When you really think about it, all books on designing knitwear should be pretty similar. Pick some yarn, draw a schematic, measure gauge, do the math... Every book I have on the subject is completely different. Some completely hold your hand and provide templates for patterns and some give you some advice and urge you to go off and create.



Deborah Newton's Designing Knitwear is the bible. This is the book that can launch you into fame and fortune designing complicated works of art. The color chapter is excellent. I don't think she covers designing for kids though.



Maggie Righetti's Sweater Design in Plain English focuses completely on designing knitted sweaters for people THAT ACTUALLY LOOK GOOD AND FIT WELL. Maggie's style of writing is warm and chatty despite the fact that this book has more mathematical equations than a high school algebra textbook.



Janet Szabo's Handbook of Aran Sweater Design is like having a talented designer sit down next to you and talk you through it. Every time I think up a question (like "How do you seam saddle shoulders so they look good?") Janet manages to answer it.



The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns offers templates for all sorts of simple sweaters and even better, accessories. I use this book often and it is quite handy. I guess I'd like more variety with this book and more info on how to change things.



My newest acquisition is Style Your Own Kid's Knits: Simply Choose a Pattern and Select a Motif by Kate Buller. This British book includes templates and patterns for each age range (from 3-6 months to 7-10 years) all done in Rowan Handknit cotton yarn. Doing a book like this all in the same yarn weight somewhat defeats the purpose but the book makes up for it in other ways. I really like the way this book uses detailed schematics (graphed out by stitch) for the sweaters. In the schematics they'll show different necklines or where to throw in colorful motifs. There are also pattern templates for two hats and two bags.







The Creative Library section of the book is what makes it shine and is well worth the price of the book. It offers a stitch library, decorative cast ons and lace edgings, letters and numbers, geometric patterns and plenty of wonderful pictures you can add in intarsia or duplicate stitch.

I was reading Margene's blog post where she was talking about using Excel to graph and re-graph color charts. I emailed Margene and she kindly and patiently walked me through using Excel to make my own charts. Margene's assistance has allowed me to do this:







which translates to this:







And thanks again Margene for your kind assistance!

FRA TOPP TIL TA, NR. 2







This is a wonderful Sandnes pattern book of accessories - I want to make stuff on practically every page. Fra Topp Til Ta or From Head to Toe in English is a knitting pattern booklet with loads of colorwork and Aran and lace designs. Check out these gloves:







I guess it is a Norwegian fashion to wear little tubes over gloves like that - interesting, eh? Lots of good stuff in this booklet - I bought mine from Bea Ellis in the Sandnes pattern section. There supposedly is a book 1 in this series but I can't find it. Velona listed it for a while but when I tried to order they told me it was out of print.



Thanks so much to those of you who have ordered items from our rabbit rescue Cafepress store. I'm so grateful and the rabbits thank you as well. Just in time for Easter we have added an adorable stuffed bunny for sale (wearing a HRS t-shirt). All profits go to nonprofit rabbit rescue.



Cafepress gives me the names of those ordering and two weeks from now I'm going to put all the names in a hat for this prize:







The photo shows the front and back of the booklet. It is called Foot Notes: Socks to Make Your Feet Dance by Joseph Madl "The Sockguy". This booklet has just been re-released with a slightly different name but it looks like the same book. All the socks are colorwork (except for one pair of Aran kilt hose) and all the socks use Philosopher's Wool worsted weight wool yarn.



In two weeks, April 15, I'll announce the winner and contact you for an address to send this booklet to. So if you still want to order some fun Peaches merchandise or items with our rabbit rescue logo from http://www.cafeshops.com/4cornersbuns you have two weeks to be added to the drawing list for the sock pattern booklet.