Yarn Is All You Need

‘Tis the season to break out your yarn stash and start making some knots! My mom taught me to crochet at a very young age, though I mainly stuck to anything square shaped like scarfs and blankets. I finally started to branch out this year, and I’m finally making a hat, which inspired me to up my crochet game — and now my husband is getting interested in knitting.

Here are a few books in our collection that have us excited to get our hooks and needles creating!

Guys Knit the Instruction Manual: for the Man With Nothing to Prove
by Nathan Taylor

If you’re going to get your person hooked on knitting, you might as well meet them where they are! And while the author admits he doesn’t speak for all men, he does know a thing or two about knitting and teaching men how to knit. Published under the Haynes Manual family, known for their more popular car manuals, this book is a great guide (and gift) for the dudes in your life!

Digital Knitting

While Ravelry.com is arguably THE place to get knitting and crocheting patterns, Seattle Public Library has many pattern books as ebooks that are free to borrow, from beginner learning books like Teach Yourself Visually Knitting, to books on advanced techniques such as Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch by the venerable Nancy Marchant. Here’s some stash-busting suggestions.

 

Knitted Tanks & Tunics: 21 Crisp, Cool Designs for Sleeveless Tops by Angela Hahn is a perfect place to find cool knits as the weather warms in the PNW. Find patterns for linen yarn as well as layering tanks in this gorgeous pattern book. Find more warm weather patterns in Knitting in the Sun: 32 Projects for Warm Weather by Kristi Porter. We sometimes take for granted the material we work with as crafters.

Bird Week: Put a Bird On It!

The Seattle Public Library is partnering with the Seward Park Audubon Center for Bird Week, April 23-30, in celebration of the center’s 10th anniversary and the National Audubon Society’s 2018 Year of the Bird.

Long before Portlandia made it a meme, artists and craftspeople have been adorning their work with birds. One of the earliest known artworks is a 30,000 year-old sculpture of a water bird carved from a mammoth tusk. By the time John James Audubon began painting his famous Birds of America in the early 19^th century, birds had been the subject of paintings, sculptures, weavings, jewelry and many other art forms for millennia.

You too can join this hallowed artistic tradition and celebrate Bird Week by creating your very own bird-centric art pieces

Knitting—It’s Good for What Ails You!

Knitting is turning out to be a healing art.  There’s starting to be more and more evidence of the ways in which it brings health benefits: repetitive activities make us feel more relaxed, can decrease stress, and may even ward off dementia.  And it’s not hard to learn—just get comfortable with a basic knit stitch, combine with some of the fabulous yarn that’s available these days, and you can produce an amazing scarf.  Check out this ShelfTalk post for abundant ideas about learning and fun projects.

What I Made: Cute & cuddly children’s toys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I have no children of my own (and don’t plan to), I really enjoy knitting for babies and toddlers. The projects are quick and totally adorable, and parents really appreciate these one-of-a-kind handmade gifts. Recently, I’ve gotten into knitting and sewing toys for my friend’s newborns. Here are some photos of toys I’ve made using patterns from books in the Library’s collection. Check them out and get inspired!

Above left is Stripe Dog from Fun Dolls by Aranzi Aronzo and Jumbo Elephant from Knitted Toys: 25 Fresh and Fabulous Designs by Zoe Mellor.
Below: Adorable baby Luna has a new friend with Lovable Rabbit Doll from Last-minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

 

Other books to check out:

• Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh (local author!)
• Make Your Own Toys by Sue Havens
• The Big Book of Knitted Monsters by Rebecca Danger
• Knitted Dinosaurs by Tina Barrett

What I Made column: Seattle is home to a thriving DIY ethic and culture. As part of an occasional series of posts, we feature hand-made items created by staff at The Seattle Public Library, and the library books, CDs, and DVDs that showed them how to do it themselves. We hope you’ll draw inspiration from their creations and check out some of the many great how-to resources the Library has to offer!