Library enhancement

Along with my goal of actually using my recipe books to cook recipes from instead of just drooling over the pictures I am going to make some effort to knit patterns from my knitting books. I have rather a lot of knitting pattern books, not many compared to some I'm sure but rather a lot. I have also increased my knitting pattern book collection with presents and spending money from Christmas, the last of my new knitting books arrived on Saturday morning.

This is more than just a pattern book and includes instructions for "advanced" knitting techniques such as colourwork, cables, lace, pattern design and scary things that put fear into my heart such as this mad thing they call "steeking". I had read positive reviews and I'm one of many knitters who learned (or rather re-learned as my grandma had taught me the basics as a child) how to knit from Debbie Stoller's Stitch and Bitch. I never knit any of the patterns from the first book (apart from the ribbed scarf but that's hardly a pattern) but I found it incredibly useful for tips and techniques. I had heard that this book has not only the clear instructions with pictures of her previous books but also has some fabulous patterns. The people who said this were not wrong. It does have lovely patterns for garments and accessories which I am sure I will actually use and actually knit from and I would definitely recommend it.

I must confess though that from all my knitting books the only patterns I've actually knit from them were my MiL's scarf which was a pattern from Knitted Lace of Estonia, the Elizabeth Zimmerman mittens from The Knitter's Almanac (and even then I used an on-line mod for the thumbs), the ribbed scarf from Stitch and Bitch (as I said, hardly a pattern) and I use Yarn Harlot's sock recipe for my basic socks. I know Monkey appears in Knit. Sock. Love. but I knit it from the pattern on Knitty and I have cast on a scarf pattern from my sock yarn One Skein Wonders Book. I'm as bad with magazines. I subscribe to The Knitter (well Mr NM pays, it was a present) and buy Simply Knitting and Get Knitted every month but I rarely actually knit from them. I really must start actually using these books and magazines for patterns as well as the wonder that is the internet otherwise why did I pay for them?

One thing I did knit from a magazine pattern, the Cardigan of Doom, we saw how well that went! Worry not though, I have not burned it in the back garden in a stinking rage, I promise. I am simply awaiting the delivery of a ball of Pompero bought on ebay to finish it off. It will be the wrong dyelot and right on the front which is annoying BUT I do have long hair which I generally wear loose over my shoulders so hopefully that will hide the bit knit from a different dyelot and no one will notice.

Also note to self not buying yarn doesn't really count if I keep buying knitting books instead, it's still spending money.