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Giveaway: Pop Knitting

by 48 Comments

win a copy of pop knitting

The winner is Trish!

Pop Knitting by Britt-Marie Christoffersson is not a new book (it was published in 2012), but it is one of those books that I just love and that I wouldn’t be giving away if I hadn’t been sent an extra copy (thanks, Interweave/F+W!)

This book is so much fun, chock full of colorful inspiration and a multitude of ways to add pop to your knitting.

In this case pop oven means color, but also fun textures, like those cool circles with a different color inside you see on the cover.

Flip this book open to any page and you’ll see something interesting; more often than not it will probably be something you’ll want to play with.

Some random examples: using slipped stitches and intarsia to for a welted fabric with contrast color circles, making waves of contrasting color and texture across a fabric by picking up stitches 7 rows below the working row, knitting in different directions and different colors in garter stitch to make a woven openwork fabric and playing with shortened and lengthened rows to make a hodgepodge, stash-busting fabric that looks like a work of modern art.

This is a book for a swatcher, for the adventuresome knitter who isn’t afraid to add a motif to a knitting pattern or strike out on their own to create something amazing. Or just use it as a coffee table book that, if nothing else, will inspire you to play with color and stretch your idea of what knitting can do.

If you’d like to win a copy of this one, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Dec. 21. Why don’t you tell me your favorite color combinations for knitting? I’m really loving gray with anything bright right now.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing and good luck!

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Comments

  2. I have a few knitting books in my collection, but I would love to have Pop Knitting. I’ve been knitting sweaters & vests for myself for over 20 years. I now have a 23 year old daughter who has 2 kids. So now I knit for the grannies. Maybe, I’ll be lucky and no one else will comment. (-)
    My website is not really published yet and it’s school related rather than about crafts.

  4. I also love grey with bright colors. I just finished a muffler with grey and a Christmassy Red. I am rather new to mixing colors, so this book would be most helpful!

  8. knitting a cobblestone baby vest at the moment that is cream and this gorgeous soft bluey green I just want to eat it up, so delish.

  12. I love to see pink’s and greys together, but I don’t believe they suit me. I’m usually in different greens and yellows. But I still would love to own the book.

  13. I’ve been in a teal phase for a while and have decorated for Christmas with teal, purple, and gold. Love the idea of this book. Thanks for another wonderful giveaway!!

  20. Purple’s always been my go-to, but lately it’s been orange and yellow (sometimes with purple thrown in for good measure). But it really boils down to “for whom is this being made with love?”…

  23. I think I’ve covered the full spectrum of colours through my years of knitting, but always customizing patterns, or trying different things just to see if they turn out and suit the person they are being made for…

  24. I need a new afghan for my living room. I’d love to do one in shades of burgundy and green using techniques from this book!

  25. I really love any color combo. I just try to tailor it to the person I’m giving the handmade gift too so they like navy and yellow, I use navy and yellow.

  26. I like cream, black ,pea green ,mustard, and red im just starting a modified version of Antler by Tincanknits with this color combo.! Book looks awesome !

  28. Purple and bright green are my favorite colors – I want to make a “Pop” scarf with these two colors!

  29. I
    I like working with blues and greens to represent the sky and grass or with blues and beige to represent water and sand.

  31. I love bright color combinations like purple and hot pink, turquoise and lime green and orange and pink just to name a few. I would love this book, anything different is fun for me!

  33. I am also mostly a green/blue/purple person but one colour combo I keep thinking about is dark gold or burnt orange with creamy white. Would sure love to see/have this book!

  35. I like purple and green together, especially if they are of the same intensity and brightness. A warm ochre color with a deep purple is also very nice.

  39. Blue and yellow – my current favorite combination. They look so bright and balanced together.

  41. I am knitting a sweater right now that is black and gray but has turquoise and green to contrast. It is going to be gorgeous when it is done.

  42. I love blue and brown together, red and gold, and burnt orange and navy.
    Looks like an awesome book! I’d love to try it out!

  43. I love the colors I’ve been seeing in the sky lately- that dark blue/grey steel (clouds) with scattering of the dried gold (leaves) against it! Would be fun to use the techniques in the book to try to capture the color combinations.

  46. Looks like a beautiful book – the kind you savor over and over again, trying out new techniques and color combinations, getting ideas…
    One of my favorite color combinations (for now) is any shade of aqua, from light to dark, with colors like coral, lime green, peach. I am definitely a fool for color!

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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