How do they make green wool?

The other day my three year old daughter asked me how they make green wool. I tried to explain that they dye it - "you know, like when we dyed the eggs at Easter time". As often is the case, she wasn't 100% satisfied with my brief explanation. So I was thrilled when I discovered this picture book at the library a few days later.

Woolly Jumper: The Story of Wool by Meredith Hooper is a great book that describes the process of how wool is made, starting with the sheep in the field and finishing with the knitted jumper.

The main part of the book illustrates each step of the process and gives a simple description, but there is a more detailed explanation of certain areas and terms - like how the wool is "scoured" and "carded" on the inside back cover. This is written in very clear, kid-friendly language and answered most of the questions my daughter had asked me whilst I was attempting to read her the book for the first time.

I think it's a great book for both children and their parents. I learnt a few things myself and Nina is now keen to visit a sheep farm.

A Knitter's Handbook worthy of your Knitting Bag

As a public transport knitter, and one who it of an intermediate skill level but likes to "do things properly", I occasionally get stumped when starting a new project on the train and have need for a compact reference book. I hate these moments where I have to put away my knitting and wait until I get home and look up one of my large heavy reference books or do a search on the internet for some of the newer techniques.

Recently I came across and purchased "Vogue Knitting Quick Reference: The Ultimate Portable Knitting Compendium" from The Book Depository.


...Just on the side, I LOVE this website! If you don't know about them already you should check out their website. Based in the UK they ship anywhere in the world for FREE! And it doesn't take very long to get deliveries. Amazon orders take about 4-6 weeks to get to Australia and even if the product is reasonably price the shipping cost is usually a deal breaker. But I digress...

Anyway, when the book arrived I was quite disappointed. It really didn't live up to the claims of its subtitle. My main grievance was with the cover and the overall size of the book. Firstly it is a weird sized book measuring 8.5" wide x 7.5" high; not particularly "portable". But far worse than that is the cover and the binding. The book is spiral bound and the cover, which is made of quite a thin card stock, is attached to the back of the spiral after a few reads the front cover tends to overhang the rest of the book. I've only owned mine for a month or so and already the cover is looking very scrappy, and this is only after a few times in my knitting bag. This might sound very superficial but there is just something very un-flickable about this book, and I think that a good compact knitting reference should be able to be easily flicked through.

The information inside is useful and clearly illustrated, but it lacks an index and so far it also missing 2 techniques that I would have like to be included: 1) long tail cast-on, and 2) Circle/Disappearing loop cast-on. I have used it a couple of times but it now lives on my book shelf rather than in my knitting bag.

Today, I chanced upon a handy little book at my local library, "The Knitter's Handbook: Essential Skills & Helpful Hints from Knitters Magazine". I was taking my 2 year old to story time and passed it on display on my way in. When I got a chance to look through it I was delighted by what I found. Firstly, it is a great size (6.25" wide x 8" high), and although it is also spiral bound, it is covered with a nicely designed and robust hard cover. I also like the way that the information is grouped together in general categories which form the chapters, and these appear in alphabetical order: basics; bind-offs; buttons, buttonholes & zippers; cables; cast-ons; etc, etc. Each chapter starts with a mini table of contents and finishes with a notes page. It also has an index, which all good reference books should.

The first thing I looked for in the table of contents was long-tail cast-on. It's in there! I didn't expect to see the disappearing loop cast-on in there but found it on page 47 in the Circular Knitting chapter, described as "Circle Cast-on".



I've already been online and ordered this book from Amazon (when I typed in the ISBN into Book Depository it brought up a book with a slightly different name and a totally different cover - possibly just the British release but I didn't want to risk it) - now I have to wait until the last week in April for it, but at least i have my library copy in the meantime. I think this book is well worth adding to your collection, especially if you want something that you can throw into you knitting bag.

Market Vintage

A couple of weekends ago I ventured out on a 30 degree hot morning to the Glenbrook Growers Market. It wasn't the ideal conditions for organic fruit and veg, but I did manage to pick up a Mon Tricot stitch encyclopedia and a very vintage Patons Fair Isle book. Both for the bargain price of $1.50!

That afternoon at the monthly Guild meeting I also picked up a few more treasures from the Seventies thanks to our convener Merrin, who had cleaned out her Mum's garage.

New and Old Books

My sister Naomi is lucky to live in Brisbane. Not only is the weather warm all year round, but she has access to the amazing yarn and thread store: Threads and More. I am very jealous even though I have never even been there!

Naomi recently gifted me the very lovely book "Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together" by Larissa and Martin John Brown, which she purchased at Threads and More. I was particularly taken with a line in the introduction that reads:

"taking up knitting is some sort of declaration that life should include more quiet hours and friends".

Many of the projects featured in the book can also be found on the Knitalong website. I am adding two of the projects to my ever expanding queue. The first is the Recycled Sweater Pincushion (left). My partner recently put my favourite Country Road woollen cardigan through the washing machine and felted it. I was too attached to it to throw it away and stashed it in a drawer. Soon it will be reborn as a very useful pincushion, The second project that I would like to undertake is Olive's Afghan; an large multicoloured chevron blanket.

From the new to the old...last weekend I went to a fete at the local retirement village and was delighted to pick up a weighty needlecraft reference book for the bargain price of $2!

"The Complete Book of Knitting, Crochet & Embroidery" published by Rainbow Books in 1972 is in amazing condition and is very informative. It even comes with some very groovy patterns such as a Fair Isle Toddler Dressing Gown.