this week: book group & a class

Hiya,

Happy New Year everyone. Just a quick post today about few doings in the shop.

Now open Daily 10-5: Just decided today to make it to official for 2012. We’re now opening daily 10 – 5pm. And of course still open late Thursday 6-9pm too for our weekly social knit nights.

Saturday Jan 14: Your First Sweater Class: First session starts this week. Click link above to see more details. If interested give us a call or email to reserve a spot. I’m planning to offer it again later in the spring/summer too. Want to purchase the pattern? You can on over on our online shop!

Sunday Jan 15: Book Group returns to monthly meet-ups. We’re talking about current pick, T.C. Boyle’s The Women: A Novel of Frank Lloyd Wright. Have to admit I’m still ploughing through, trying to finish up by Sunday. It’s interesting and I want to find out how it all ends up. But I have to say, in response to question on back of cover, “Is it easy to live with a genius?” No way! I’ve always known FLW was “difficult” personality but this book illustrates it fully. It has led me to look up the history behind the characters and wow…what a drama-filled, tempestuous existence many of these women lived. But have to say, T.C. Boyle is a vivid writer who captures the complexity (and absurdity) with style.

Interested in joining the group? Now’s a great time. Join us on Sunday to help select our upcoming books. Input is always welcome and there’s no need to have read the current book. We’re pretty casual and just enjoy a good “natter” about books, reading and other things. With this lovely weather we’ll sit outside and pretend it’s not really winter.

Enjoy!

Kim

Winter Classes 2012

January

Your First Sweater:Easy Top Down Cardi: Jan 14, Jan 28     1-3pm    $15 ea session + supplies

Learn to knit your first sweater. We’ll use a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern sized for either Girls (#106) or Ladies (#104). You’ll learn the basics of top down construction with this sweet little pattern. Perfect for three-season, this cardi is sized from Toddlers to Women.  Two sessions offered but you may only need one session to get started on the pattern, it’s that easy.  Pattern and supplies available at the shop. Come early to select your yarn, pattern and supplies.

Skills needed: know how to cast on, knit, purl, and basic increases & decreases.

(buy pattern in our online shop!)

February

Mukluk Slippers for All:  Feb 11, Feb 25    1-3pm    $15 ea session + supplies

Want to do socks but daunted at thought of it? These slippers are nice way to dip your toe into the sock-knitting-waters. Another Knitting Pure & Simple pattern sized for kids (#113) to adults (#116) that introduce you to some basic elements of socks in a fast knit with big yarn and needles.Useful, quick and easy with large needles and yarn.

Skills needed: know how to cast on, knit, purl, and basic increases & decreases.

(buy pattern in our online shop!)

new cookbooks & holiday hours

 

This newsletter has been in the works awaiting delivery for weeks now. Long before the dawn of Black Friday but alas…time flies when it’s the holidays. So here’s a peek at cookbooks new in the shop that make lovely gifts.

cookbooks galore

my most anticipated new release of the season

I’m a lazy cook ultimately. And sporadic. I like big binge sessions in the kitchen that usually yield multiple end products. Last year I discovered Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and it was an epiphany.

Literally make up a batch of dough, no kneading, very little mess, stash in the fridge (or freezer) to bake when needed. Pull off a hunk, pat it about a bit and bake. Viola! Tasty home-made yeast bread with very little effort. Music to this lazy-cook’s ears.                                  

 

But wait… It gets better.

Heaven on a Pizza Stone! This book is amazing. It builds upon the previous two books with more tips and tricks, numerous pizza dough variations and this time expanded flatbreads – even faster and easier than the breads – and tips on freezing not only dough but pizzas….that you can bake from frozen!

Needlessly to say I spent a day in the kitchen being a domestic goddess making up 4 dough batches, freezing them up so I’ve got dough at the ready. My favorite dough: Olive Oil Dough endless variations of foccaccia. (But that’s only because it’s much easier to push dough into a oil smeared tin, than trying to roll the dough out into a pizza shape.) When I’m feeling particularly flush I make up a batch of the brioche (uses lots of eggs and butter) for specially decadent treats.

