Books Books Books!

We just got in a huge shipment of books in time for the holidays! New publications, old favorites; you name it! Here's a few ideas for your holiday wish list:

New from Stephanie Japel, author of Fitted Knits and one of the queens of the "top-down-raglan" comes Glam Knits. This blogger-cum-designer is the brains behind Glampyre.com, a popular online knitting blog. This book features tons of sexy knits and luxury yarns--a perfect gift for you this season!

This book, Vintage Knitwear, is on my list this year. As many of you know, I love knitting from Vintage patterns and have been disappointed year after year with by the "vintage" knitting books that have come down the pipeline. Vintage Knitwear is different, though. It's actually REALLY GOOD! The projects fit the models right, they are proportioned the way the originals were (no deeeeep armholes here!) and they stay true to the period in choice of yarn. All around, a great book.Looking for a few good knitting related coffee table books for the knitter in your life? If that knitter is also an artist check out Knitting Art: 150 Innovative Works from 18 Contemporary Artists. This book also includes work from my fiber professor from college, Lindsey Obermeyer! A beautiful, fun and inspiring read.

Shear Spirit is another great hardcover book, perfect for gift giving. Have a friend who spins wool from his or her own flock, or wishes s/he had a little farm of his or her own so s/he could? This book takes inspiration from 10 fiber farms in North America and includes 20 great patterns to boot!The newest book from Shannon Okey is Alt Fiber: 25 Projects for Knitting Green with Bamboo, Soy, Hemp and More. A great gift idea for the person who just can't wear wool. Pick this book up with a couple of balls of one of our bamboo, soy or other "alt fiber" yarns and you've got one gift you can cross off your list.

Knitting Noro by Jane Ellison is hot off the presses this fall season. Jane Ellison, who has been the "in-house" designer for KFI is out on her own, publishing great designs with this self-striping classic. If you or someone you love is a Noro junkie (and we know you're out there) check this book out.

I don't need to say much about Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. We've got it back in stock so come and get it.

If you have a daughter, neice or god daughter who loves to knit this is a great gift this season. Phoenix Bess, teenage knitwear designer, has published her own book with 30 patterns. Very cute, very fashionable and totally knittable.

Continuous Cables is the follow-up to Melissa Leapman's Cables Untangled from last year. More great designs from this talented designer using interesting cable techniques and formations.

And now we venture into stranger territory. All the new shiny books above are great, but my true passion lies below in the off beat and hard to find books highlighting the history and tradition of knitting that I so love.

Firstly, we have the classic Setesdal Sweaters by Annemor Sundbo, Norway's cultural treasure and historian of all things knit. She traces the history of this item of traditional Norwegian dress from it's beginnings along the hearthside to it's mass production. And for those of you who follow such things we've just (this morning) gotten word that Everyday Knitting: Treasures from a Ragpile is back in print!

And relatively new from Annemor Sundbo is Invisible Threads in Knitting which doesn't really have patterns, per se, but is more about the esoteric and magical history of knitting and the connections between the people who practice this craft. Bizarre and amazing.
A classic, back in print, is Shelagh Hollingworth's Traditional Aran Knitting. Complete with great photos of 70's mustached men modelling shawl collar aran cardigans. A great book to complete any knitting library.

This book is new for us and went home with me immediately. Traditional Island Knitting traces the history of the British and Scandinavian Isles knitting traditions and includes (somewhat dated) classic knitting patterns from each region. Amazing historical record and a great source for that basic pullover you've been wanting to make! Excuse me, I'm going to cast on.

For the knitwear designers out there, James Norbury's Traditional Knitting Patterns from Scandinavia, the British Isles, France, Italy and other European Countries is an invaluable historical resource. Get this book while it's still available!

And so that rounds up our book round-up! Get in and check out what other great books we have in stock.

See you soon!