Knitting Monday: More Gifts: Books Jillian Reccomends & A Knitty Yarn Giveaway

Since I do most of the book reviews for Knitty, I read as many as 100 knitting books a year. Here are three from this year that I think would make great gifts!

 

Principles of Knitting

A classic!

This is a classic, finally rereleased with over 700 pages of knitting techniques. If you know a knitter that loves to study the intricacies of how knitting works, they would love this book. It also comes as an ebook, which is a little easier to take with you.

 

Needles & Artifice: A Refined Adventure Story with Ingenious Knitting Patterns

Stop in for a cuppa!

Steampunk + knittting, what’s not to love? For the knitter with a sense of adventure and a sense of humor. This is one of my favorite books of the year.

 

Knit Accessories: Essentials & Variations

Not just for newbies

Have a knitting newbie on your knitting gift list? Or a knitter always on a quest for the perfect basic accessory patterns?  This book by Knitty tech editor Kate Atherley would be perfect.

 

 

Knitty’s Anniversary Yarns Giveaway!

You knew this one was coming didn’t you? Three readers will win one skein of our special Knitty Anniversary yarns. I have one skein of each colorway and I will choose randomly who get which yarn. One skein of yarn is enough to make the corresponding pattern in the latest issue of Knitty.

The projects:

Fractured Light, Little Purls of Wisdom,  Beithe

The yarn prizes, left to right:

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Knitty’s Rainbow in Marine Silk Sportweight, prize value:  $26.75

Indigodragonfly 50 Shades of Bazinga; or, When Your Stitch Count is Off, Your Skein is 2 Yards Shorter Than the Pattern, and the Yarn Gods Have Decided Now is the Time for a Needle Malfunction in Merino Nylon Sock, prize value $24

Lisa Souza Knitty Deep Fall in Polwarth Silk, prize value, $22

Regular contest rules: leave a comment on this post between now and midnight eastern time, Wednesday December 12th. Three comments will be chosen at random to answer a skill testing question. If the commenter answers correctly they will win one of the three prizes. If you have already won a prize from us in the past year, please do give other knitters a chance.

 

(542 Posts)

Jillian is the​ author of the best-selling spinning book Yarnitecture. She is the editor​ of Knittyspin and Developmental Editor for PLY and PLY Books. She kinda loves this spinning thing and wants everyone who spins to love it too, so she teaches and writes a lot. She knits, weaves, and stitches and tries to do as much of it as she can with handspun yarn. She's always cooking up all kinds of exciting and creative things combining fiber arts. She likes her mysteries British, her walks woodsy, and to spend as much time as she can laughing. Spy on her on her website jillianmoreno.com

720 thoughts on “Knitting Monday: More Gifts: Books Jillian Reccomends & A Knitty Yarn Giveaway”

  9. Katy L

    I have a friend who would LOVE “Needles and Artifice” for Christmas. Thanks for the suggestion, and congratulations on 10 AMAZING years!

  10. Theresa Smith

    Happy Happy Happy Anniversary! Such awesome yarns for an awesome group of patterns! Perfect for celebrations!

  15. Vicky

    The principles of knitting is my favourite knitting book. I haven’t read it cover to cover (yet), but it’s an invaluable reference book.
    And all the yarns are beautiful 🙂

  17. Shannon

    Thanks for all you do for the knitting community! Love the book recommendations, and I would enjoy winning one
    of these yummy yarns :).

  20. Nina

    Our knitting guild gave copies of Principles of Knitting as door prizes at our party last week but I was not a lucky winner. All of the patterns and yarn look wonderful. Nina

  23. maget

    Happy Anniversary Knitty! I’ve already fallen down the rabbit hole and ordered the indigodragonfly yarn, but the other yarns are so pretty and my budget is not. Thanks for another awesome giveaway!

  37. Lisa

    Happy anniversary! I learned to knit 8 years ago, and Knitty has been a big part of my knitting journey. Keep it up, please!

  46. Delia

    I just finished Beithe in the Lisa Souza Polwarth/Silk, and it’s fabulous – haven’t blocked it yet, but it’s soft and so, so yummy! I’d love to have the BMFA skein to make Fractured Light!