Truly these books are amazing. It really is a “discovery that revolutionizes home baking.” No joke.

more of my favorite at the moment

I have a weakness. A weakness for cookbooks. I can’t help it. Especially gorgeously photographed cookbooks that make every recipe seem effortless. And if it imparts cultural insights…I’m hooked.

This book keeps staring at me and making me hungry! The photos are amazing and who doesn’t like comfort foods on a cold winter’s day? Each section highlights food from around the world and I want to  make everything. Despite it being a Saveur publication the recipes are not daunting fancy ones. All seemed totally doable and yummy. Something even my son would eat!

It’s crock pot season and there’s a couple of new books with great photos (love that) and terrific recipes.

The Slow Cook Book is big, fat with loads of recipes. Plus lots of photos makes the recipes appeal to the eye. It’s a big, comprehensive book with loads of variety. Each recipe also has conversions for conventional cooking which is a nice feature. Often I don’t think of making something early enough but could easily throw it together on the stovetop instead. A great gift for busy working cooks.

The second is a little spiral bound book with very creative recipes for soups. 50 Simple Soups is not in shop yet. I sold out and quickly reordered, now awaiting the publisher to wake up and print more! Let me know if you’d like a shout-out when it’s back in the shop. It’s a title I’ll probably always try to keep stocked in the future too because it’s such a great addition to my cookbook shelf.

How could you not like a pie baked in a jar?! This adorable little book, Cutie Pies is so sweet and makes a great gift. It also has chapters on hand pies, pot pies and other pies in addition to baking in jars…which is just so nifty. Sweet and savory recipes: I’m so wanting to try the curry veggie jars. Perfect for bringing to work to heat up for lunch.

Scandilicious: Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking is one of my favorites of the moment. I just want to crawl into this book to live. Not only are photos lovely but the tips about Scandinavian lifestyle are inspiring. Each recipe tells a bit about how it’s typical (or variation) of what you’d find in northern kitchens.

Speedy lunches, seemingly effortless “Scandi” dinners and healthful breakfasts and lovely tea treats. Top of my list are the cardamom cream buns and the various porridges that make up the staple of light evening suppers on cold winter nights. Her plum jam recipe presents canning jam as the least intimidating method ever. I so want to can jam now.

holiday hours

Hard to believe it but it is time to have holiday hours in the shop. This year we’re open Wed all season (thanks to our Mom)!

Open Daily 10-5; Thurs 10-3 and 6-9ish pm

Christmas Eve 10-3pm

Closed Christmas Day

Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 10-5
 

our crochet clinics and thurs night groups

If you’re trying to cram in making those last minute gifts don’t forget we’ve got the Tuesday Crochet Clinics (1-3pm) all month and our regular Thursday Night Group (6-9pm). Feel free to drop in and get help, encouragement or companionship while trying to finish up your projects.

 

Off to unbox several big boxes of what I think is our long awaited shiny novelty yarns! More on those in my next newsletter…

our new websites and holiday jumpstart kits

Every year I resolve to start my holiday knitting early….Like summertime early. Every year I’m rushing last minute in December to finish gifts because of course my good intentions never materialized. This year…it’s going to be different. I’m galvanized to mend my ways and actually get a jump-start holiday gifts knitting.

In upcoming weeks we’re putting together great gift kits to start making now…not later….but now. Before it’s a mad dash to the Dec 24th deadline (she says full well knowing she’ll be up late weaving ends and wrapping presents the night before…) 

holiday kit parade

Let’s officially launch the maisieblue’s Holiday Jump-Start Kits Parade. We’re putting some of my favorites gift projects into kits available on a new retail website (more details further below about the site)!! Now you too can make a dent in your Holiday Shopping list early.  Click through to order up a kit and get crackin’!

Loop-de-Loop Cowl Kit

 

Once again big, long, scrunchy cowls or infinity scarves are popular this season. This Dovetail pattern is not only stylishly warm but it is written for multiple yarn sizes: bulky, worsted, sock, and lace. Talk about a perfect stash-bustin’ pattern! It’s super easy to knit up. Knit in the round in “reverse stockinette” (a fancy way to say knit few rounds then purl few rounds).

We’ve paired the pattern with Berroco’s Boboli yarn, a gorgeous multicolor worsted weight yarn perfect for this pattern. 

