Upon first flip through this book , the first thing one notices is the concise and well organized manner that it is laid out in. Considering the book focuses on organization, and Judy Brown is herself a professional organizer, the book did its job effectively to my eyes immediately.
The usefulness of this book, however, far progresses beyond that of its organized manner. This is a great jumping off book for the beginning knitting journaller and the experienced journaller alike, with great tips and tricks, as well as room for almost 100 projects to write about within its covers.
The book is full of fabulous information. There are written sections on a range of topics from a short article on the history of knitting by guest writer Leanne Dyck, to tips on knitting thrifty, knitting superstitions, how to keep your stash and ideas organized, and even how to use that hair your dog sheds to create knitted items! An absolute favourite though would be the online resources that accompany almost every section. There's links ranging from free online knitting patterns, links to online charts for a "to-knit" list and a tools list, information on joining a guild, how to use those left over pieces, frogging thrift store sweaters, and many, many more.
The actual journaling pages themselves are set up beautifully, and have spots to record all the information you could possibly need for your records: date, project, pattern, who it's knit for, needle size, type of needles, yarn colour, brand, weight, how much yarn was used, and whether it was easy or challenging. Along with that are a page and a half of lines to record all your thoughts, as well as a space for a photograph of your project. The only thing missing from this abundance of information however, is the gauge. It can be beneficial not only to record one's gauge, but also the gauge called for in the pattern, as well as what the ratio of difference ended up being (if there indeed was one). However, there is more than enough room within the pages for you to record that information yourself.
I highly recommend this book for the knitting journaller, it's neat, tidy and will keep all your information in one handy location, as well as offering the knitter valuable tips and information (and a few fun facts as well).
You can visit the book's website, find more information, and order yourself a copy here:
Creative Journals: Knitting Notes.
© Kelly Gilliam, text and images. Reproduction without permission is prohibited
Kelly Gilliam - I'm a photographer and art department person by trade, but by night I knit, spin, and garden like crazy. I'm a prairie girl who found my ...