  47. Barbara Seiver

    I bought POK as an ebook last year, and ended up reading it throughout our flight to our vacation. It’s as bad as looking up one thing in an encyclopedia or dictionary: then you read the next few things around it, “rinse and repeat”!

  49. Lili

    I think the Principles of Knitting will be deforming my Christmas stocking. I will therefore need a new stocking. Thus it would be convenient if I win the wool.

  75. Lynn

    Principles of Knitting is certainly on my wish list.
    Very pretty yarns in your giveaway. Thanks for a chance.

  81. Gina in the San Francisco Bay AreaArea

    “Principles of Knitting” is a fantastic resource. Thanks for giving it another mention.

  91. Jennifer

    I absolutely love the job Tina did with the special knitty colour way – the others are absolutely gorgeous too, but i especially love the BMFA 🙂

  112. Anita

    Great suggestions, and a fabulous giveaway!

    “The Principles of Knitting” will have 2 copies under the tree this year, one for my daughter and one for me. I told my hubby that’s what he was getting me this year. He picked out his gift (a felt fedora), so I’m picking out mine.

  116. Mel Brock

    My library got the Principles of Knitting and that was such an amazing book. I couldn’t get through very much at a time, but I want a copy of my own!

  119. Mintlatte

    I am not even sure I like steampunk, but I love that green scarf they are promoting with that book! I will hope my library gets a copy so I can check it out 🙂
    As for the anniversary colorways – so nice and vibrant – the dyers did an excellent job as did the pattern designers.

  121. sharon

    Thank you for the great gift ideas, and of course the chance to win the gorgeous yarn! Would be a very Merry Christmas indeed to knit with any of these beauties!

  126. Steph N

    I just picked up Needles and Artifice, and I’m fighting the urge to cast on everything in the book. Hopefully I can hold out to get my Christmas knitting done.

    Count me in for the drawing, please. Any of these would be lovely for some after-Christmas selfish knitting.

  127. Lisa

    I’ve been eyeing up the indigodragonfly one for awhile now, with the Lisa Souza a close second. They’re all wonderful colours and the designers did a great job of reflecting Knitty. Fun event to hold for an anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Knitty!

  134. BarbB

    Those colours are so pretty! Thank you for the wonderful blog you have – I am always going it and the links you send us to.

  136. Elis

    Wow… I have been eye-ing these projects and contemplating purchasing the yarn… Maybe this will be my lucky day. 🙂 Thanks Knitty, and keep up the good work!

  137. Lisa B.

    Boy, a holiday gift-to-self would be greatly appreciated! I really like the colors in 50 Shades of Bazinga, I’d smile every time I looked at my toes. Thank you for the giveaway.

  145. Tia

    Oh my, Yes on the yarn! Also, thank you for introducing Needles and Artifice, I was previously unaware of its existence!

  154. Solarmama

    Everyone wants this yarn, it’s been hard to get on the site since this posted!

    I’ve put Principles of Knitting on my wish list and am hoping like heck it comes my way.

    I’m also hoping like heck that this yarn might come my way. Fingers crossed!

  166. Dari

    Oh, Oh!! Pick me!!! I will have to looks into those books, too. I don’t have either in my library, yet.

  167. Renee Anne

    Now I have books to add to my Amazon Wishlist…::sigh:: I was hoping to not have to do that for awhile. Oh well. Good knitting books are difficult to come by sometimes.

  181. Donna

    Would be lovely to have this yarn to go with some of Knitty’s great new patterns. Thanks for the chance.

  190. Kate

    I’m so excited to have a close friend who started knitting in earnest this year so I can give knitting gifts to someone!

  192. Margaret

    I love the “50 Shades of Bazinga…” color way! And I was just looking at “The Principles of Knitting” last night and thinking about getting it for myself. Perhaps putting it on my Christmas wish list is a better idea, at least for now.

  193. Beverly

    Thanks for book recommendations, but you forgot to mention that PoK is also helpful if you are trying to build your biceps. It is heavy! The yarn, on the other hand, seems lightness personified and each of the patterns is lovely.

  197. Amanda Heyen

    I was hoping there would be a giveaway when I saw the post about the custom dyework last week. Great job to all the designers. BTW, I can’t wait to get a copy of the Needles & Artifice book, either, so I’m so glad you liked it, too.