I love Berroco’s description: “enchanting mix of shifting colors” and “glimmering,” which sounds odd for yarn but is so true! It has a wonderful sheen and soft hand making the cowl a lofty, snuggly bit of warmth for cold winter mornings. I love this yarn. And I’m not a big variegated/multicolor gal. I usually gravitate towards solids or tweeds…but this Boboli just makes me want to cast on more, more, more!, along with craving a big hot slice of pizza.

Easy-peasy lemon squeezy! Dig out some 24” circulars and dive in. You’ll have beautifully snuggly cowls perfect for gift-giving in no time. 

Kits contain pattern, yarn and a nifty project bag. Two sizes available: small & large. Click over to the website for more details & colors. Need needles? We’ll have those and an option to buy just the pattern so you can start bustin’ some stash.

our new websites: the lowdown

We’re launching two websites: one for books, the other for everything else.

our “books and more” website:

maisieblue.mybooksandmore.com

Our book distributor, Baker & Taylor hosts the site and does the fulfillment. Anything they stock can be ordered (books, audio books, cds, dvds, music). Shipping rates are reasonable and you can even preorder titles before they’re released! (I love that).

While we can’t ever compete with the big discounters…for those who like to try to shop local, this is an option. There are small discounts (shown on the site) which help to offset shipping. At $60 order will ship free.

One big reason we decided to launch this particular website: ebooks. Thanks to Baker and Taylor we’ll be able to sell ebooks to our customers.(Sorry Kindle owners; those are still a proprietary Amazon-only ebooks).

The ebooks are powered by Blio and support windows, android, and iphone/pad/pod platforms, and the XPS and ePub ebook formats. (That last bit of techy info for those who know what it means because I’m not exactly sure yet myself…I’m still reading those paper “antique” books!)

Baker&Taylor is a great company to work with and we’re happy to partner with them. They are supportive of small indie retailers and our sales rep, Lori is simply amazing. We’re excited to finally get this website up and running. My love of books fuels my passion to share them with our customers and now we can reach out further afield than just our little bricks-n-mortar shop.

When I talk about great books in newsletters you can now pop over and place an order to ship right to your door. Be it the old-fashioned paper book, ebook or audio book/cd -  we’ve got you covered. Perfect for our lovely customers that can’t easily pop into Murphys to shop, or those who can but need something we don’t have on the shelf right then and there.

our “everything else” big cartel website

maisieblu.bigcartel.com

Finally after a couple of years, various attempts and endless tweeking, we’re unveiling our website. It’ll start small and build from there; kits first then gradually adding other products.

Be sure to bookmark the site…notice I had to use “maisieblu…” because it won’t let me use our full name for some reason…. Or just go to the our main blog site: www.maisieblue.com for links to both shops from there.

Gradually we’ll add other items but starting with these kits help ease me into the big bad cyber-retailing world. Then I’m not like a deer-frozen-in-the-headlights, trying to build a full-on website that never gets done because I’m so overwhelmed. And end up just casting on another project as a way to avoid the question “how’s the website coming along ?” see…it’s a vicious cycle with me…

If you hit a snag or see something odd just let me know. Couple of points:

1. below product photos click the arrows to see additional photos & color choices.

2. important coupons: use these during checkout :freeship60 = free shipping at $60+order; storepickup = no shipping charge to pick up at the murphys shop.

Learning the basic tweeks and techy bits of starting this site takes some doing so it’s not exactly how I want it to look…but that’s okay. It’s a beginning. And we all know how I love starting things!

tips-n-tricks-n-kits

It’s fall…well almost fall. As soon as the light starts changing, the geese start honking overhead and the nights have a bit of a nip to them…. I start planning for holiday knitting.

My thoughts lately are all about fast knits and finishing things. I’ve found some wonderful tutorials online to help me with that pesky “finishing” issue that plagues me. Maybe this year I’ll actually get some holiday knitting done up early as a result.

But First up: sneak peek at new kits coming to the shop and new yarns that are here on the shelves, perfect for fast gift projects.

Nelkin Designs Jewelry Kits

Laura Nelkin’s sweet one-night kit projects: Butin Kit and Crochet Butin. How nifty are these?!

