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Good Knitting Books

  • Vogue Knitting Magazine Editors: Vogue Knitting

    Vogue Knitting Magazine Editors: Vogue Knitting
    Great all-around reference. Covers tons of knitting techniques, with step-by-step photos and illustrations. Includes a glossary of knitting terms and abbreviations used in patterns, which is a big help. (*****)

  • Montse Stanley: Knitter's Handbook

    Montse Stanley: Knitter's Handbook
    Dry reading, and almost too comprehensive and detailed — I definitely would have been put off if I had picked this up as a beginner. But where else can you find instructions for more than 30 different methods of casting on? (***)

  • Debbie Stoller: Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook

    Debbie Stoller: Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook
    Good beginner's book, with a range of projects to help you get started. Many patterns are geared toward the 20-something set, but others would work for any age. (****)

  • Debbie Stoller: Stitch 'n Bitch Nation

    Debbie Stoller: Stitch 'n Bitch Nation
    Debbie Stoller's second knitting book takes it to the next level, with advice on understanding knitting patterns and changing them to suit your size and style preferences. It also spotlights knitting community, with profiles of Stitch 'n' Bitches around the world and patterns and tips from knitters across the country — including Boston's own Stitch 'n' Bitchers Trinity Muller and Christine Quirion . (****)

  • Alice and Jade Starmore: The Children's Collection

    Alice and Jade Starmore: The Children's Collection
    Although it's out of print, it's worth tracking down a copy of this book of patterns for classic children's knits — or any of Alice Starmore's other books. Most of the patterns in this book feature Starmore's trademark Fair Isle and Aran styles. (****)

  • Vicki Square: The Knitter's Companion: Expanded and Updated (The Companion series)

    Vicki Square: The Knitter's Companion: Expanded and Updated (The Companion series)
    Handy reference of knitting techniques, sized to carry in your knitting bag. Also includes size charts, needle and swatch gauges, and lots more.

Good Knitting, Crochet, and Spinning Mags

  • Knitter's Review
    Includes reviews of yarns, books, knitting tools, discussion forums, etc.
  • Knitty

    A great, fun webzine with lots of how-to's and lots of free patterns for every skill level.
  • Rebecca
    Great magazine with fun, trendy patterns for GGH brand yarn. The web site usually offers a couple of free patterns from each issue. (The actual magazine is in German, but the U.S. version has the patterns translated into English. You can get it at many knitting stores.)
  • Crochet me
    Crochet Me
    This online magazine is sort of like the crochet equivalent of Knitty or MagKnits. It offers free patterns and articles. I'm kind of tired of seeing knitting sites and books described as "hip" and "modern," but those descriptions do fit.
  • Spin-Off
    Interweave Press's excellent spinning magazine.

Some P.C. Knitting Companies

  • Himalaya Yarn
    Small company offers mostly handspun and hand-dyed yarns made with recycled and/or Nepal-grown fibers. The company provides business opportunities for local people. For instance, its recycled silk yarn is handspun by women’s cooperatives and the profits support women’s shelters and programs.
  • Lantern Moon
    This company sells baskets, beautiful wooden knitting needles, and accessories like silk needle cases, hangers and measuring tapes, made by a Vietnamese women's cooperative.
  • Malabrigo Yarns
    Like Manos del Uruguay, this company works with a cooperative of women in Uruguay to make its yarns. It offers hand-dyed 100% merino worsted-weight wool. They are in the process of introducing two new lines: handpainted handspun Angora and handpainted variegated cotton. The company says new colors and yarns will be introduced all the time — you can subscribe to their mailing list to get the latest news.
  • Mango Moon
    Like Himalaya Yarns, Mango Moon offers yarns made in Nepal from recycled silk in order to provide income for women there.
  • Manos del Uruguay
    The web site says this yarn company was established “ … to give support to Uruguayan craftswomen … Its purpose was and is the economic, social and cultural development of its members and the environment in which they live.”
  • Peace Fleece
    Peace Fleece makes yarn from wool bought from Russian, Israeli, Palestinian, and American shepherds. Also sells wooden knitting needles with tops handpainted in Russia (very cute); needle cases (also v.c.); adorable learn-to-knit kits for kids; felting supplies; Russian drop spindles; unwashed fleece; and wooden buttons. Everything is reasonably priced.

Blogs and Web Sites Totally Unrelated to Knitting

« Knitting Weekends at
the Welch House Inn | Main | Knitter’s Paradise Now Open in Worcester »

Crafts Studio Slated to Open
in Davis Square, Somerville

Expected opening is in October; crafts instructors needed.

