CRAFTNICITY

Review of Cardigans by Louisa Harding

Romance – European capitals – lace….what more could you want in a romance novel…um Knitting book!?! “Cardigans” by Louisa Harding is a beautiful escape into knitted cardigans – but it is so gorgeously photographed and written that the knitting patterns are almost an afterthought.  But this is no afterthought – written by famed knitwear designer, Louisa Harding, (“Knitting Little Luxuries”  and the Miss Bea series) her designs are always romantic yet classic and above all – wearable.

My travel fever rises as I flip through the pages of this book.  London, Venice, the beaches of Portugal and the south of France call to me.  The colors of the yarn and of the backgrounds are lush and regal.

The book is separated into four chapters – “Classic”, “Edgings”, “Lace, Cables, Fair Isle” and Dressing Up”.  What is most compelling about the designs are the details.  Edgings in different colours, ribbon accents, unusual fastenings, and embroidery make all of her designs unique and elegant.  Their unusual names – Fritillary, Orchis, Otello, Bundi – lend another air of mystery, intrigue and something you might find on the Orient Express.

Sizes up to US Dress 18 are listed for each pattern.  However, none of the designs are shown on “real women” so I am not sure how some of these designs would translate on a larger form.  Knit in Miss Harding’s own line of yarn,   she also has an interchangeable yarn table in the back of the book to detail generic weight vs. Louisa Harding yarn and substitutions.  One nice touch is that some of the designs are photographed in a completely different yarn to show how just changing up the fiber can give you a whole new look. 

I think next OTN (on the needles) will be Alwar (shown, right) – “The design comes from my Rajasthan collection.  I love the elegance of this allover lace cardigan and the unusual addition of clasps as front fastenings.  The lace stitch is enhanced by the choice of a silk yarn, and the drape of the fabric is understated and sophisticated.” LH

Reviewed By Liz 

Shapeways Sweepstakes

Who doesn't love sweepstakes? If you do, you'll want to check out this cool new way to show off your design skills by creating earrings.

Shapeways.com has just launched a new "Draw Your Own Earrings" service that allows anyone to design their own earrings and have them custom made at an affordable price.

In honor of this service, Shapeways is hosting a month-long sweepstakes challenging arts and design mavens (and wannabees) to get creative and design a pair of earrings that truly expresses their own personal style. That's what I love about this sweepstakes. It's about creativity, authenticity and personal style and not just about answering some odd questions and clicking "send."

Twenty-five winners will have their earrings made in a variety of materials, the first place winner in silver!

If you'd like to enter, draw your earrings on the official sketch sheet and email the design to Shapeways between now and July 31. No purchase is necessary to enter.

To download an official sketch sheet, read complete sweepstakes rules, learn about other great prizes, and check out some of the earring designs that have already been submitted, visit http://www.shapeways.com/contest/draw_your_own_earrings.

Review of Knitting 24/7

If you want to knit a beautifully-constructed piece using a beautifully-written pattern as your guide, knit something from Veronik Avery. She's a brilliant designer.

So I was excited to read her book, Knitting 24/7: 30 projects to Knit, Wear, and Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock. Just as I expected, the projects are gorgeous and the patterns are well-written. But what excites me the most is the concept.

Most of us work on several projects at one time. Avery understands this trend and focuses on projects of different styles and sizes for those of us who are on the go. She reassures us that we can knit -- whether it's 3:00pm and we're waiting in the car line to pick our kids up from school or it's early in the morning and we're sitting down with a cup of coffee.

The book is sectioned into projects that fit into our lives in the a.m., p.m. and on weekends. Patterned mittens or lounge socks are perfect projects to work on before breakfast or on the subway. You can take advantage of the time spent waiting for a pizza to arrive in the evening by knitting a clutch or shrug. And on weekends while everyone else sleeps in, knitting a fair isle hat or tea cozy is a way to relax.

There is enough variety in styles and difficulty levels in order to satisfy beginner and more advanced knitters, knitters who are busy but also passionate.

I always have lots of projects going at the same time -- also known as WIPs (works-in-progress). But they're all over the place and it's not something I'm always proud of. But after looking through the book, I decided to change the way I think about my WIPs. I'll make a list of my activities during the day, pick projects or sort the ones I'm already working on according to what I do in the morning, evening and on weekends. It's a great way to feel a little more organized and a lot less guilty.

Dish Network, Where My Stitches At?

The other day, my husband and I were talking about the good old days in television -- when it went black at 2:00am, when there were only a few UHF/VHF stations, when you couldn't figure out which way a newscaster leaned politically because they actually brought the news.

Lately, I've been thinking about the lure of having a lot of channels yet nothing on that I want to watch, especially since craft shows are what I want to watch. I got Dish Network because there were options and I was feeling like cable had a monopoly going and therefore didn't have to give good customer service. We started conservatively with 50 channels. But in order to get the DIY channel, which had my two favorite shows (Knitty Gritty and Uncommon Threads), I'd have to get the 150-channel package. Sold--reluctantly--but, sold!

Then slowly but surely my shows disappeared. Something about ratings. Slowly but surely DIY shows started looking more "manly." But I don't want to build a new deck. I want to see designs and designers.

So I turned to PBS. Years and years ago (before Food Network and HGTV), I used to watch cooking and craft shows on PBS. Knitting Daily TV airs somewhere on PBS stations...but not here. That's because in my area, it airs on UNC-MX, which is digital cable.

I guess it's embarrassing to admit that I've never written a Congressman, but I'm considering writing Dish Network. In the meantime, I'll check out the listings on PBS or maybe learn how to build a deck.

(Photo courtesy of Gerard Eviston)

Is It Big Enough?

What is your big, bold, bodacious, creative dream?

What if you made it bigger? 
 

(Carrie and Danielle originally asked a version of this question. I hope it helps you expand.)