A stash-bustin’/one night/beaded necklace project – seriously… a finished project in just a few hours. Even I can do this one…and actually finish it….

The kits are perfect for gifts to make-and-give, or as a gift-kit for the craftster in your life. It’s a jump-start on my holiday gift making plans. Watch for kits to land in shop late next week.

new stuff in the shop

The new fall yarns are all arriving with plenty more on the horizon in upcoming months.

Berroco Flicker

I’m not a bling-bling gal that likes shiny….but for this yarn I make an exception. Super soft, stretchy chainette construction. Wonderfully sqooshy.

 

It’s a fabulous yarn. It showed up on a Thursday. I cast on this hat, and one week later I finished it. You heard right… f-i-n-i-s-h-e-d! In a week. Me….a finished item!Pattern is knit flat in a 2-color slip-stitch technique, then seamed. No dpn’s and I learned a great new technique.  Affordable, fast and oh so soft and smooshy. Gift knitting at its best.

Zorina Booklet #311

Berroco added new colors this fall and pattern booklets: #311 Flicker and free eBook. Check out the Flicker audio slideshow (I love these). The next Flicker project in my queue: Andra’s Grey Quartz Cowl. I’ll let you know how fast I finish that one up.

 
Berroco Boboli

Yummy colors, great yardage and perfect for big infinity cowls so popular now. One cowl done (yes…done! another project done!) and a second half-done. Both cowls take 1-2 hanks so it’s affordable and stylish. No pictures yet of my cowls so you’ll have to trust me on this one.

  

Boboli is good for hats, mitts and garments too. It’s soft, lovely multicolored layers with a bit of sheen. And no…I didn’t order it up just so I could chant Boboli, boboli, boboli to myself when alone in the shop ….well at least that’s not the only reason I ordered it…  It’s also got great yardage (206yds) and nicely priced ($14.99) so it’s perfect for making up gifts for the holidays.

As always Berroco has patterns and an audio slideshow to highlight this yarn’s potential.

Just dropped off the delivery truck today!

It’s thrilling when deliveries makes me squeal! This is a brand new pattern from Kollage Yarns that I can’t wait to make up. The moment the rep showed it to me I knew we had to have it.

Dangerous Curves is (yet) another big luscious infinity scarf using their Whimsy yarn (mohair wool blend). Want it short and sweet?

Pattern has both sizes and takes 1-3 hanks. Two colors arrived today with more coming later in September. But any worsted-bulky yarn will work. It’d be gorgeous in Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca, Remix or Flicker for something truly decadent.  Oooo…. I see many new cast ons in my future.

tips…tricks…and tutorials galore

I’m the first to admit it. Finishing things is not my forte. The more I knit the less this happens but still… we all know I’m the Cast On Monster so my experience with things like perfect bind offs, weaving ends, seaming is naturally less than my skills at casting on. Here’s some links to great stuff on internet to help us (me) finish things.

I’m a big photo/video tutorial fan. Certain techniques just don’t sink in my brain until I’ve found the right tutorial to help me along. This is one thing that the internet is awesome for…endless tutorials!

Nelkin Designs tutorials

Here’s another reason to add Nelkin Designs to your bookmarks. Laura’s posted up a clutch of lovely tutorial  at on her website for beading your knits, a handy kitchener stitch (with a handy cheat sheet chart to remember steps), circular cast on and sewn bind off too! Plus sessions dealing with using beads in your projects. 

weaving in ends tutorial

No matter how careful…my weaving in ends technique mocks me. Little pesky bits of yarn poking out, shouting to the world “look at me!” I was thrilled when my favorite blog posted up this great tutorialall about getting those ends to stay put. 

nifty shawl cast on step-by-step

Some shawl patterns call for a funny type of cast on with a few stitches, knit several rows then you have to pick up and make a rectangly-shaped-thingy. It can be tricky to figure out from written instructions. Thanks to Westknits we now have a lovely photo tutorial to illustrate it step-by-step. His preferred cast on for many of his shawl patterns is the garter tab cast on.  Now you’ll be able to cast on those top-down shawls no problem!

got gauge?

