To read about our new book Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together by Larissa Brown and Martin John Brown, click here.

To see a gallery of some of the 20 projects in Knitalong, click here.

To read a Q&A with the authors, click here.

To download our Knitalong Kit, a guide for individuals who are considering organizing their own knitalongs, click here.

(Photo above courtesy of Library of Congress/from Knitalong Chapter 1: Hanging Out)

 

I was very happy when I found out yesterday that a knitalong for Priscilla Gibson Roberts's Swedish Heartwarmer Shawl from Handknit Holidays is starting on Ravelry. It's such a stunning project but definitely one that requires dedication. What better way to stay focused than with a little help from your friends! If you're not a member of Ravelry yet, don't be intimidated by the waiting list--they process new memberships amazingly quickly.

Check out this great article about knitalongs--and, in particular, Sock Wars--from the 17 December issue of the Wall Street Journal. If you like the article, you'll probably like Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together, a new book by Larissa Brown and Martin John Brown that is currently at the printer and will be in stores in April or maybe a little sooner.

Sometimes people ask me which of the STC Craft books I like best, a question I cannot answer. In part, this is because I need to be diplomatic. But, more than that, this is because I believe that each book is unique and special in its own way. It sounds sappy and maybe like a cop out to some people, but it's true.

Still, there are a few books that I think are especially important, and those are the three books in our kids' crafting series--Kids' Embroidery by Kristin Nicholas, Kids Crochet by Kelli Ronci, and Kids Weaving by Sarah Swett. These books teach all of the basics and also a little bit about how crafting fits into cultural history.

If you know children who like to make things with their hands, I hope you will check out these books, and, if you have some extra time over the holidays, do some crafting together. I believe that when we teach kids these skills, we are giving them a gift that will last their entire lives (sappy but true, once again).

Last night I spent a long time on the telephone with Judy Gigliotti, the photographer whose beautiful images of flowers and knitting needles grace the Greetings from Knit Cafe Journal and Note Cards.

Judy was telling me about a completely different endeavor she's involved in: working with the Abayudaya--a small community of Ugandan Jews who are struggling to survive. Judy and her sister recently traveled to Mbale, the village in Uganda where the Abayudaya live, and spent two weeks helping to organize a medical clinic and teaching women how to knit. Judy reports that the women were joyful in their lessons (and in their daily lives generally) and will, hopefully, be knitting well enough soon to start making blankets that will be sold for them in the United States. Here are some of Judy's photos, some of which are being made into note cards that will also be used to raise funds for the Abayudaya.

If you are interested in learning more about Judy's work with the Abayudaya, which is organized through the Institute for Jewish and Community Research in San Francisco, email her at judithgigliotti@gmail.com.