Knititude: Expectant Little Knits

Press

More Big Girl Knits
About the No-Gap Wrap Pullover: "We love clever, and this sweater is clever."
Interweave Knits Summer 2007
About the Lutea Lace Shell: "...what appears at first glance to be a standard tank top knitted in flat pieces turns out on closer inspection to be an ingenious piece of three-dimensional sculpture." Pam Allen, Editor in Chief, Interweave Knits

Rec reading

Barbara G. Walker: A Treasury of Knitting Patterns
Barbara G. Walker: A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns
Barbara G. Walker: Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns
Adam Haslett: You Are Not a Stranger Here
Most of these stories are decent, but the collection is worth buying just for the first one, "Notes To My Biographer." Wow!
Toni Morrison: Beloved
One of my favorites.
Beverley Jackson: Splendid Slippers: A Thousand Years of an Erotic Tradition
Fascinating look at an extremely disturbing tradition. One of my great-grandmothers (on my mother's side) had bound feet. I saw a pair of handmade slippers for bound feet in an antique store in Nantucket, and had to have them--the most expensive shoes I own! Anyway, after that I bought this book. As for "erotic," a chapter called "sacrifice at the altar of beauty" explores some of the many notions of sexual attractiveness which require painful bodily alterations or embellishments.
Michael A. Dirr: Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
I would love this book even if I lived in a studio apartment (maybe even more so). You always know exactly where Mr. Dirr stands: "... I have never recommended, at least when conscious, a poplar," or "[the oakleaf hydrangea] is one of the most handsome plants that landscape designers have at their disposal." For a picture of the latter, see my photo album.
Mark Haddon: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Vintage Contemporaries)
Nicky Epstein: Knitting on the Edge : Ribs * Ruffles * Lace * Fringes * Floral * Points & Picots - The Essential Collection of 350 Decorative Borders
If this doesn't get those creative juices flowing...but why does the author reference a symbol for borders in which "both sides are the same or equally attractive" in the introductory notes, then not use the symbol once? (If she did, I missed it). A minor quibble, to be sure.
Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex: A Novel

I'm supposed to be receiving a copy from the publisher, but I couldn't wait; I bought a copy of Expectant Little Knits from Amazon. No, I don't have any news on the family additions front, but I do have two patterns in this book--including the Double Wing Top, pictured on the cover. The other pattern is also a sleeveless top, but worked in cotton instead of silk/merino, and called "Anjou"--"put a positive spin on 'pear-shaped' with this empire waist top"!

Although I can't vouch for the general quality of the instructions, not having knitted any of the projects except for my own samples, I can say that I was quite impressed with the appearance and variety of the various garments, which included some creative ways to accommodate body changes both during pregnancy and afterwards: buttons along the sides, or across the bust to allow for discreet nursing; removable side panels; side pleats; and of course, stretchy stitch patterns like lace and ribbing. In fact, although I'm delighted one of my patterns made the cover, I'm not sure how or why it was chosen from among so many great designs! The last three photos show my personal favorites (in order pictured): the Gherkin Tunic by Ashley Moncrief, the Red Twist Dress by Helen Hamann, and the Lacy Babydoll by Melissa Wehrle.

(Apologies for my less than stellar reproductions of these pages! All photos, copyright Lark Books 2007.)

Edited to add: Connie asked whether my statement that I couldn't vouch for the instructions meant that I wrote up the patterns only for the sample size for my projects. The answer is no--I did write the instructions for all the sizes for my patterns! I just meant the instructions for all of the other projects in the book. However, I should have noted that Donna Druchunas did the editing, which is a very good sign!

Comments

Beautiful designs indeed, Angela. Congrats! What do you mean, you can't vouch for the instructions? Did they just have you write instructions for the sample size?

Posted by: connie | January 17, 2008 at 01:30 PM