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Giveaway! New England Knits

by

What do you think of when someone says “New England”? Myself I think of storm swept beaches and rocks jutting out into the ocean, snowy landscapes, rolling hills in every color imaginable, big red barns, and of course cozy fisherman sweaters.

This book has all of that and more.  And not just sweaters but  vests, hats, bags and mittens too.

Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa La Barre have teamed up to bring us 25 patterns with classic wearability and contemporary style for knitters of all skill levels.

This book is available over at Interweave Press on July 1, so you’ll be one of the first to get this. To enter, tell me what you think of when someone mentions a “New England Knit“. What’s the first thing that pops into your mind?

Leave me a comment! This giveaway is good until next Friday, July 2, 2010 (yes, I know, July already… deal with it!), when I will, with the help of my 65 lb lap-puppy pick a winner.

Ready, set, go……

Comments

  1. I think of the fabulous cabled car coats my Katharine Hepburn-esque eleventh grade English teacher wore all winter. I always imagined her roaming on some rocky shore in them, pining for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. (I was a nerdy kid.)

  2. When I hear New England Knit, I think of the movie Dan in Real Life. I loved the setting of the movie- New England in the fall, totally charming!

  3. the first thing that new england makes me think of is HOME. i grew up there and now live far, far away. i miss it and love revisiting through the knitters that live there. what a beautiful book!

  6. I think of something wooly, and cabley, in natural colors…something to keep you warm on those New England mountainsides. 🙂

  10. what do I think about New England? it’s home! I miss it.

    Choose me! tx for the giveaway.

  11. I think of adorable houses with shutters on every window, sailing, chowder, lighthouses, and the Red Sox!! I really hope to win this book… I’ll send your puppy some treats!

  12. I was born and raised in New England. So when I read New England Knits, I think of warm heavy sweaters and big cozy mittens.

  14. New England Knits… hrmmmm definitely fisherman’s wool. And it smells like the sea. And the wind is giving me a cool embrace while I knit on the rocks…
    Beautiful!! The patterns look lovely. And very warm and comfy.
    What a very generous giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity!

  22. When I hear about a new england knit, a few weeks ago it wouldn’t have triggered anything in my mind, except an appreciation of the poetic sounds it creates. But now I see lovely and stylish garments that can be worn on the seashore.

  24. Ooh. I have been eyeing this book since I first heard about it. I’d love to win.

  25. I think of all that you mentioned, hats, cream cabled sweaters, mittens, thick scarves, as well as old wooden wind-weathered cap cod houses and salty, windy weather.

  27. Oooooh, from what you can preview on Amazon & Ravelry, this book looks absolutely yummy!

  29. First I think of mittens and big, comfy sweaters–and anything warm–that’s “traditional” New England. But from the patterns I’ve seen in this book, it’s “modern” New England and that’s very exciting. Can’t wait to see it!

    Thank you for the giveaway.

  30. I’m just beginning to tire of the summer heat, so the thought of cool fall mornings with a lovely sweater sounds so appealing right now.

  31. I think of home–I live in Vermont–and all the great knitted items I get to wear. What do knitters do who live in warm climates?

  32. New England Knits brings to mind classic garments to wear while walking on the beach in winter.

  34. It makes me think that they are very close to us (Quebec), so the knits must be perfect for our weather! Also, we used to take family vacations in New England when I was a kid!

  39. the first thing I think of is a gorgeous cream-colored sweater with cables, on a beautiful woman with windswept hair and faraway eyes. I wish that were me!

  40. I would need to start a sweater in summer because it will take me several months to knit it! just in time for cold weather. I’d LOVE to win this book!

  41. I think of lobsters, cold breezes from the ocean and warm, classic sweaters that are stunningly beautiful

  43. I think of lighthouses and patterned gansey sweaters. Looking forward to flipping through this once I can get a hold of a copy

  44. The first thing I think of is: WARM! I am from Kentucky and have lived in New England for the last 7 years, and although I don’t like the cold, it is nice to be able to wear sweaters out of wool and other really warm natural fibers.

  45. Oh! That book looks fabulous. Mmmmm, New England. I think of adorable small towns, beaches, and cozy sweaters.

  47. I think of crusty old sailors. Luckily, it doesn’t look like this book contains anything that looks like something an old sailor would wear!

    I also think of clam chowder and sailing.

  48. I always think about crisp autumn leaves and cozy warm sweaters! Can’t wait to see the book!!

Have you read?

A Shawlette with a Ton of Design Options

There’s a lot to like about the Eloise Bandana from Katryn Seeburger. This cute little colorwork triangle can be worked as a bandana or kerchief size or a bigger shawlette. 

It’s worked in two colors of fingering weight yarn so you can use whatever yarn you have in your stash and just make it as big as you can (since it is worked from the bottom up). 

You can see the two sizes from the photo, and also two colorwork options: strawberries and lily of the valley. 

But that’s not all the choices you have. In fact, there are 34 different charts you can choose from to knit onto your project. Some of the options include happy faces, a lobster, a pumpkin, a snail and a butterfly. There are cherries, peaches, tomatoes and radishes.

There’s even a blank square you can use to draw your own little design if you want to use something else. Or keep it blank and make it a plain checkerboard design. 

And while both of these shawls use the same icons throughout, you could also use different designs throughout if you want. Say a fall version with a bat, pumpkin, leaf and acorn, or a summer beach theme with sailboat, fish, lobster and a bird? I keep suggesting four different icons because the larger size has four rows of squares, but the smaller has three, so you could do stripes of the same icon or alternate a couple of different ones, whatever you like. 

Look through the finished projects on the Ravelry project page to see lots of different options, from rows to individual icons. There are also some projects that are smaller than the suggested size to make a smaller bandana. You could also keep going a make a bigger shawl working increases in the same way as you have been going. 

Check out all the details and grab a copy of the pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Katryn Seeburger]