Kari A. CornellCritiques

Lots of cute patterns. I haven't knit any and I don't think I will, but that's because I bought this before I realized that I really hate knitting with tiny needles. Most of the patterns use very thin yarn and, well, I ain't got time for that.

Thorough but not overwhelming, this book contains an introduction, four chapters, and back matter (glossary, gardening resources, where to find supplies, index). Each chapter has a few projects/ideas, as well as a couple of recipes (e.g. lemonade, crunchy pumpkin seeds, tropical smoothie, potato leek soup, sweet potato oven fries) that can be made with the plant/food in question. There are plenty of photographs and clear, step-by-step instructions with illustrations. There are also a lot of great general garden tips about saving seeds and transplanting seedlings. Overall a great resource!

Celebrate the beginning of spring by planting a fun and easy garden. This nonfiction book will give you step-by-step directions to help you become a gardener without a huge yard. It is available in book and eBook formats.

This is a great book for helping children to learn about growing vegetables, and it is very approachable because remnants of store-bought herbs and vegetables can be used.

Great instructions, good photographs, and almost nothing to lose if the items don't grow - they are scraps, so you can try it again. And also, you can compare what may have caused the growing process to be successful or a failure.

The only issue I had was that I felt the book was too short, with only a dozen growing projects, and I would have liked to have seen more vegetables included.

*eARC Netgalley*

18 heirloom patterns in a variety of styles and techniques

23 Patterns in a variety of styles and Techniques

I'm looking at as many gardening books as possible, now that it looks like our long-awaited gardening project at the library is finally getting off the ground.

This is one that has been on my list for a while; I briefly skimmed it after borrowing it from another library. However, once I got a review copy I was able to really delve into the projects and ideas.

The book is divided into four seasons. The introduction covers not only gardening basics, like planning your space, testing your soil, and caring for plants, it also discusses the environmental importance of gardening. Spring projects include seed starting, a bean pole tent, and growing potatoes. Summer projects have instructions for various plantings, stations for birds, and creating a hanging garden. Fall projects include forcing bulbs, creating window boxes, and making an indoor compost bin. There are still gardening things to do in winter; create a terrarium, grow an avocado, or grow greens in a window.

There are lengthy resources including a glossary, resources, supplies, and index. The photographs include a diverse group of children and the simple drawings have both white and brown hands. While this book has a limited number of projects, it is very detailed, both in instructions and in explaining what is happening and why. The instructions are extremely detailed and, while the projects are primarily geared towards readers living somewhere with seasons, many of them are multi-purpose and can be adapted to different climates.

Verdict: This is an excellent resource for families or older kids wanting to try gardening but with no prior experience or knowledge. I think it will spark interest in trying new things and even learning more about the environment. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781467726474; Published 2015 by Millbrook/Lerner; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Fun to look at but not many that I would be interested in making.

Stories and tales

Awesome Snacks and Appetizers (You're the Chef) by Kari Cornell, is a wonderful beginner cookbook for children. It's colorful, has great photos of the finished food, and includes illustrations of each step. The recipes are short and easy, and show slicing illustrations to teach kids how to do it. It also includes cooking terms and illustrations and descriptions of the equipment used when cooking.

A varied collection of socks by different designers. There is a pair of tvaandstrickning sock that are beautiful, traditionally styled - not fitted which I assume is traditional, and challenging; bohus-inspired socks that are very attractive and being worsted-weight, quick to knit; Gansey, Finnish, Norwegian, and Icelandic socks beautifully interpreted by illustrious designers; a couple of Estonian designs both of Nancy Bush's usual high standards; Scottish kilt hose and Sanquhar socks, both worthy to represent their traditions; and more. There are also just a few cringe-worthy designs, notably the "Chinese Zodiac Socks" , ill-fitting tabi socks with really poor calligraphy on the ankles. It really wouldn't hurt to omit some parts of the world from the sock-knitting compendium!

Despite the cutsie subtitle and its terrible cover design, despite the "gee, whiz!! Ain't these awfully CUTE!!!" book description, this is actually a really good pattern book if you like classic styles and basic patterns, as I do.

Nicely arranged by decade, with illustrations and pix from the original advertisements and/or pattern books, the writing is crisp and informative without being intrusive, and the pattern instructions are arranged very nicely, with clear indications of sizes and materials needed. And the authors carefully show (and suggest) yarn substitutions, helpfully indicating easy ways to make such changes within a pattern, as well as a good general information section at the front of the book. Nicely set-out, decently produced book that only suffers a bit from one of my pet peeves and from an aesthetic consideration/pout of mine.