Ah yes . . . that pesky problem called “gauge” – the road block to beginning a new project right now, this minute, with no delay. As much as we want to dive into a new pattern asap, gauge really is important, especially for garments that need to actually fit.

What is gauge and how to you “get gauge”? Twist Collective published a great tutorial recently: Got Gauge?. Check it out. It’s one of the better explanations I’ve come across. Pictures and tips on how to measure your gauge swatch are included.

Once you’ve done that pop over to this article in same issue: Swatch It! Clara Parkes is a Swatching Queen and I’m always amazed at just how dramatically yarns knit in same pattern can yield such different results.

Now as for myself… I tend towards endless swatching to get gauge but never seem to actually cast a sweater for myself. Someday I will. Until then I will keep swatching away. Or knitting up baby sweaters. Because if I make it a bit bigger they’ll always grow into it, right?

preview of future

Not enough time or space to cram everything into one newsletter but here’s a peek of what’s in the works:

maisieblue’s online bookshop

holiday gifts kits club

new monthly crochet clinics

details in next newsletter…

Take care!

Kim

Current Summer Classes

Just a quick note on upcoming classes:

July 9th: Kids-Learn to Knit 1-2:30pm $20 materials included
July 16: Dreaded DPNs-Dread Them No More $15
July 17: Oops! & Seams: Fixes and Tips $15
July 23: Learn to Knit $15
July 30: Oops! & Seams: Fixes and Tips $15
Aug 6: Learn to Crochet $15
Aug 13: Kids-Learn to Knit *1-2:30 $ 20 materials included
Aug 20: Hats, Hats Hats! $15
Aug 27: Learn to Knit $15

Times are 1-3:30 (unless noted otherwise).
Call or email to reserve a seat. Classes canceled the day before if no signups. 728-8261 or maisieblue@gmail.com

New Yarns and an Old Favorite Returns

It’s been a while since I showed what yarny-goodness is in the shop, in between all the book reviews and book drives…so here’s some fiber-fill tidbits for a change…

New Summer KAL

It all started with Lisa’s lovely knitted Summer Flies shawl. Then the next week Charlene had one and now Cathy is casting on. So let’s have a KAL this summer.

It’s a sweet little shawlette (but easy to make larger if desired) and the patterns keep your interest. Plus it’s an interesting style of casting on, so it’s also educational too. The designer just posted a nifty tutorial for the cast on which helps make sense of it. It’s been a very popular pattern so check out all the gorgeous variations on Ravelry.

Maybe I’ve finally found the perfect pattern for my malabrigo silky merino stash that just isn’t happy with any of the three patterns I’ve tried. Yippee! An excuse for a new cast on!

New in the Shop

Mohair!

Knit1 Crochet2 Douceur et Soie

 

I now understand what it’s like to “knit with a cloud.” Ethereal, fluffy, so very soft. While it’s a very thin lace weight yarn somehow it’s okay.  Not only is it luscious to knit with . . . it’s fast! Use size #10, super simple lace pattern and cast on immediately for a stole. That’s my recipe for happy springtime knitting.

I’m making Mollie’s Wrap and loving this pattern for couple of reasons: 1) dead easy pattern 2) designer and I were both inspired by reading The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil and a mohair shawl heroine knits. I was inspired to order up mohair for the shop and designer designed a shawl pattern. Kismet!

  

Next up for me: Mohair doubled with a multicolor sock yarn. Or if I’m very ambitious I’ll use Noro’s Kirameki, probably the finest lace yarn I’ve ever seen (literally thread-like) but in swoonworthy colorways.

 

Kirameki is lovely on its own but with a bit of mohair for companionship Kirameki is divine! Not to mention a whole lot easier to knit, since this yarn is super fine lace and very very skinny.

Cotton/Linen

Berroco’s Linsey

This is the yarn I’ve been most excited to get into the shop this spring. Not only is Linsey a great for warm weather garments but it also would be perfect for market bags, washcloths, afghans, shawls, baby clothes. The addition of linen helps avoid the natural stretch of cotton so this will be great for sweaters.