  199. Sally H

    Hey, isn’t January “Selfish Knitting Month?” I’d love a chance for any of the lovelies. Thanks for the chance.

  200. Sarah from Ctown

    Thanks so much for the opportunity! I love all the colorways that were created for your anniversary but I especially adore the Knitty’s rainbow 🙂

  211. Sylvia

    Needles and Artifice looks like such an interesting book. And the patterns along with the colorways are so awesome.

  214. Maureen

    I love the Lisa Souza yarn…and I’m so glad you brought that nifty story/pattern book to our attention!

  225. Jan

    I’d love to receive Principles of Knitting for Christmas!

    And the yarns and patterns are all beautiful, too! Thanks for giving one of each away!

  228. s

    Oh lordy… the stress of possibly being chosen ans then having to know an answer is just about more than I can take.

  230. LauraBeth

    The Principles of Knitting is a weighty tome indeed. I reserved it at my local library; not realizing how big it is, I walked about a mile to the library to pick it and then had to carry it the whole way home. I recommend biking/driving to get your copy. 😉

  242. Maryanne

    Because of ever-dwindling shelf space, I have (almost) sworn off adding more knitting books to add to my collection. These all look awesome, though!

  246. Rachel

    I think “50 shades of bazinga…” is just about the best name, ever! But they are all very lovely!

  265. Kristi

    I have been back and forth about buying the Needles and Artifice book, but I’ve seen it recommended so many times, I think it’s officially going on my Christmas list now!

    …and any of those yarns would make a nice Christmas surprise from KnittySanta as well. 😉

  268. Sandy

    I love the deep fall. Thank you for the wonderful colour ways contest. Congratulations on your 10th anniversary.

  269. RachelG

    I love all of these colorways, and the special knitting patterns created just for these special yarns– Knitty Yarn+ Knitty Pattern= Knitty Love.

  291. cthulhulovesme

    Oh, they’re all gorgeous, though I think I like the 50 Shades colorway the best. Here’s hoping I get picked. 🙂

  294. Karen W.

    Thanks for the book suggestions. I’m going to see if my library has The Principles of Knitting. It looks like a great book! I’d love to be the lucky recipient of one of the yarn skeins!

  308. Laura

    I agree that The Principles of Knitting would make a wonderful present. It would be on my wishlist if I hadn’t already bought it for myself!

    Thanks for having the giveaway.

  310. tayloe

    Never entered one of your giveaways before~ I’m afraid I won’t be able to answer the skill question! Now wouldn’t that just suck?!??!

  313. Shella Bonner

    All the yarn is lovely and I want some! Thanks knitty for the great spinning articles and the knitting patterns.

  321. Bouquinesse

    I am famously bad at this, but that doesn’t keep me from participating!
    Wonderful giveaways! Ye Gods, wish me luck!

  333. Julia in KW

    memememememe! I was just telling my husband how much I love to get parcels in the mail, when what should appear, but Mr. Canpar with a little box from Amazon…I would love any of the offerings. 🙂

  338. Tracy H.

    These are all great colors, especially the Polworth Silk. I’ve never worked with silk before & orange / fall colors are my favorites, hopefully I’ll get the chance.

  349. Amanda

    Want. Wantwantwantwant. Now that I’m done with Christmas knitting, I can work on something for myself!

  354. Tracy

    Love all those yarns! I have started the Purls of Wisdom socks with yarn from my stash and love the other projects too.

  358. Danielle

    Loving Beithe! Have downloaded the pattern and would love the special anniversary yarn. Would happily have a go at either of the other two as well. Pick Me! Pick Me! Please.

  372. Josiane

    The books sound great, and the yarns are delightful. It sure would be lovely to find a skein of one of those in my mailbox! Thanks for the giveaway.

  377. Janet

    I’m not sure if I entered this? I have enjoyed looking over the colorways. Love the Deep Fall – very knitty!

  381. GwenMcF

    Well the beret would be for me! Socks, well I just don’t knit socks, and the deep fall shawl would be for my sister in law for her Christmas gift in 2013!

  386. Sheena

    Hooray! I just started knitting and haven’t yet mustered up the courage to treat myself to fancy yarn. I would knit the hell out of any of these three colourways! 🙂

  387. Jennifer

    And just let magic, Needles and Artifice has suddenly appeared on my christmas list. Great giveaway by the way!

