Knitting

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Giveaway – Simple Style By Ann Budd

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I run across quite a few knitting books in my travels, excursions and jaunts, most are kind of cool, however since my life and tastes run far, far from the NY runways, and while I can drool over patterns and techniques, a lot of them don’t have a practical use in my daily life.

Enter Simple STYLE. These sweaters, jackets, vests, wraps… offer a lot of style, with minimal “runway flair”.  13 designers contributed to this latest in the “STYLE” series including Veronik Avery, Deborah Newton, Ann Smith, and quite a few more. This book combines simple patterns and techniques to create stunning, contemporary designs, even garter stitch looks awesome, paired with lace edges. These styles seek to elimnate unnecessary details, minimize seams, and reduce finishing steps.

You can get Simple STYLE from Interweave Press, here: http://www.interweave.com/books

Well, you don’t have to go to Interweave to get the book  now, I’ll give it to you.  Leave me a comment by 3.31.09 and tell me what your favorite knitting blogs are. I’ll put you in the drawing.

Wow! 3 giveaways in one day. Someone needs to clean out their stash more often!

Comments

  1. I would love to win this book.
    My favorites are (besides this one)
    Wendy Knits, Shut up, I’m counting, and Simple Knits.
    Sheryl

  2. The blogs I check daily include The Yarn Harlot, Vickie Howell, The Rainey Sisters, Knitgrrl, And She Knits Too, The Heathen Housewife, and this blog, in addition to several others and some spinning blogs. Takes me forever to get through them all! LOL

  3. knitty.com
    nonaKnits (what happened to that?)
    Grumperina

    I also hop around, depending on what I’m looking for.

  6. My favorite knitting blog is Little Cotton Rabbits. I find Julie’s work amazing. Thanks much for the giveaway.

  9. Yarn Harlot hands down – she knit and makes me snort my coffee – what more do I need?

  15. I love Ann Budd and don’t have this book. Please add me to the giveaway.

    one of my favorite blogs is Kris Knits. She is very talented and does some really cute dishcloths and other patterns.

  16. I love blog.berroco.com! Their works are truly amazing and make you want to grab your needles and give the projects your best shot.

  19. I think my favorites are Vickie Howell and Knitty.com but I am always in search of others too. I would love to win this knitting book.

  21. I’m afraid that I keep adding more and more knitting blogs to my RSS feed but the main one I always read is the Yarn Harlot. She is a riot and brightens my day. Other ones are Grumperina and Knitspot. I just added this one this week.

    I love Ann Budd and refer to her books often.

  24. It’s tough to choose favourites, but I really like Cosmicpluto and The Plucky Knitter’s blogs.

  26. Please enter me in this great giveaway! My favorite blogs are Vickie Howell, Yarn Harlot, and Rachel’s Knitting Blogspot. Thank you!

Have you read?

Stitch a Simple Sack Hat that Looks Like a Turkey

If your family is the sort to do a turkey trot for Thanksgiving, or even just to take family pictures, you’ll want to get started knitting up some Turkey Sack Hats with this pattern from Underground Crafter. 

The pattern uses super bulky yarn and is rated easy. It’s knit flat but there are a few skills in here around the shaping of the eyes, which includes changing colors, working bobbles and doing a wicked purl 3 together decrease. Twice. 

But that’s all in one row, and the rest of it is pretty simple. The beak is worked separately and sewn on, and the side of the hat is stitched up to make it into a hat. 

What’s great about this one is that it comes in 10 sizes, ranging from newborn to adult large, so you really can make one for everyone in the family. And because it uses super bulky yarn you can knit a bunch pretty quickly if that’s a thing you’d like to do. 

It’s also fun because you could use this base pattern to make different animals or for different holidays. Make it all in orange and stitch on a jack o’lantern face for Halloween, or make a white one that’s a snowman, for example. 

In any style this would also be a fun gag gift for that person in your life who has everything or doesn’t want gifts, or if you do a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange at work or elsewhere. 

And make sure whether you’re making it a turkey or some other character that you include the pom poms at the top! They’re just so cure and a great way to add a bit more color to the project, and they’re easy to make. (See also: ways to make a pompom with yarn.)

You can grab the free pattern at the Underground Crafter website. 

[Photo: Underground Crafter]