Things You Need: Dishcloth Diva, by Deb Buckingham

Deb hits it out of the park with TWENTY amazing patterns

Okay, I'll admit it. I've never been much into knitting dishcloths. In fact, I think the closest I'd ever come before reviewing this book was a single, purple, acylic potholder (don't ask). However, Doc's mother had been asking me for quite some time for some hand-knitted dishcloths, and when Deb popped by my Ravelry group and started chatting us up about her new book, Dishcloth Diva, I knew I needed to take a peek.

Stonework & Cutting Edge

I quickly realized what all the fuss is about. When knitting dishcloths, see, you can take about a third of a ball of cotton yarn, combine it with an hour or so of knitting time, and come out with this lovely, useful little thing!

Glamour & Organic

I was hooked. I thought I'd just knit one or two dishcloths, just to get a feel for how Deb's patterns are written up (they're perfect, by the way), but wound up knitting six. Even then, I only stopped because I needed to actually wrap these all up and give them to their intended recipient! Truly, all 20 of these are knit-worthy; it almost makes me wish I had more folks to knit them for! I think I'll knit the other patterns, and add them to my just-in-case gift box. Paired with a bar of luxurious, handmade soap, wouldn't a knitted dishcloth be a nice stocking stuffer or "just because" gift?

Deb has a real knack for writing these patterns; she's gone through extra effort to make sure each pattern is written out stitch-by-stich, line-by-line, meaning that you have to use almost NONE of your own brain power when knitting along (and if you're anything like me, that's the first thing you look for when working from a pattern)! In 6 patterns, I found not a single error - just clear, perfect instructions for absolutely delightfully satisfying dishcloths. You should be comfortable working from written instructions though, because there are no charts here, but trust me - you won't miss them. For the knitter who hates to purl, Deb's gone one step further, because many of the patterns incorporate the patterning into the wrong side rows, meaning you get a plain knit row instead of a plain purl row. Whew!

I'm giving this book an enthusiastic, two thumbs up, mostly for its power to convert a non-believer into a (somewhat timid) addict. If you have any interest in knitting dishcloths whatsoever, you need this book on your shelf, pronto! You can get all 20 patterns as an eBook for just $9.95 via Ravelry, or a print AND digital combo for $15.95 + shipping via the Cooperative Press website.

Even better, Deb and Cooperative Press have teamed up to provide one lucky commenter with a FREE digital copy of this wonderful book! Just leave a comment below telling us which is your favorite pattern from the book for a chance to win. I'd tell you when I'll announce the winner, but regulars know that's pretty much a joke at this point, so we'll just say, post away, and check back in about a week to see if you've won!

If you're on Twitter and would like an extra entry, tweet the following:

Have you seen @TheSexyKnitter's latest giveaway? I've entered to win a copy of Dishcloth Diva from @Deb_Buckingham!  http://tinyurl.com/divadebgiveaway

Looking for the winner of Lee Meredith's giveaway? It's Faith the Vampire Slayer! Congrats, Faith! Lee will be gifting you a copy of the Short Stripes Trio shortly! Enjoy!

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Getting to Know You #11: Lee Meredith

Back after a nearly 10-month hiatus, I'm reviving this series! Today's guest is none other than Lee Meredith, whom many of you know as Leethal. I had the pleasure of meeting Lee in person last year during the June showing of TNNA, and she was just as delightful as I'm sure you've always imagined her to be.

Lee and me, TNNA, June 2012

Lee has just come out with a new mini-collection that I'm completely in love with, Short Stripes Trio, and after taking a peek at the patterns I knew I needed to have her by the blog for an interview.

Maurice

Barry

Robin

TSK: You clearly have a mathematically minded brain. I love that you're able to take fairly complicated mathematical ideas, translate them into knitwear, and then make them accessible to even the most mathematically-challenged of knitters. Are you the kindof math geek who sets out to translate a specific math idea into knitwear, or do you start with the knitwear and then use math to accomplish your goal?

LM: I definitely start out with the knitwear idea, then use math as needed to make it work.  I usually spend a lot of time swatching to figure out just how to make a construction idea look how I want it, more trial and error rather than hardcore math… I didn'treally take any math in school post high school, since I was an art major, so actual math knowledge is all old and foggy in my brain, I just kind of think mathematically, which helps me figure out weird construction concepts in my knit design, along with allthat swatching experimentation!

 

Rumours

TSK: You're famous for coordinating some pretty badass mystery knitalongs. As a fellow designer, I simply MUST ask: Do you complete the pattern before you've ever released a clue, or do you feed off the group's reactions to develop each pattern's twistsand turns? How much planning do you go through to ensure the project stays a surprise for as long as possible?

LM: I've always completed the patterns before beginning the mystery knit-a-longs; I've never thought about the option of using the knitters' reactions to decide where to take the pattern!  (Might be thinking about that in the future now, hmm…)  For most ofmy mystery knit-a-longs, I've had them tested by test knitters first before releasing any clues, so the pattern is in a pretty much completely finished state by the time the first clue is out there.  As for keeping it a surprise, I feel like most knitters likeseeing spoilers each week as the pattern sections go out, so I let knitters put photos on their project pages, etc; I don't really take any steps to keep it extra mysterious, except, of course, telling my test knitters not to reveal their finished knits untilthe end.

