Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns

This is a great book.  Anything you can imagine is here for you to incorporate into your patterns. The Table of Contents starts with Basic Stitches and ends with Jacquard Patterns.
Here's an page example.

You could make a scarf using Garter Stitch which is on page 5. This is a knit every row pattern. It is very plain.  Add this Diamonds and Cables Pattern in the middle and you could have something different than anyone else has!

Here's a great example of ingenuity. I found this blog post from Chronicles of a Yarn Obsession.

Cara used this pattern from Knitty.

She then added the Alternating Leaf Pattern on page 192 and created this beautiful sweater.

Here's another example of what you can do with this book!!  From The Sexy Knitter - The Lady Sybil Jumpsuit   She has more photos on the post.  Be sure to look at them!!  This is a really cool website too! Sarah has many patterns for sale!

This is what she says about the bodice - "I started scouring my stitch dictionaries for a lace with a vaguely art deco feel to it, and found one called "Kiwi" in the Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns (page 214). Perfect! I swatched it up and knew I had my bodice all set. I worked up a big rectangle of it and lined it with a bit of stockinette."

Here's a third project I found using a stitch from the book. This is a headband by Mari @ Wistful Plying.

                                                     Click on the link above for the directions.
Pages: 288
Published: 2000

Knit your socks on straight : a new and inventive technique with just two needles by Alice Curtis

You can look inside this book here. I liked this book so much I bought a copy last night.  Before I attempt to knit socks in the round, I need to get used to knitting with teeny tiny needles and yarn! LOL
You knit the sock flat and then crochet it closed.  Pretty cool!
Curtis has step by step instructions on sock construction. She starts with a plain sock and then builds up to some difficult patterns.  Patterns for babies, kids, women and men are here! There some really different styles to choose from!!
I am going to start with the Jelly Beans sock - page 24-5 in the book.  You can check it out on the link above.

 Garden Trellis Argyle

 Carnegie Hall

Livin' in Blue Jeans

Pages: 144

Sock Knitting Master Class by Ann Budd

I got this book from the library because I am thinking about trying to knit socks again.  My first try was horrible.  I do not know what I did wrong.  So I thought I would look at some books before hand.

As I was reading this book I realized this was far too advanced for me.  I did not notice Master Class in the title.  BUT if you are adept at knitting socks this is the book for you. Ann Budd is a book editor and the former senior editor of Interweave Knits magazine. She is the author of a lot of books that are published by Interweave. Budd explains just about everything you want to know about knitting socks! And there is a DVD too!

The patterns in this book vary in design and style.

Pages: 183

10 Secrets of Laidback Knitters by Vicki Stiefel and Lisa Souza

I liked this book a lot. There are all different kinds of patterns using different yarns and methods. Many stories from people that make yarn. There are also tips from knitters. There are some cool things I want to make!

Click here for the pattern for Watermelon Vine Socks.

From goodreads:
10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters speaks to all levels of knitters who want to enhance and expand their knitting experience in joyful and substantive ways. With humor and insight, authors Vicki Stiefel and Lisa Souza illustrate how to become a laidback knitter--one who enjoys the process as much as the product. Join in and be inspired by the mix of people, patterns, and places in their knitting world; follow the steps they took; and discover the secrets that set them along this path. 10 Secretscontains a wealth of other valuable and fun information including profiles, websites and other resources the authors can't live without, information on fibers, spinning, and crochet, and much more!

Additionally, an amazing collection of twenty-seven patterns--complete with instructions and charts--fills the book with elegant shawls, chic sweaters, and colorful scarves from a spectrum of designers, all beautifully photographed in full-color.

This is a book that gives knitters permission to relax and have fun; to see that knitting can be as much about process as about the finished product, and know that the stitches they knit can express the inner joy they feel. The exciting patterns--aimed at knitters from beginners to experienced--complement the books exuberant purpose and style.

Look inside here.

Pages: 166

Sophia's Birthday Cake

Saturday was my younger daughter's birthday.  She asked for a red velvet cake.  I don't know why.  She never had one before.  I never made any because the recipe I had called for 2 ounces of red food coloring and that was all you tasted.  So I put a call out on the Penzey friends page on FB and got a couple of recipes. One from my friend Donna but it called for red beets to color the cake and Sophia does not like beets and did not want me to try it.  Then Linda added her recipe.  I made the cake but did not use cream cheese icing.

Linda Whitley's Red Velvet Cake

½ C Butter
1½ C Granulated sugar
1 tsp Penzeys Vanilla
2 Large eggs
1 Tbs liquid tasteless red food coloring
Just over 2 1/3 C unsifted cake flour (or 2 C unsifted all-purpose flour)
¼ C Ghirardelli or Penzeys unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp Penzeys kosher or sea salt
1 C buttermilk
1½ tsp baking soda
1 Tbs white vinegar

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs and food coloring; blend thoroughly. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Stir baking soda into vinegar; fold carefully into batter (do NOT beat). Pour into two greased and floured 9-in round cake pans. Bake at 350° F for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans. Cook completely on wire racks. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter (1/2 C), softened
4 C confectioners sugar
1 Tbs cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners sugar in parts (2 C, 1C, 1C). Beat until smooth. Add milk and beat until smooth.

 I made 2- 8 inch rounds and let them cool for an hour.

You can really see the color in this photo! 

Only 1 Tablespoon of coloring.

I started putting on the crumb coat of icing and Frank took over.  

His first job in the US was as a cake decorator.

Sophia wanted an animal print cake. 

We found this sugar sheet at Walmart for $4.

That made it easy!

Here's the finished product.

Frank started getting carried away with the icing.

The cake was delicious!!

 Birthday Girl!!

A slice!

Here's a basic buttercream recipe.  I made half this recipe.  I only used butter.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature (use vegetable shortening when pure white icing is needed)
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla or other desired flavoring
2 pounds confectioners' sugar

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix at slow speed until smooth. If stiffer icing is needed, or if the weather is very warm, add a little extra sugar. This recipe is enough to cover and fill a 9 by 13-inch sheet cake or 2 (9-inch) layers.

Pretty Bloom

Tada!!  The first sunflower!

Progress on The Town of Halloween

Yesterday I had a terrible sinus headache from all the damp and rain from the last few weeks.  I did not get very much reading done.  So I am posting my progress on this cross stitch. Check here for my original post.
Boy, you can really chug along when you only have 2 colors to use.  I have not decided what I will do with this once it's finished.  I hope we will have some sunshine today so I can work on it.

Town of Halloween Cross Stitch

Last week I started a new cross stitch project from this Halloween magazine.  Town of Halloween is designed by Isabella Abbiati of The Primitive Hare. You can look at her fabulous designs here.  She has alot of patterns I want!!

Wings and Things

Way back in September I got a copy of Just Cross Stitch 2012 Special Collector's Issue Halloween.  Inside there are a ton of cross stitch projects that I want to make!
My younger daughter liked Wings and Things.  On a trip to Spring Robin in Salisbury, NC., I was happy to find that she had the fabric needed to make this, 32 count monster mash Belfast linen from Picture This Plus.  I was so excited.
 I used  different threads than the directions called for. I used a bit more than 3 skeins of (so get 4) Simply Shaker Sampler thread  - Black Raspberry Jam 7021 from The Gentle Art. I used DMC  Satin Floss S976 or 30976.

I think it turned out well.