A couple of meetings back I spied one of my fellow members’ stitch dictionary; it wasn’t one I had seen before, and I liked the look of it.
I didn’t ask her about it at the time, but in the ensuing weeks I thought more and more how what I really needed was a stitch dictionary. I already had a semblance of one, but it’s merely a segment in a larger book covering needlecrafts of ALL kinds – embroidery, cross-stitch, macrame (seriously), etc etc. There were some stitch patterns in it, and some even have photographs, but they’re all black and white photos. I decided, austerity plan be damned! I owed this to myself as a knitter.
So I posted on knitters review, I read reviews on knitty and other places, and finally decided to get the Harmony guides. I ordered volumes one through four from amazon. I opted for the super-slow-boat free shipping.
That was in January. So far I’ve gotten three of the four, and got another notice from amazon this week that “a portion of your order has been delayed” – new expected ship date, April 11. Guh. Freaking amazon strikes again.
I will say, the guides are pretty good. Fairly comprehensive, clearly-written patterns, fairly clear photos, etc. etc. etc. I can see why so many knitters swear by them.
But I couldn’t get that other stitch dictionary out of my mind. I decided that I’d ask about it at the next meeting. But then she wasn’t AT the last meeting! Don’t you hate it when that happens?
She was there last night, though. And I asked. And she didn’t know the exact title offhand, but promised to email me the name. She was as good as her word – she emailed it to me this morning. Title, Author, and ISBN. For those who are interested, it is:
“The New Knitting Stitch Library, by Lesley Sanfield. ISBN is 1-57990-027-5.
The cheapest I’ve found it for online so far is $27. As much as I’ve been coveting this book, I think I’m going to let it simmer for a bit and see if I can find it cheaper.
Speaking of simmering, last week when I was pawing through the stash to gather up the Aran yarn for my mother’s vest, I found a packet – three skeins – of Reynolds Contessa. I have no recollection of buying this yarn. But it’s lovely, an angora-wool-nylon blend, in a rich cranberry-marroon. It’s a bulky yarn, so the skeins are short – 74 yards each. I was considering making a scarf in a lace pattern of some kind, but the yarn is so yummy and cozy that I think I’m going to make some mittens instead.
As for the vest, I’m not quite halfway done. I’d post a photo, but since it’s such a boring beige square, I didn’t think anyone would care. Or that it was worth the aggravation.
Maybe next time.