My formost pet peeve about knitting pattern books is that so many of them appear to have no consideration that there might be a lot of knitters "out there" who might otherwise enjoy their patterns and want to make them up, but aren't 42" in size or less (sometimes FAR less!) While I'm a very experienced knitter and often graduate up a size or two from a pattern, there are lots of knitters who are loathe to do so, and many more who have tried and wound up with disasters. Not a good advert for your book IMO....

ANYway, that's my pet peeve. The aesthetic consideration (aka "snit") of mine? The cover is a real turn-off! Ugly, ugly, ugly, AND (shame on you, editors!!) many of the nicest patterns shown on the cover are NOT inside the pattern book! I know those pix were chosen to show a representation of knitting books from the past, but, really, if you're going to show a lovely sweater on a pattern book cover, then you really ought to include that pattern inside the book, right? If you just want to show off some of your fave pix from the period, then do that along with your initial write-up inside the book! I was very disappointed to not find one of my favorite patterns from the cover not included inside, and suspect I wasn't the only reader this happened to.

But even given those caveats, this is a very good book to keep in your home library. Most of the patterns (except for a couple of really weird 1960s and 1970s ones) are nicely basic, albeit worked in light yarn on fairly small needles, so you've been warned - many of these projects are not for the impatient. But there's a very basic cardigan for women that just cries out to be made up in some super-soft yarn, and a classic mens' v-neck cardigan, and a baby ensemble, and.... (grin)

Despite the cutsie subtitle and its terrible cover design, despite the "gee, whiz!! Ain't these awfully CUTE!!!" book description, this is actually a really good pattern book if you like classic styles and basic patterns, as I do.

Nicely arranged by decade, with illustrations and pix from the original advertisements and/or pattern books, the writing is crisp and informative without being intrusive, and the pattern instructions are arranged very nicely, with clear indications of sizes and materials needed. And the authors carefully show (and suggest) yarn substitutions, helpfully indicating easy ways to make such changes within a pattern, as well as a good general information section at the front of the book. Nicely set-out, decently produced book that only suffers a bit from one of my pet peeves and from an aesthetic consideration/pout of mine.

My formost pet peeve about knitting pattern books is that so many of them appear to have no consideration that there might be a lot of knitters "out there" who might otherwise enjoy their patterns and want to make them up, but aren't 42" in size or less (sometimes FAR less!) While I'm a very experienced knitter and often graduate up a size or two from a pattern, there are lots of knitters who are loathe to do so, and many more who have tried and wound up with disasters. Not a good advert for your book IMO....

ANYway, that's my pet peeve. The aesthetic consideration (aka "snit") of mine? The cover is a real turn-off! Ugly, ugly, ugly, AND (shame on you, editors!!) many of the nicest patterns shown on the cover are NOT inside the pattern book! I know those pix were chosen to show a representation of knitting books from the past, but, really, if you're going to show a lovely sweater on a pattern book cover, then you really ought to include that pattern inside the book, right? If you just want to show off some of your fave pix from the period, then do that along with your initial write-up inside the book! I was very disappointed to not find one of my favorite patterns from the cover not included inside, and suspect I wasn't the only reader this happened to.

But even given those caveats, this is a very good book to keep in your home library. Most of the patterns (except for a couple of really weird 1960s and 1970s ones) are nicely basic, albeit worked in light yarn on fairly small needles, so you've been warned - many of these projects are not for the impatient. But there's a very basic cardigan for women that just cries out to be made up in some super-soft yarn, and a classic mens' v-neck cardigan, and a baby ensemble, and.... (grin)

Nineteen holiday recipes are grouped into chapters on appetizers, soups, sides, main dishes, and desserts. The introduction, which briefly discusses holidays around the world, suggests that these recipes will give cooks "a taste of the best the world has to offer on its most special days." A few examples include egg rolls from Thailand for New Year's Eve, Chicken Yassa from Senegal for Eid al-Fitr, and Dead Bone Cookies from Italy for All Souls' Day. Suggestions for two international menus are also provided.

This book could have been called KnitLit Four-ever without ever changing in message or content. A compilation of knitting (and crocheting) stories is hardly original anymore. One of the editors of the KnitLit books actually had a story featured in this book.

But be that as it may, that doesn't mean that Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales wasn't enjoyable to read. If there's one thing I love about fibre arts, it's the willingness of others to tell their stories, their failures and triumphs, and to add one more loop to the fabric that binds us all together as crafters and artists.

For knitters, this is another book of inspirations from some of the big names in the knitting world, and while it doesn't provide as many varied tales as the KnitLit series, it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Retro knitting at its finest! Bored by run-of-the-mill modern patterns? Baby, here's your cure! Channel Lana Turner and walk down the street in one of these fab designs, reconfigged for the modern sweater girl's figure! Highly recommended!