Gifts for Knitters Knitterly things for everyone on your list Book Excerpt: Roisin Yeolde Teague Sie peek from hernew book The Gift of a Stitch eet eter Made with Love Maggie Wojcik Embroider hearts on garter stitch Profile: Susan B. Anderson Laura Birek Tay designer knits itty bitty Hostess Gifts Cirlla Rose Easy gifts for every party ' 38 Plethora Scarf 43 Kanga Hood Cowl Playthings jemperance Blacthorne Is ‘Amy Duncan ‘ 28 Cophalohedron Erica SehlusterItructns page 30 39 Chivalry mitts 43 Flamboyant Shaw! Alens Winslow lnsouctons po Maria Leigh scion pape 29 MeHenry Sinan B. Anderson Inaction 40 Flipper Mitts Folk Craft Sika Burgoyne cut po 60 Flocons de Neige 29 McHenry Hat Grace Akivem Inston age 64 Suman B. Anderson Insaco 40 Rib and Button Scarf Talitha Kuomi Isc pe. 61 Centerpane Table Mat Made for Fun dlecelyn J. Tunney intration pa ance 41 Blackberry Wrap Cardigan Marlaina Bird instr Nancy Shroyer Instructions page 51 62 Yule Trees 42 Forever Scarf Simona Merchant-Dest InsenctonspageS2 63 Angel & Pols Lucinda Guy i 6 37 Really Pink Purse Talitha Kuomt Instructions pa 43 Watercolor Beret Carol J. Sulcoski instructions page 53 63 Bird & Pois Lucinda Guy Instructions page 6 37 Friendship Socks ‘Amy Palmer Instrctons pageA House with Gables 72 French Quarter Shawl ‘Anne Kuo Lukito Intrction 73 Ashbury Mitts Simona Morchant-Dest Instruction a 74 Scherenschnitte Cardigan Tanis Gray Instructions poe 81 75 Handwork Mitts Julie Turjoman Instructions page 82 76 Hollyberry Bonnet Kyoko Nakayoshi Instructions page 8 76 Hollyberry Cape. Kyoko Nakayoshi Insta 177 Overshot Mittens Carol J. Suleoski instructions page 8 Log Cabin Knits 92 Oak Barral Socks Surah Fame beta 93 Conifer Nights Afghan Mathew Gnagy Instructions page 99 94 Quatrefoil Cups Katya Frankel in 94 Northwoods Coasters Robin Ulrich 95 Novel Sleeve Kathy Zimmerman Instructions page 102 95 Rope and Nettle Vest Angela Hahn Instructions page 103 96 Wattle and Daub Afghan Debbie O'Neil instractions page 105 97 Manitoba Slippers Amy Paleyn Instctons page 20 97 Blue Thistle Shaw! Susanna IC instracton pag All Lit UP 112 Midtown Cow! Jenny Williams Instruc us 113 Peace Street Hat Grace Alwert age 118 114 First Friday Shrug Erica Jackofsky Instraction page 119 115 Taverna Shaw! Sarah Fama instructions a 115 Jet Gloves Rachel Erin I 116 Manuscript Vest Sarah Fama Instructions page 124 117 Delancey Scarf Susanna IC Instructions 4 Strands 6 Project Index 128 Advertisers’ Index 130 Glossary 134 Sources for Supplies 144 Ravelings 1 On the Cover Fee Street Hat, page 212 Achar Mit, page 7. Photorepy by Joe CoeC . news © views KIMBERLY CHAPMAN Kimberly Chapman, a toy knitter, lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and toddler. The first thing you nee’ know is that Tm a nerd, a scientist, and I'm not a math: cematician, but I really dig that stuff. In fact, when [finish this interview, I'l go tune into an episode of Dr. Who, The idea ofthe knitted DNA model began with the bieth of my daughter about three years ago. Getting pregnant was dit ficul for me. Ie requires fertility treatments and a lot of time. By che time I was pregnant ‘every knitting urge Td suppressed came out. couldnt wait co knit for this baby Unfortunately, I hadn't knit since I was a kid, and my Mom taught me up in Canada. So, 1 Googled the phrase “how to knit and used chat as my refresher course. It worked, accualy, but [still hadnt learned to read a pattern. But, there were all those free patterns! I figured, “How hard ean ibe” ‘What I wanted to make for the baby was a hat. All the patterns kept calling for DPNs. What was that? I had no idea. But a store sold me double-pointed needles, and I kind of winged it fom there. ‘The hat turned out reall, really long, narsows, and pointy. My baby tured out to hav a really big head. But I crammed it on her any, way, triumphant Really, that turned out to be the extent of my knitting skills T asked myself, “Whar can I knit with double-pointed needles? ‘The answer? A tube, Many tubes. I asked myself, “What ean I make with tubes! Asm ‘hot put bars between the twisting tubes (since I can figure out how tountwist them)?” And that was the beginning. [ mean, didnt our baby needa knitted DNA toy? Doesnt every kid? ‘Soon after, my in-laws came from Australia to meet the baby. As fave would have it that my baby’s knitted DNA was twisted the wrong way: At that point, [ was forced to eng PAD in mathematics. He helped me figure out how co increase and decrease and end up with the opposite twist. After posting ir onlin who wanted .¢, of course. And a worm. That gor dull. decided, “Why my sister-in-law is a biologist. She informed me my husband who, fortunately, has a y. The groups of people J people who wanted to impres their thesis advisors. You can really tll the seeks apart. They'll say things like, most were genetic engineers, biologists, 1 you nie the base pairs.” 