book review: The Olympknits by Laura Long

The Olympknits by Laura Long
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I seem to be reviewing an awful lot of toy books lately so I won't say my usual disclaimer on toy books, you know the drill by now.

I picked up this book at the library because I couldn't resist. I actually remember seeing this book last year during the Olympics but didn't have time to grab it then, so I grabbed it now with a stack of other books I probably won't have time to even look at, let alone read and review... sigh.

There's several other similar books out there along the same theme (just search amazon). This one is unique because the doll is knitted but the outfits are sewn, making this book really a sewing book, not a knitting book, despite the title.

All in all, the book is cute enough, but there's nothing terribly unique about any of the outfits or how they are presented or sewn.



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book review: Lovely Knits for Little Girls

Lovely Knits for Little Girls by Vibe Sondergaard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to make something for the little girls in their life, and many of the designs are easily adaptable to bigger girls as well. There's a great range of designs, from lace, cables and texture, from basic beginner stuff to more complex techniques.

Most of the book is focused on sweaters and cardigans, but there are several cute scarves/shawls as well.

The designs are very modern and different, which could be construed as a good thing, but for me is actually a negative - I buy books and knit things that will last for years, can be handed down when something is outgrown, etc., not something that will look dated when trends change in a year - at least, when I'm knitting for someone else (I've been known to wear a granny square sweater in public, so I'm not exactly fashion forward).

I had an e-book copy of this book, but other reviews did comment on the quality of the book which is important to note.


I received a review copy of this book for free from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Knitting Green by Ann Budd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are a ton of cute projects in this book, well written, charts as needed. Some cables, some lace, some basic, some more complex. The yarns used are all "green" yarns, like Eco Wool (yarn is neither dyed nor chemically processed) or Schulana Sojabama (bamboo & soya, a fiber from soybeans, that is similar to silk in feel).

There's smaller projects, like Sustainable Bamboo Scarf & Soap Nut Vessels (a little bag to throw your soap nuts into). There's wearables, like Organic Sprout tank, which uses Classic Elite Sprout yarn (organic cotton), or the classically styled All (North) American Hoodie, using St Denis Nordique wool yarn (a yarn grown, harvested, processed, & distributed all in North America).

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Around the Corner Crochet Borders: 150 Colorful, Creative Edging Designs with Charts & Instructions for Turning the Corner Perfectly Every Time by Edie Eckman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me start off by saying I am an Edit Eckman fan, and this book delivers as usual.

This is not a pattern book, it's a crochet resource book for edgings. There are a ton of border ideas here, and it's very easy to customize the borders still more. They are all charted, which is always a plus, and include directions for making edgings on straight items - like the edging on a cardigan - or going around corners, like on an afghan. I love the fact that there are both lacey & textured borders.

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book review: Sanna

Sanna, Sorceress Apprentice by Roxanna Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Sanna!

Sanna has all of my favorite things - knitting, magic, witches, young adult, fantasy, & in a vaguely historical setting. Author Roxie is a knitter, and you can tell this in the book, from how Sanna fixes injuries by "knitting" the bones (love the pun), to knitting magical self-heating socks & mittens to keep a friend warm. Sanna & her classmates are a bunch of girls, just out to have a good time, who are just happening to attend a magical school.

There's a bit of a mystery, there's a bit of romance, but all in all it's just a good fast read.

I only have one negative about the book, which isn't really a negative at all. I felt a couple of parts - especially the ending - were written a little abrumptly for my tastes, but I think it's more written for young adults, which of course, this book is. As an adult reader, I would love liked to have seen those parts a little more fleshed out, but I completely understand why Roxie wrote those parts the way she did.

I was thrilled to pieces to find out that there is another book in the series, too!

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Crochet It. Love it. Wear It.

Crochet It. Love It. Wear It! (Leisure Arts #5058): The Ultimate Collection for Every Occasion by Drew Emborsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First of all, let me just say I love Drew, & I have enjoyed watching his "rise to fame" in the crochet world.

This is a small, LA book, featuring 16 projects. Some are a little weird for my tastes... like the open, lacey skirt Vashti, or the poofy ruffled cardigan... but there's the two gorgeous short sleeved sweaters, Saugatuck Summer & Antebellum, which would be so easy to change this up or down, make more casual or dressy. I also adore the Pencil Skirt, thoough I'm not sure I'd ever make or wear it.

I love the fact that, as LA usually does, the patterns use yarns easily found at Big Box stores & are, for the most part, actually affordable. Sure, I love my alpacas & silks, but I can afford that stuff once or twice every five years, usually one ball for a shawl.

Conclusions: add this to your crochet library!



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mini book review: Knitting Memories: Reflections on the Knitter's Life by Lela Nargi

Knitting Memories: Reflections on the Knitter's Life by Lela Nargi


OK, like any short story book, some stories were great, and some stories were only good. Worth a quick read, works great as a summer or vacation or beach read.

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book review: Incredible Cardboard

Incredible Cardboard! by Instructable Authors
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I picked this up for free, and didn't realize it was put together from Instructables. Anybody who does DIY projects is aware of this site, one I don't really frequent because the vast majority of the projects posted there are poor quality, with even poorer instructions and photography.

This "book" is simply a compliation of projects from the site, which includes frequent advertising for the website. The directions are complete with typos, nothing is edited and the projects shown are those only suitable for children.

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Crochet So Fine: Exquisite Designs with Fine Yarns by Kristin Omdahl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been oogling the designs from the book on Ravelry since it first came out, & I finally borrowed the book from the library to see for myself. I was hoping to have time to actually make something out of it, but alas, that will have to be another time.

There are so many gorgeous designs, I wouldn't have been able to just pick one. If I was doing the Ravelry blogging challenge, where you work through all the projects in a book... this would be the book for me (or maybe one of my sock books, but that's another topic for another day). I don't think there is one project in the book that I wouldn't want to make, and there are many projects that I'd love to make more then once, in different colors & / or for gifts (such as Cascade sweater, or the Skinny Flower scarf, or the Diamonds shawl...)

My absolutely favorite project, however, is Pearl's Cardigan, which is made with the easily available, easily affordable, and/or easily substituted for a more expensive yarn, if you'd like.

This is another must-buy for your crochet library.

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mini book review: Back on Blossom Street

Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very quick read. It definitely wasn't as good, in my opinion, as the other books in the series, but it was another light, fluffy book to read & that seems to be all I can read lately.

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