  405. The Other Kristen

    Thanks for the book suggestions — I hope that one of them will be under my tree on Christmas morning.

  408. Nike Eve

    Too bad my mom already got the Principles of Knitting for herself–it would have been a perfect gift! Oh well, back to the hunt I go 🙂

  412. Carrie

    Boy the chances of winning are slim, but it would be amazing. Love the yarn and love the patterns. Good book choices too.

  414. Andrea

    I’ve been seriously coveting the Indigodragonfly yarn the second I saw the name. The color’s pretty fantastic too, hehe… Seriously, all three yarns and projects are beautiful. Happy anniversary. ^_^

  417. Julia

    Happy anniversary!
    I’ve been bitten by the sock bug, so I’d love to have some beautiful yarn to try out a new sock technique.

  422. Cyndi

    I really to to get a copy of Principles of Knitting for myself – maybe the ebook, though! The anniversary yarns are gorgeous and the patterns are so well written for each colorway! Designers amaze me!

  426. Barb

    I would love the opportunity to make one of these patterns with a skein of beautiful yarn. Crossing my fingers.

  429. purplepenguin on ravelry

    What a nice give away! I hope I win! I am glad I don’t have to choose which one, it would be too hard!

  431. Barb T

    Love the patterns! Love the yarns! What’s the best one? I surely can’t choose. You choose and I’ll knit.

  434. G.K. Green

    Here’s my comment to enter the anniversary yarns giveaway! (It would be a great treat for the holiday season to win, of course.) Also, as I bought the first book (the second edition of Principles of Knitting) as soon as it was available and have used it constantly since, let me add my enthusiastic voice to the recommendation to get this book if you haven’t already!

  439. Carol

    I’ve been drooling over these yarns since your previous post. I was this close to ordering a skein, but I couldn’t make a decision, and it’s not exactly a good time to indulge myself. I DO love them!

  449. Johnnie Boughner

    Love the anniversary yarns! Any skein will do 🙂 And I have been very impatiently waiting to get my hands on “Needles and Artifice”.

  456. Lisa in Toronto

    I think there will be thousands of comments, but I will gladly enter the contest anyway.
    Thanks for the contest!

  459. Cheryl

    The shawl pattern looks like
    something I would like to knit.
    Please count me in
    for a chance to win.
    Thank you

  465. Reb

    I think I’m going to say “Bazinga” every time I finish a Christmas gift this year. Even if it’s in January.

  495. Fleur

    For those who win (I don’t mind being one *wink*) it is a comfort to know that you Jillian or Amy will choose which skein to send to each of the three winners. Because I wouldn’t know which one to choose, they are all lovely 😉

    Happy knitting, all! Ciao, Fleur

  496. Helen

    Heh. Steampunk knitting! Not sure about the other two books, but I’ll have to go and have a look at that one …then perhaps leave a print out lying around for the OH to see 🙂

  500. Denise

    I will have to look into that knitting steampunk book, looks really interesting! All of the yarn looks awesome too!

  502. Rannveig

    I’ve had Principles of knitting on my wishlist since it was rereleased, but if I don’t get it for Christmas I’ll just buy it myself.

    Would love to win some pretty yarn.

  504. Beth Gray

    All so pretty, although the gold is my favorite and the 50 shades of bazinga is my favorite name ever!

  516. amy g

    You guys are lovely! These are wonderful patterns and yarns. I’m partial to the socks and shawl! Enjoy your anniversary!

  519. MarieAnge

    Would love to win any of them! But the Bazinga is the best name ever!!!

    Thank you for the giveaway 🙂

  528. Diane Mountford

    Happy holidays and happy anniversary, Knitty! Please enter me in the drawing for some holiday cheer.

  541. Casey

    It’s a good thing the comment doesn’t necessarily have to be coherent, because my tea hasn’t kicked in, and all I can think is, “Ooo, lookit the pretties” and “Great, there’s another armload of books I need to add to my list.” (700 pages of knitting techniques? Yes, pls.)

  551. Jenny P

    I love the Needles & Artifice book. The story is fun and the patterns are so beautiful.

    I would also love to win any one of those yarns.

