Happy Birthday, Book!

Greetings, Gentle Readers!

I don't know about you, but I thought this day might never get here. It's finally time to welcome home my new (sixth) baby:

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One of my great honors as a knitting teacher is the chance to ask my students what book they would like me to make for them next. There is something magical about the moment when I learn what you all really want from me, and I'm so very grateful that I have the chance to give it to you.

Many thanks to you, my friends, for an idea well-conceived, and a journey of discovery I might never have taken without your encouragement.

I hope you'll love the new baby as much as I do.

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The New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck has it all: Sheep, yarn, workshops, Sheep, gourmet food, sweater-watching, leaf-peeping, Sheep, and now, ME!

I'll be teaching two workshops this fall: "Down the Slipper-y Slope", where I share my journey to slipper happiness, and "Kilt by Association", a madcap romp through the kilt hose.

Registration opens June 1st, so hurry! CLICK HERE to sign up.

Rhinebeck this year coincides with the launch of my new book:

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It's available for pre-order now, where all fine knitting books are sold. Copies will be in stores on October 12. And you thought all this time I was only knitting sweaters! There are 20 delicious patterns to knit, in addition to everything you need to design your own mittens. I can't wait to share it with you.

Number Five

One of the very best parts of book-writing is when you're all done, and have moved on to other projects, and almost forgotten all about the frustrations and the deadlines (I call this "Author-nesia"). It's a similar phenomenon to the way mothers forget about childbirth, and ensures the continuation of the species.

And then one fine day, you open the mailbox, and there's this surprise inside:

This is my fifth book. It's for kids and adults who want to learn to knit together, and I'm really proud of it. Some things I included that I think make it special:

• Projects that progress from super-simple to more challenging
• Clear and concise photos for every single step
• The tools you need to get started
• How and why to create swatches
• Measuring your knitting
• How to read a knitting pattern
• Yarn substitutions
• Blocking
• How and where to engage in the knitting community

And of course, the projects are super-fun. My personal favorite is the Dog Sweater, modeled by our very own Bailey, who is a complete ham for the camera. Phillip felt it was important to show him how nice he looks:

I'm also one of the models in the photos (yikes!) All of the knitting hands are mine, and there are a few shots of the rest of me having fun knitting with kids. I think you can tell that we really did have fun.

Of course, the book isn't only for kids. I wanted it to be an accessible jumping-off point for new knitters of any age. If anyone has ever asked you to teach them how to knit, please point them HERE, or better yet, haul them into your LYS/living room/lap, help them hold the string, and make a new knitter. We'll all be better for it.