Thanks for the comments on the blanket. I really truly love it and don't want to give it up, but the baby is coming soon, so it will have to leave eventually. The Knitpicks Crayon yarn is perfect for a baby blanket, soft and snuggly and 100% cotton. I wouldn't recommend the yarn for anything that you want to have structure to unless you knit it at a really tight gauge. I'd also think about in the future, knitting the entire blanket at once instead of in rows (seaming garter stitch is not fun).


Oh, and this recent spate of nice weather is likely because I finished my Monsoons the other day. (Although I hate to admit that I don't actually like them that much. The colors are ok, but the ribbing on the bottom of the foot is not pleasant to wear).



But onto the title of the post...


Bad Book:

The Natural Knitter by by Barbara Albright


Ok, so I borrowed this from the library. I was really excited to read about the natural sources of knitting material and profiles of "nature-friendly" yarn and fiber producers. The patterns aren't anything exciting (although there is one using pineapple fiber). But the real problem with this book is the text and editing. The book is so poorly written and edited that I couldn't get more than halfway through. The material is inherently interesting, but the sentences are convoluted, full of grammatical errors, and typos. Sentences within paragraphs don't relate. Words within sentences don't make sense. I am very glad I didn't spend money on this book. I don't want to blame the author (although if this is her writing style, I am baffled at how she's written so much) because it is really the fault of the editor not doing her job.



Good Book:


Knitting for Peace by Betty Christiansen


I know this book has made the rounds else where, but I just picked it up on a whim (it was on the counter at the yarn shop while I was checking out and I couldn't resist). I've actually been spending more time reading the book than knitting in the past few days. I love the histories it describes as well as the organizations profiled. The patterns, again, aren't amazing, but the text of the book is what makes it great.



Missing Book:

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
I ordered this from Amazon ages ago. It was scheduled to arrive at least 3 days ago. Amazon is reporting it still hasn't shipped. Is this because I bought it with a coupon and so only paid $2? Damn you Amazon, send me that book!