Nicky Epstein - Knitting in Circles

I am delighted to be taking part in the Knitting in Circles Blog Tour. Do pop over to the other listed blogs (see my blog post here ) and read their Tour  blog posts. 

Knitting in Circles, is written by the knitwear designer Nicky Epstein, who also write Knitting Block by Block among others. Nicky lives in New York, but has recently crossed the Atlantic to visit the UK.

The patterns of garments and accessories in Knitting in Circles  are lovely and there is a great range from pieces you can knit with just one circle to the amazing many-disced Circle Sampler Afghan. I love the Hoopla Bag and Eternity dress is so beautiful. 

The beauty of Knitting in Circles is that the vast majority is the circles themselves - all arranged gloriously by pattern and type. Nicky takes you from the basic circle shaping to lacing, and on to ruffles, and petals and much more. Thereby giving you a reference book that will allow your circular creativity to escalate in a circumrotatory fashion.  Think of all the wonderful things you can create. 



Nicky was kind enough to answer some questions (asked by my wonderful readers) :-


One problem that faces a lot of small business is copyright issues.  Have you had any problems with people copying your work and do you have any specific thought about it?

I deal with it on a daily basis, and it makes me feel very sad that someone has to copy my work. The idea of asking permission and given book credit has been lost along the way. Recently a person won a design contest with a prestigious craft company with an exact copy of design of mine that had been published years ago. A few fans of mine recognized contacted the craft company and it was awkward for them. But as they say on the New York subway “If you see something…say something”. Thankfully, publishers are becoming more vigilant and cracking down on the offenders.

How do you start your designs and what inspires you?  Do you start with the yarn, or a particular stitch you fancy using, or do you sketch?

I get my inspiration from everywhere and everything, depending on my mood, and I like to start with a sketch so that I remember the inspiration. But, I am often inspired by a great yarn or a unusual stitch pattern. The process varies from project to project.

Do you ever look at something you have knitted, and wonder how you did it?

Yes! Overwork sometimes dulls my memory and it’s frustrating. But that’s when I consult my own books. After all I’m very close to the person that wrote them.

How many people try out your patterns for you before they are published?

Me, my knitters, my instruction writer for format, my proof readers, and the publisher’s proof readers. My husband would be on the list if he could knit!

Do you find any differences in designing for particular markets, for instance the UK and the U.S.A?

Not really…I try to design for everyone regardless of culture. Even though I know a certain piece might not be made by everyone, I want people to say “Wow!” or “How did she do that!”

Thank you Nicky for your great answers which will be pertinent to crafters everywhere.

Nicky will be appearing on QVC tomorrow October 10th,  and then will be on the GMC stand at the Knitting & Stitching Show from the 11th - 14th to sign copies of Knitting in Circles and run Make & Takes.

If you cannot make it you can always visit her website at www.nickyepstein.com. 

Tomorrow's Blog Tour stop will be at by ConnieLene Johnston at http://www.connielene.com/category/connieleneknits-blog/

Knitting in Circles can be purchased from http://www.thegmcgroup.com/.

But for you lucky readers, I am giving away a copy of Knitting in Circles. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. The winning number, which will be randomly COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

Books I love - 'On Hitler's Mountain'

Irmgard Hunt was born in Nazi German in 1934, in Berchtesgaden a village next to Hitler's headquarters.  As a toddler she was photographed sat upon Hitler's knee. At that time both she and her parent's were fervent supporters of Hitler and the Nazi regime.

With the advent of war and as she grew older, Irmgard came to question this belief.

This is a lovely book.  It is wonderful to read of life in a mountain village as it changes due to war and the deprivations of defeat.  It is interesting to read of the insights of life in Germany at that time, as seen through the eyes of a growing child and young woman.

As someone born in England in the late 1960s, Nazi Germany and Hitler to me are, obviously, hate figures. To people in my country and my generation it is not always easy to understand how Hitler and the Nazis could rise to power and how the ordinary people in Germany and Austria could be accepting of it all at that time.

Therefore I found this such an insight into that time.  Not all Germans were supporters of Hitler and some that were soon changed their minds.

I do recommend this book.

On Hitler's Mountain by Irmgard Hunt. Published in 2005 by Atlantic Books, London.  My copy was borrowed from the library. 

Keep Calm and Cast On - Book Review

I have just received Keep Calm and Carry On by Erika Knight, published by Quadrille.

I worked in a bookshop for 8 years and did get a bit tired of all the little gift books that had to be fitted on the counter, to grab the customers' attention. Some of them were dire.

And I am also a bit tired of seeing  'Keep Calm and Carry On' everywhere.

So I was unsure of this book. BUT I was very pleasantly surprised.  It is a lovely little book.

It is full of funny, witty and interesting little quotes from people and from books about knitting. It also has really handy little tips from Erika Knight who knows a thing or two about knitting.

There were a few quotes from members of Stitchlinks whose aims include 'To promote the use of therapeutic knitting and stitching through our research'. And reading through the book, I had to agree that knitting is therapeutic and this is not something I had thought about before.  There are many times when I yearn to knit and happily sit clicking away. And now I know more about why that is.

This is a great book to pop into when you are unable to knit and also a wonderful present. I was visited my mum and showed it to her. She loved it too.

So this Christmas, if you want a little present for a knitting friend, or something for yourself,  then do think about Keep Calm and Cast On.
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Keep Calm and Cast On by Erika Knight
Quadrille Publishing
ISBN 9781849490955