Interweave’s Harmony Guides and a Question…..

First, the question. I’m a sucker for punishment. Yes, that I am. This year I will endeavor to knit something for all of my grandchildren for their birthdays(currently there are 7).
The first is in March, a boy, will be 13. Ugh! Well, might as well get the hard one out of the way first. I’m thinking something with shadow knitting and the University of Michigan logo. Any thoughts? I think a scarf would be best, and I found the best University of Michigan Logo, however the design is copyrighted. I can post a link, however, here

I was recently handed a box. A really cool box. Very sturdy with luscious knitting stuff inside box.
Harmony Guides, 101 Stitches To Knit. Seriously, Interweave Rocks! They’ve outdone themselves this time.
One of the greatest challenges a knitter can face is finding the perfect stitch pattern for a project. Whether you want to create a highly textured lace scarf or revamp a basic sweater silhouette with a new stitch pattern, 101 Stitches to Knit is the perfect portable one-stop source for stitch inspiration.

Each card features a stitch design on the front side and concise easy-to-follow instructions on the back. A color-coded system which divides the cards into themes—Knit & Purl, Lace & Eyelets, and Cables & Arans—makes organization a breeze. Forget about carrying a hefty book or crinkled photocopy of a stitch pattern! These sturdy cards can be slipped into a handbag or wallet as a quick reference, making knitting during your commute or lunch break easy as pie!

Furthermore, the cards and eight-page booklet on basic knitting techniques are packed in a sturdy box frame. Whether you’re a beginning knitter or an expert, these handy compact cards promise inspiration for any knitted project.

And, I promised you pics of my slippers and the mossi cardi, those you will get, as soon as I find my camera…… sigh!

Next Pattern:

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.

Comments

diyod says
January 2, 2009 at 7:04 am
I think a scarf is a good safe bet, either that or a hat.
I have a 13 year old cousin, and I made him a hat (Half pipe hat from the guy SnB book) and he loved it. Of course he also loved the Lidsville hat I made for his dad too.
I’ve found that if you need an idea for a young guy, you can never go wrong with a hat. It’s my back up plan for almost every guy that is on any gift list.

Next Pattern:

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