13 colors of this new stunning summer yarn. It’s a cotton / linen blend in an amazing palette: 7 multicolor/self-striping and 6 coordinating solids. The designer so loved how the multicolors turned out she handpicked shades and had them create matching solids. The pattern booklet has lovely patterns too (Watch audio slideshow). My two favorites are Vives and Larroca:

But can I commit to a full-blown sweater? Or should I stick to my usual mode of fast and quick for instant gratification and choose Palau or Sorolla? Lately I’m so into vests. They always catch my eye but not something I ever wear. Maybe because they lack sleeves therefore potentially a faster knit; something I might actually finish?

 

Noro Taiyo Sock and Silk Garden

 

The newest Noro Sock Yarn is cotton! And soft! Way softer than the Kureyon’s wooley-hand, or Silk Garden softer-but-still-know-it’s-got-wool. Taiyo has a lovely cottony feel that’s a pleasure to knit. Perfect for warm weather that is coming soon. Currently on the needles:  Phiaro Scarf 

Now you’ll have to get creatively visual because my scarf will eventually look like this:

It’s a highly modified version of the Phiaro Scarf but this was the inspiration. It’s a scarf knit in the round with tons of drop stitches. Then you cut (yes . . . I said cut. . . ) some of the drops to make the fringe. Pretty trippy.

Speaking of Silk Garden . . .

 

New colors of the worsted weight: #258, #272, #87. Little itty bitty pics don’t do justice to these colors. I’m dying to use them in a Mitered Crosses Blanket.

And yes . . . I admit it. This is part of my post-earthquake/tsunami order placed because I wanted to make sure to support Mr. Noro and his amazing yarn company. I just didn’t expect it to arrive all at one and so fast!

Last but not least…the Laguna Bag returns!

Thrilled! That’s how I felt when Namaste recently sent out email announcing the return of the Laguna bag.

Remember this great bag? Remember me bemoaning the fact it was discontinued last fall? I call it the Mary Poppins Bag since I know I could stow away a lamp, kitchen sink and still have room for even more new knitting projects. That’s my kinda bag. Then it was discontinued last year to my heartbreak. sniff, sniff, pout, pout… Well…..good news…. It’s back!!

The Laguna Bag is back in 4 colors: eggplant, peacock, red and black.  Now Mr. Laguna  can happily sit next to it’s friends (Zuma, Hermosa and Hip Holster) upon the shelf.

And drumroll….. A new bag coming in July! Mini Messenger. In black, eggplant, lime, peacock and red. 

(p.s. we’re so ecstatic at everyone’s response to the book drive for joplin! thank you so much. we’ll be accepting donations all summer long. thank you again!)

Pay it Forward to Joplin Schools

 

maisieblue’s Joplin School Library Book Drive

Here at maisieblue we love to read. Our children love to read. The school library is their favorite part of going to school. Watching the devastation in the wake of these historic tornadoes breaks our hearts.

In the Joplin district alone 4 schools are destroyed and 6 others damaged. Early estimates for damages just to the schools are more than $100 million.  They’ve lost libraries at 2 elementary schools and the high school, plus all the teachers’ classroom libraries.  It’s going to be a long, slow recovery for these communities.

Let’s see if we can help out by adopting the Joplin School Libraries.

Two ways to participate:

1. Drop off any new or used book at our shop in Murphys. We can also special order specific titles you’d like to donate. Once we get a box full, we’ll ship it out to the schools.

2. For those unable to visit the shop we’ve set up cash donations via PayPal and we’ll send the funds directly to the school coordinator (If you prefer checks can be mailed to us. Make them out to maisieblue and put Joplin Book Drive in the memo section of the check)

Book Drive Donations via PayPal on our blog*

We’ve contacted the Joplin School District and will directly work with their donations coordinator. We have all summer for the book drive in the hopes that when school reopens August 17th, books will once again be lining the shelves.

Any little bit you can contribute will be gratefully accepted. Just give us a call or email if you have any questions:

maisieblue@gmail.com          209-728-8261

Thanks everyone!

Kim and Megan

Links:

Deadly Tornado Rips Into Joplin’s School District

This AP photo shows the Joplin High School, just one of 4 completely destroyed schools in the district.

*Please know that all proceeds after the PayPal minimal processing fees will go to the Joplin School District to help rebuild their libraries.*

Summertime KAL and Book Group Picks

Summertime KAL and Book Group Picks

Book Group Titles

So far this year we’ve read The Woman Behind Little Women, The Bolter and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.