I received this e-mail recently from Jan Stephenson, who is opening this business with her friend Amy Appleyard. I don’t know either Jan or Amy—they sent the information for possible posting to the Stitch ’n’ Bitch-Boston message board—but the studio sounds like a nice idea so I am passing the information along:

Spark Craft Studios Inc. is an exciting new business opening in Davis Square (Somerville, MA) in October 2004. Spark provides a stylish and social environment and the resources needed to make creativity an easy and fun part of everyday life. We offer our customers:
  • Fresh ideas for handmade accessories, home décor, gifts, and weddings
  • A comfortable and attractive crafts studio workspace
  • Instruction and events scheduled to fit busy lifestyles
  • Access to tools and equipment
  • Expert assistance with crafts projects
  • An idea-generating resource center with magazines, books, and samples
  • Social events catered to new moms, young professionals and brides-to-be
  • Lockers to store works-in-progress
  • A retail boutique providing crafts supplies and handmade crafts
  • A simple café offering tea, coffee and snacks
Spark is now accepting resumes for Crafts Instructors responsible for teaching classes within their area of expertise on a part-time, contract basis. Compensation commensurate with experience and expertise. We seek individuals with demonstrated teaching experience in the following areas:
  • Bead jewelry making
  • Scrapbooking
  • Rubber stamping
  • Card making
  • Calligraphy
  • Journal making
  • Cake decorating
  • Flower arranging
  • Unique wedding favors
  • Knitting
  • Crochet
  • Interior design made easy
  • Basic sewing (mending)
  • Mosaics
  • Sewing for fashion and home décor
  • Other crafts will also be considered.
We are looking for friendly, customer-focused instructors with a passion for helping others express their individual sense of style through crafts. Crafts Instructors design their own courses, select materials needed by class participants to complete class projects, and help Spark identify high-quality tools, equipment and resources (books, magazines, websites) of use to our studio members and drop-in guests. Instructors with a flair for incorporating today’s fashions into crafts projects for accessories, gifts, home décor and weddings preferred.

Crafts Instructors will be contracted to teach 1-2 hour classes and to remain in the studio for an hour following class to answer questions and assist class participants and studio members with crafts projects related to the Crafts Instructor’s area of expertise.

To apply for this position, send us an email with your cover letter, resume, and full contact information to: jobs@sparkcrafts.com. Please specify which crafts you would like to teach and at which levels—beginner, intermediate, or advanced—and indicate your experience teaching such classes. Thank you.


September 08, 2004 at 03:14 PM in Classes, Workshops & Learning, Making Money with Knitting: Knitting Jobs, Selling Your Work. etc., Stores |

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Comments

Martha, I'd like to invite you to be part of the small planning group for this year's SpaKnit&Spin III in Portland. Would you consider hopping in with your broad perspectives for the Massachusetts fiber folk?

Helen

Posted by: Helen in New Hampshire | September 14, 2004 at 01:19 PM

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Other Knitting Blogs

  • 2Ktog

    Boston-area couple (and fellow attendees of the Somerville SnB) blogs their knitting adventures.
  • Cyborgoddess
    Local blogger and member of the “Knitting Bloggers” webring.
  • Grumperina

    "Neuroscientist by day, silliness embodied by night," Kathy writes about crafts, science, dreams, and life.
  • Kenneth's blog
    Local blogger on knitting plus Quakerism, religion, reading, houseplants, contra dancing, international folk dancing, GLBT issues.
  • Knitting Antiblog by Fallingblox

    Knitter/artist and True Grounds Stitch 'n' Bitcher Alasdair is always teaching himself with techniques.
  • Qblog
    Boston-area crafter Christine Q. on knitting, t-shirt making, books, occasionally politics, and random other stuff.
  • The Blue Blog

    Incredibly prolific knitter and Knitsmiths member chronicles her many projects, with photos galore.
  • True Grounds Stitch 'n' Bitch
    Group blog for the Somerville Stitch 'n' Bitch meeting collects posts from many of the group's members — including this blog and some of those listed above. Plus others as well.

Good Listening

Good Reads

  • Moonlight Chronicles
    Moonlight Chronicles
    Dan Price is a self-proclaimed “hobo artist” who, when he's not traveling, lives in a meadow in a hobbit-like, semi-underground studio he built. He writes and draws journals about his life, drawing, and the way we live, and mails them out (old-school style — no blog to be found here) to his subscribers.

    His journals can be thought-provoking, calming, inspirational, sometimes even irritating, but are pretty much always worth reading. Watch his interview on Oregon Public Broadcasting, try an issue of the Chronicles, or read one of his books.

Two Knitting Sites I Built

  • Mind's Eye Yarns

    Store in Porter Square, Cambridge, that sells knitting and spinning supplies—yarns (including some beautiful hand-dyed stuff), drop spindles, spinning wheels, unspun fleece—both dyed and undyed, and more.
  • Knit-Out & Crochet Boston 2002
    This event took place in Boston in October. But the site still has pertinent info on knitting resources in Mass. and on the web, plus pictures from the fashion show and info on the patterns and materials used.
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