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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?

Book Review: The Knitting Book

There are two schools of thought when it comes to instructional books about knitting. Either focus in one particular technique or kind of knitting (stranded knitting, say, or brioche) or try to cover a little bit of everything in a reference book that knitters will use throughout their careers. 

The Knitting Book by Frederica Patmore and Dr. Vikki Haffenden aims to be the second kind. The subtitle is: a step-by-step guide to creating imaginative projects for the home and to wear. I’m not sure it does that, exactly, but it does include a quick look at a lot of different techniques and stitch patterns you might use in your projects. 

A “guide to creating imaginative projects” sounds to me like it’s about design, but this book is not. There’s 1/3 of a page about altering patterns that only talks about how to add length to a sleeve and adjust where the increases go.

There’s nothing about measuring your body (the section on choosing a size in a pattern only suggests measuring a garment you already own), general garment construction, ease or stitch pattern multiples. The section on gauge (which is the last third of the page with choosing a garment size and altering patterns, discussed above) just says to knit a swatch, block and measure it to compare to a pattern, with no discussion on how you might use your swatch to design your own project or alter a pattern to meet your gauge. 

If you ignore the subtitle, what you will find is a lot of information about different kinds of knitting and various techniques you might want to try on your projects. There are 20 cast ons and 15 bind off options, for instance, all discussed before you learn how to knit or purl. (Another quibble I have with this book is the order in which things are presented, but that’s relatively minor.)

You’ll find quick hits on increases and decreases, twists and cables, lace, colorwork, textured effects like fisherman’s rib and brioche, loops, mosaic knitting, double knitting, decorative stitches, shadow knitting, bias knitting, mitered squares, entrelac and more. There are tips for selvedge stitches, knitting with beads, adding buttonholes, picking up stitches and more. 

A few patterns at the back give knitters a taste of some of the techniques included, but they’re not rated by skill level and the first one is a bias knit gradient scarf worked in six different colors of mohair, which isn’t a thing I’d wish on any beginner. 

And I guess that’s maybe what my issue with the book is. I don’t know if it’s meant for beginners and it doesn’t seem to, either. I feel like this book would be overwhelming to new knitters and doesn’t really give you a place to start or all the information you might need to do projects well.

The variety of techniques included is fun, and there are also stitch patterns in the back you can use on your own projects, but again it doesn’t really provide any guidance for how to design your own projects so I don’t know how helpful all of that is. 

I want to like books like this because having one reference that helps you with a lot of different things is great, I’m just not sure this is the one. If you can find it at your library or local book store and flip through it before buying, I think that would be a great idea to see if it’s a book that would be helpful for you. 

And if you have this book and love it please let me know! I’m sure it’s good for someone I’m just not sure who. 

About the book: 336 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by DK. Suggested retail price $40.