May 15th: The Heroine’s Bookshelf

I love, love, love this book!

It’s a little gem. Each chapter is devoted to a life lesson the author learned from a particular favorite book. We learn about each writer’s life & specific book, then Blakemore gently intersperses bits about her own life into the narrative to demonstrate how this book enriched her life.

My favorite elements were learning about each writer. I had no idea that L.M. Montgomery suffered so from depression or actually didn’t die of heart failure, but took her own life. How Collette’s heroine shared many similarities to her own life; the tragic last years of Nora Zeale Hurston’s life, and just how secretive Margaret Mitchell was about her writing. Each chapter ends with lovely little bullet points on "when to read this book" and other "literary sisters" to read. This is a great way to explore new authors, or revisit favorite authors from years gone by.

A fantastic, absolutely charming gift for any well-read woman.  This type of book gets lost in that in big bookstores but here I’ll always have shelf space and a stack. I love it that much.

Next title for Jun 12th:

Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was a 17th century painter-naturalist who specialized in studying the “metamorphosis” of butterflies and insects. From the age of thirteen she collected worms and insects to study and document their life cycle (much to the dismay of her mother), then she published her works in gorgeous books as an adult.

It’s rare to discover a successful female artist in this time period, but a self-taught female naturalist is an even rarer bird. This was the era that believed bugs and caterpillars spontaneously emerged from mud. All except Maria . . . she knew better. This biography explores this fascinating women who was way ahead of her time in terms of scientific discoveries and entrepreneurial endeavors.

 

She’s been a favorite of mine for years and I was thrilled when this book was published. Very little is out there about Merian (unless you can read German or Russian) so this is a welcome addition to my library. I devoured it and look forward to re-reading it for our June Book Group. It’s well-written in an accessible style that paints a vivid portrait of Merian and her at times unconventional life (teenage naturalist, successful painter/printmaker, business woman, divorcee, explorer).

 

Knitting for Japan

March found me obsessively checking updates on the situation in Japan. Weeks later it still feels like a dream. Of course now it’s fallen off the headlines as the media’s attention has moved on to next story. But I can’t forget. Sitting in the shop I wondered how can I do something . . anything to help (besides quickly placing reorders for more Noro yarns for the shop). Thanks to the Mason-Dixon gal I’ve got an idea. Let’s have a knit-along.

I’m officially launching a Summertime Mitered Crosses Blanket Knit-Along. Kay Gardiner designed a new pattern especially to help raise funds for Mercy Corps and the Japanese desperately needing emergency relief right now. You can purchase directly from their website via paypal for $5, or head over to Ravelry to buy it, then queue it up.

I downloaded the pattern and of course immediately cast on. It’s a simple hybrid of mitered squares and log-cabin technique. Any size yarn will do – even sock yarn for a smaller baby sized version. It’s also nicely portable – perfect for knitting during hot summer months. You knit up a pile of squares and assemble later.

Each square takes about 1/2 a ball (55yds) of Noro Kureyon and double that for the border color (100yds). A full sized blanket (10-12 squares 40×52”) takes about 6-5 balls Noro Kureyon and 1000-1200 yds of border color. But it’s easily sized down for a smaller, lap blanket size.

I love how it looks with an assortment of Kureyon color ways. Using the same background color unifies the whole. If you don’t have enough of any single color then just make fewer squares. Or how about felting them into a bag placemats? The pattern yields endless possibilities.

It’s now the #1 pattern on Ravelry with over 300 in progress.   A few of my favorites: LarissaBrown, knitpenny KayGardiner & lily. There’s also a whole Ravelry Mitered Crosses Group – an excellent place to get tips and tricks.  It’s a great way to bust some stash and knit some solidarity with our Pacific neighbors across the ocean.

Recently someone from Mercy Corps actually contacted Kay to find out why she keeps making regular weekly contributions. Needless to say they were stunned to hear that a knitting pattern has generated $13,000 in donations in just six weeks. Never underestimate the power of needles and yarn!

So dig through your stash and drop by on Sundays this summer to knit along with me.

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