The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. My family took a mini-vacation and we just completed Vacation Bible School so blogging time has been non-existent. There are tons of things I want to tell you about so here goes. First of all, I have acquired several knitting books I want to tell you about.

First up is Barbara Walker’s Learn-to-Knit Afghan Book

I purchased the older edition of this one from eBay but there is a new version available. I must say, it is a gem of a book. A must for every knitting library. To be honest, I may never knit an afghan from the book and probably wouldn’t have purchased it had I now borrowed if from the local library. The thing that makes this book so great is that it is a terrific stitch dictionary. It has an excellent variety of stitches including laces, cables and textures as well as a good selection of multicolor patterns. A great value for the price.

My next find is Lace Style by Pam Allen and Anne Budd

I have been wanting this book for ages but I finally got around to treating myself the last time I took the kids book shopping. It was worth every penny. The variety of lace projects is amazing. There is literally something for everyone regardless of lace knitting skill or personal taste.

My last library acquisition is The Eclectic Sole by Janel Laidman

I cannot tell you how much I love this book. I pre-ordered it from Janel and I can promise it was worth every second of the wait. There are some truly unique designs in this treasure. I am absolutely in love with Monterey which is knit sideways with a totally unique construction that is mind boggling. As soon as I find the perfect yarn, I am casting on. Of course, Rivendell is wonderful – it is the pattern that convinced me to buy the book – but you already knew about it. I also adore Migration which is the cover sock. And then there is Biological Clock with a DNA strand knit up each side of the leg and Koi which looks like fish scales and works with variegated yarns. And Hypnosis with its wild undulating and hypnotic pattern. I can honestly say there is not a pattern in the entire book that I do not like (unusual for me). Truly a can’t-live-without addition to your sock knitting books.