like the big city, but need to have some shopping within a reasonable distance.

  23. I am definitely a country person! I have plenty of inner resources, a huge library, and a big STASH so I can manage to entertain myself almost indefinitely.

    from chilly VT,
    the Vermonster

  24. Love Juniper Moon. I would describe myself exactly as you have described yourself! I grew up outside the big city in California, and small town Midwest has been an adjustment, but we are 20 minutes to 2 big cities, so I’m good. Before moving here, I had to clock the route to Super Target!

  26. Herb Caen used to call San Francisco “The city that used to know how”, and I hated it! Now it’s me who feels SF is losing any “Big Small Town” feeling and becoming more Big City all the time – and not in the best ways. Last year we earned the #1 spot on Movoto’s Snobbiest Cities list.

  27. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. Even though there’s 100,000 people here it’s like a small town. I love it here. The only problem is that it’s expensive. I’d love to win this book. I’d definitely use it to make things for me and my friends and family. If I’m going to spend lots of money (to get or make something) I want to get enjoyment out of it. This book would give me wintertime enjoyment plus the enjoyment of giving. Thanks for the opportunity to win it!

  28. I’m impressed with the number and styles of the designs in this book. I see several things I would make. Thanks for the opportunity.

  32. Just from the look of the patterns on the cover this looks great! I am a country girl – love farm life!

  33. I consider myself, what I call, rural suburb. I would love to live in a nice quite community with a big yard and no traffic, but yet be within an hour of a major city.

Have you read?

Book Review: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four. 

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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