knittingmag.com 21REVIEWSWHIMSICAL STITCHES:
A MODERN MAKER’S BOOK OF
AMIGURUMI CROCHET PATTERNS
Lauren Espy
Part of the
Modern Makers
series, Whimsical
Stiches explores
amigurumi – the
Japanese art of
crocheting cute
creatures. It covers 25 diverse patterns
with a range of adorable themes, including
In the Garden – floral patterns like the
squishy Succulent Planter, complete with
crochet terracotta pot and earthy soil;
At the Aquarium, a range of mini-marine
projects such as the Tu r t l e poking out of
his hexagonal-stitch shell; Down on the
Farm, which has classics such as bright pink
beady-eyed Pig, and At the Bakery, where
you can crochet your very own Cherry
Pie complete with a decorative cherry
on top. A favourite make is the smiling
Peach, crocheted in a soft pink yarn with
rosy cheeks and a bright green leaf. This
whimsical collection of crochet critters has
something for everyone and comes with
detailed instructions on how to master
each stitch, photo step-by-steps to help
you through the projects and techniques to
inish of your squishy creation with flair. SA
£20, GMC Publications
KNITTING KNOW-HOW:
TECHNIQUES AND TIPS FOR
ALL LEVELS OF SKILL FROM
BEGINNER TO ADVANCED
Knitting Know-
How is a fantastic
resource for
knitters of all
skill levels.
Whether you are
a beginner or an
expert knitter,
there will always
be times when you need a helping hand,
and this book is the perfect tool to have
in your kit. It’s a clearly laid out step-by-
step instruction manual for a range of
techniques and stitches. Colour artwork
alongside each technique makes them
easy to follow. It covers everything from
basic knit and purl stitches to increasing
and decreasing, lace patterns, intarsia and
Fairisle. There is something for everyone
and even an experienced knitter would ind
the tips on stranding yarns in colourwork,
making buttonholes and picking up stitches
useful. There is a handy section on inishing
your knits so that you can add professional
inal touches to your creation, and there
are even tips on useful embellishment
techniques. This is an excellent manual for
any knitter looking to learn something new
or improve their techniques. SA
£9.99 CICO BooksTAKE HEART: A TRANSATLANTIC
KNITTING JOURNEY
Fiona AliceThis beautifully
presented book
tells the story
of one knitter’s
journey from her
home in Halifax,
Canada, to a new
life in London.
Fiona Alice started
designing for
Pom Pom magazine in 2013 and quickly
won over the editors with her beautiful
illustrations and romantic way of thinking
about her knitting and designs. She
writes: “Knitting tells a story, and instead
of writing it down with lines of ink, those
lines are a piece of yarn.” This collection of
10 accessory designs explores geometric
shapes and patterns, diferent textures and
classic stitch patterns. The photography
and pattern presentation is beautiful, with
lovely painted schematics to illustrate
each design. Favourite makes include Ta k e
Heart bobble toque, the design which
inspired the whole collection; Caswell Bay
beanie and mitts in a lovely geometric
cable design, and gorgeous cover star
Queensland Beach headband. CB
£14.50, Pom Pom PressTHE HIGHLAND YARN GUIDE
Dwynwen Hopcroft, Loch Ness KnittingIf you’ve always
dreamed of a trip
around Scotland
exploring its rich
woolly heritage,
or if you just fancy
a bit of armchair
travelling, this
helpful and
informative book
with pretty and
quirky illustrations by Salina Jane is a great
place to start. Dwynwen Hopcroft runs her
shop Loch Ness Knitting in Drumnadrochit
on the shores of Loch Ness, and has heard
irst-hand from her customers how diicultit can be to ind authentic yarn during their
trips to the Scottish Highlands. This book
aims to show visitors where to start looking,
and answer some of the most frequently
asked questions she hears – such as “I see
lots of sheep, so where are all the yarn
shops?”, “What is Scottish cashmere?” and
“What does sustainable mean?”. It also
ofers six yarny routes around Scotland,
taking in yarn shops, knitwear producers,
craft stores, festivals, farms and more.
Choose from coastal Sun, Sand and Yarn,
the popular North Coast 500 driving route,
Viking Trails and others. Your next holiday
starts here! CB
£10, lochnessknitting.comUNFRAZZLE: THE EASY WAY
TO RECLAIM YOUR CALM
Stephanie LamOver recent
decades more
and more people
are sufering
with anxiety,
overwhelm,
feelings that life
is too full but
somehow not
quite right, and the
sense that they
can’t cope. Novelist, teacher and wellbeing
journalist Stephanie Lam has been through
it herself thanks to a mind-bending crisis
that forced her to change the way she
thinks, and escape perfectionism and
busyness. She draws on her own research
and experience to lay out a six-step plan
to help busy people to wind down and
feel truly calm without taking up time they
don’t have. The book features quizzes
to assess your stress levels, manageable
and straightforward exercises to help you
rewire your brain into a calmer state, and
anecdotes about experiences with stress.
These include real-life frazzle scenarios,
tales from the immigration detention
centre where Stephanie works and even
a comment from Knitting editor Christine
Boggis, who shares how her craft helps
her combat anxiety and stay away from her
phone in the evenings. As well as looking
at simple ways to turn from stress to calm
and avoid the frazzle created by modern
technology such as smartphones, the book
has chapters on how to sleep well, how to
get space for yourself, how to reconnect
and how to make these changes last for the
long term. Now who doesn’t need that? CB
£9.99 paperback, £2.68 ebook,
Rivers & Stone Books