12 | Holiday 2008 | INTERWEAVE KNITS GIFTS | interweaveknits.com Clockwise from left: Kimberly Chapman's knitted, stuffed pi symbol, stacking donut toy, and DNA hellx. Even my ObGyn wanted one. Back then, I couldnt even count stitches. Twas the most clueless knitter People would say, “You'e so talented.” And Il think, "Um, actually Tim winging the whole thing with a big pile of acrylic.” Because in the end, it was and knitting toys that nobody has knit before. I have criteria. The finished product has to be strong, it has co be cool, and it has to be safe for infants Frown thet in the world, and is—all about knitting great toys the project is more interesting to me than the yarn Luse. I dont have a big faney stash. Primarily knit with craftstore acrylic yarn because it’ cheap, it comes in a lor of bright e it’ hypoallergenic. What more could you want? People are curious about what I'm work: but I will say char I'am currently working planning to knit spheres. Let's ust say ¢ will be a toy reminiscent ‘fa major mathematical concept. It's the kind of concept everyone has seen and almost nobody understands, You'll reeogn sure. And youll say, “Wait, isnt that what a college nerd hangs on swatches and it, for adorn “As told to Bethany LyttleUse your ornaments to decorate more th: tree: Wreaths, tabletops, and packages are all fir ame. Experiment with s, shapes, and stitches: For example, 2 Brod and green “pine. YB cone” with black beads could make a strawberry. block flat for clevar placemats or on a gra scale with chunky yaca ‘and oversize needles forravelings A Gift Story SANDI The season of gifting has come around again; this time, it arrives just as my husband and I struggle to pare down our possessions. Boxes in the basement hold past gifts, ‘and we must make choices: keep orlet go? Handmade gifts pose an especially difficult choice; I know too well the cost of each stitch. Compared to a stack of chipped china, handmade gifts whisper to me, making them harder to set aside. Every gift reveals abit about us and our relationship tothe giver. Handmade gifts often seem to reverberate with the hours spent stitching for the chosen recipi ent. How could we give such gifts away? A patt ‘of me fears that letting go of a gift is letting go ofthe feeling as well. Some gifts miss the mark, e: They dont fit or usin some basic don'ts way. But those gifts that do fit and delight us mak us feel seen, understood, and loved. Here are a few tof my memories of special gifts, purchased and handmade: Each helped me see myself and those I care about more clearly In my basement, | pent eae ee rial ever received: a portable type- writer with my name on the carrying heart was breathless with joy areal typewriter, with ribbons and paper. that it was nonelectric or that the plas ase. My ten-year-old didnt ca tickeys were quite far apatt for my fingers. I didet care because now I could write at lose tot lof the words in my head. [spent hours pounding away, pouring out stories, poems, and school papers Years later, I dated an Irishman who loved my involvement in crafts, When I took spinning class, had to rent a clunky practice ‘heel, When the class ended, I returned the wheel, stopping as we left the shop to stroke a gorgeous wheel I couldn't afford. A week later, my boyfriend said, “L .go shopping!” and without any expla nation, off we went, When I realized where we were going and then what he was going to buy, I protested. rish gently said: “The world will bea better place if you have a spinning whee! Five years ago, I did what many newly engaged women dor search for a wedding dress, When I finally found The Dress, it was in the wis EART Absolutely Not price range. I printed out a photograph of it, hoping to find something but more affordable, Apparently, also babbled incessantly about it When Valentine's Day arrived, I re- ceived a heart-shap from my future husband—and a check ed box of chocolates or the exact amount of The Dress. When I started crying, he said that this was the dress he wanted to see me in on our wed ding day. Last month, some knitters and I were discussing the knitted gifts we had re- ceived. I howe the others the spectacular pair of cabled So socks from my husband, his second knitting project, What other knitted you gotten?’ That's it,” I things h they asked replied of socks “Just that one pair Thad forgotten an unexpected birthday package arrived: a pair of handknitted socks de- signed for me by one of my friends, She had knit ted hearts on each hee flap, over the toes, and at the back of the calf instead of putting them ‘on my feet, [put the sof wool socks to my face and sobbed. The wheel and the dress are still with me; I don't know that I could ever give them avy. And one d 3 the soces will have carefully darned holes, but they'I never be thrown out. As for the typewriter, it's long gone, but not the stories it taught me to tell. What stories will ow jfts tll this year? They will be stories of relationships, something yarn can hold well. OL Sandi Wiseheart (kritingdal 144 Holiday 2009 + INTERWEAVE KNITS GIFTS * interweaveknits.comphotoinde Book Excerpt * Colorwork * Home