Musings by Knitwits

Author: Pam Allen

Published: Sept. 2004

Publisher: Interweave Press

Copy provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

This collection of 31 elegant and ingenious scarf designs tap the expertise of more than 25 knitwear designers who offer new ways to think about this most basic of garments. Designs by Kathryn Alexander, Debbie Bliss, Nancy Bush, Lily Chin, Nicky Epstein, Sasha Kagan, Sally Melville, and Kristin Nicholas are included, representing a varied exploration of techniques that provide innovative ways to think about knitting and crochet. Sections on knitting and crochet basics, making a scarf without a pattern, and a designer's notebook with templates for basic scarves and suggestions for design variations are provided.

Ok, last month I mentioned socks - speaking of which, have you checked out our Curl Up With a Good Book giveaway yet. If not, check it out HERE. Sorry, back to the post! This month I wanted to suggest that you budding knitters out there try a scarf this time around. Scarves are pretty straight-forward. You can cast on 30 stitches, and then knit every row until just before you run out of yarn, then cast off. Yep, it's that easy! But sometimes you want a scarf that has just a little more to it than that.

This book is really good for that. It gives instructions for striped scarves, cabled scarves, lacy scarves, fringed scarves, big scarves, little scarves, huge scarves - ok you get the picture. It even has instructions for a turtleneck with arms, that you can turn into a scarf - ok, you have to see the photo of that one on the cover and inside to understand it, but it's pretty cool. Oh, I just found a pattern for a neat crocheted scarf as well!

Anyway, with Fall on the way and the weather thinking about getting a little cooler, scarves are a really neat way to keep warm. You can never have too many if you ask me. So if you'd like to try out your knitting skills on something simple and useful, check out this book. There are actually 31 patterns for you to choose from, and I'm sure you could find at least one that you'd like to attempt.

Hmmm! May'be we could try another giveaway in the winter with a book and a scarf instead of socks? Let's see how popular this month's giveaway is and we might just consider it!