  559. Linda S

    I LOVE that 50 shades of etc., etc. yarn. The colors knock my socks off (heh) and the name cracks me up.

  581. sharmie

    i love knitting books, and i love winning giveaways. hopefully both these things will happen this time! 🙂

  585. Amanda

    I don’t think my library will let me check out The Principles of Knitting anymore. I’ve basically had it since they got it. (I’m being silly, they’ll let me check it out as often as I want because they’re cool like that) It’s probably time to own my own copy.

  592. Kris

    I’d like to wish everyone at Knitty and every one who reads Knitty a very happy and safe holiday season.

  594. Kim

    I love the Principles of Knitting book! It’s well-organized and has successfully answered any question I could think of!

    The yarns are beautiful, too!

  595. Jenn

    Oh, I’d love to win some of that gorgeous yarn! Especially the sock yarn to inspire me to finally learn how to knit socks 🙂

  605. Tara

    yay. another contest. thanks for the reminder of the ebook format for principles of knitting too. i’ll have to think about that one again.

  606. Jo-ann

    All those books look awesome. I’m off to use my birthday gift voucher now… Thanks for another giveaway. I’d love any one of these yarns (and winning is the only practical way of getting my hands on them in Australia!)

  612. Geraldine Scott

    Winning any of those lovely yarns would bring sunshine to my foggy day…thanks for the chance to win!

  613. Katie Martin

    Oh my! What gorgeous colorways and patterns! 😀

    Looks like there is going to be no shortage of knitting in my future.

  624. florapie

    oh my I love that Bazinga yarn. Maybe even enough to pay Canada Post shipping rates if I don’t win it 🙂

  630. blogless grace

    All the yarns/patterns are beautiful but the Fractured Light yarn seems so light-hearted–what I feel everytime a new Knitty comes out!

  633. Deborah

    Those yarns look lovely! And that steampunk knit book sounds awesome! I know what to put on my Christmas list this year…

  636. Laurie

    Thank you for a wonderful 10 years of Knitty.
    You’ve inspired, and informed me over the last 10 years.

  641. Jinky

    ooh.. pick me pick me!!! 🙂 thanks for this wonderful blog!
    I have a US po box.. you can mail there my prize. 🙂

  646. Suzette

    Thank you, Knitty for your wonderful contests. I have the old edition of Knitting Principles, but would love a look-see at the new edition.

  665. Cynthia RD

    Happy anniversary, Knitty! Thanks for giving away all that beautiful yarn. Maybe some of it can make it to Wisconsin?

  667. Elaine

    LOVE the deep fall color (actually all of them are stupendous!) – and… might just have to get the Principals of Knitting for myself for Christmas. Merry, Merry to me!

  675. Karel

    I second the “Principles of Knitting” gift recommendation. And I love the special colorway from Lisa Souza. Her yarns are a joy in so many ways.

  676. Serena

    All three books look wonderful, but The Principles of Knitting is definitely one I want to add to my meager knitting library!

  683. Lynn

    I would love the yarn for making the Beithe shawl but I wouldn’t say no to anything yarny! Please pick me this time. 🙂

  686. Emc.

    I would love to play with any of these yarns, but I think the Indigodragonfly holds a special place in my heart based on name alone. It cracks me up every time I read it.

  689. Seanna Lea

    I have been tempted to get the Principles of Knitting along with some other items (like my IK) in either ebook or CD format. It just feels like the right step before I need to order more pam files to hold my magazines!

  697. Marilyn

    Great contest because all the prizes are wonderful! Love them all – can’t you hear them; they are calling my name!!!

    Good luck to all the entrants!!

  698. DeDe

    Makes me a bit nervous to answer a ‘skill’ question–but the yarns are TOO pretty not to enter!!! 😀

  704. Sam

    I love the book suggestions! I will have to make sure certain people see these, and if not then I might just have to get them for myself.

  705. Shirley

    Wouldn’t that yarn make a great gift for someone on my list? You betcha it would. Merry Xmas one and all!

  708. Marja Coons-Torn

    All three of these projects and color ways seem really happy to me. I would love making any of them.

  714. Katie

    gorgeous yarns. gorgeous projects. you’ll have three happy winners – and i hope that i may be one of them!

Comments are closed.