 

Junction, a 2012 Leethal Mystery Knitalong

 

TSK: You've created quite a niche for yourself in designing cleverly constructed accessories. Any plans to cross over into garment designing? How would you imagine applying your techniques to that branch of knitwear?

LM: I've thought a lot about this for the future, but have no immediate plans to go there yet… I'm always overflowing with accessory design ideas, and I never have time in my schedule to knit anyone else's designs, which means I have very little understandingof how to construct a sweater, when I think about how I'd design one.  I'm actually in the middle of knitting my first real sweater right now (I've been a knitter for over 10 years! I've just always been accessory-focused), but it's slow going since I alwayshave to prioritize my own designs.  So maybe within the next couple years I'll be able to squeeze in a couple more sweater knits in order to increase my grasp of garment construction, and then I'll be able to brainstorm more seriously about garment design!

 

 

Gentle on my Mind and Ocean Breezes

TSK: You offer most of your designs with customizable instructions for any gauge or yarn, and you often include many different options and variations. That seems like a lot of extra work, especially when you consider that the majority of designers out there are writing patterns for one specific yarn or gauge. Are you just an overachiever, or...what's the deal?

LM: There is always so much possibility with knitting, it's so personalizable, and part of the fun of designing for me is to brainstorm about a concept and think of all the places it could go.  So I don't want to limit myself to choosing one single yarn, andmaking the design one specific way - I'd feel like I've destroyed all these other potential awesome versions!  So, I write most of my patterns for any weight yarn, letting the knitter choose what kind of piece they want to make, and I often include severalstyle/shape/size/etc options to choose from.  It's more fun for me (even though it's also more sample knitting work!) and I LOVE seeing all the different versions by knitters that look totally different from my versions!  It all kind of connects with how Ilike to view knitting as a fun, almost game-like activity - from my ebook that's actually called Game Knitting, to my Quick Knits projects, which are fun (and often silly) ways to use up leftover yarn bits, to my mystery knit-a-longs… I'm working on a new projectfor the summer which will combine some of these knitting-is-fun elements, which I can't talk about yet but I'm SUPER excited about!  Anyway, I think the whole any weight yarn, customizable options, etc, aspect of my patterns scares some knitters away, but allthat variety is to make the knitting experience more personalized and fun!  It doesn't mean my patterns are hard to make, I promise!  (Well, most of them aren't hard, some can be tricky, but if you trust the pattern, you can do it!)

 

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Thanks so much for stopping by, Lee! For those of you not already following Lee around the web, here are some handy links for you:

 

Webiste & blog:  http://www.leethalknits.com/

Ravelry: Leethal

Twitter: @leethal

Ravelry Group: Leethal Knitters!

Tumblr: Talkin' Under Water

Are you a longtime fan of Lee's work? Leave us a comment with your favorite pattern of hers, and we'll draw one lucky winner to receive a copy of her new Short Stripes Trio! Comments will remain open until May 31st.

The Fiber Factor, Challenge 2: Promo

Alex and I are back, this time with our take on what's happening for Challenge 2 (and a desperate request for help to name our podcast)!


Don't forget to leave us a comment about the name, if you have any ideas! I'd also love to hear what your take would be on this challenge if you were participating. How would you Color Inside the Box?

Things You Need: Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet, Volume II

Regulars to the blog may remember my review of Hunter Hammersen's Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet, and how impressed I was with that beautiful book. Good news, kids, Hunter's just come out with Volume II, and it's every bit as beautiful as the first!

 There are 18 patterns in all; 9 socks, and 9 accessories.

Where the patterns in Volume I were inspired by vintage botanical illustrations, Volume II is inspired by...wait for it...vintage BUTTERFLY illustrations! Perhaps a sneak peek at my studio will tell you why this is particularly exciting for me:

Covered in butterflies!

Butterflies are just fascinating to me; I feel like they're almost like floating flowers. The stunning variety of colors and patterning, combined with the delicate nature of the creatures' wings, just delights me. When I found out Hunter's new book centered around this species, I was more excited than perhaps was strictly necessary.

As with Volume I, each individual butterfly has inspired 2 patterns; 1 sock, and 1 accessory. Here are a few of my favorite patterns from the book:

Lycaena virgaureae Shawl

Metopsilus porcellus Sock

Polyommatus argiolus Cuff

Polyommatus corydon Hat

You can find purchase information over on Hunter's website, or queue up the whole collection on Ravelry here.

The Fiber Factor Recap: Challenge 1

Hopefully you've all heard about The Fiber Factor by now; if not, head on over there and check it out! This Project-Runway-esque event for knitwear designers started last month and the first challenge's results went up on Monday. The amazing Alex Tinsley and I have teamed up to bring you challenge recaps as the competition progresses, a la Tom & Lorenzo. Here's our take on Challenge 1:



Big thanks to The Fiber Factor for allowing us the use of their photos! Be sure to follow along on the official website for all the extra goodies Skacel is offering throughout this event. You can also find The Fiber Factor on Twitter as @TheFiberFactor, or like their Facebook page here.

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Looking for the winner of the Crochet: Book One giveaway? It's Sheila O'Keefe! Congrats Sheila, you've won a copy of Rebecca Velasquez's Marigold Sweater!