Contest Time!

Hand-Knit Socks is on the stands now, nationwide. It'll be in the magazine section at bookstores, grocery stores, and maybe even airports. I have yet to see a copy, so the first person who snaps a shot of the bookazine on a shelf in a store and sends it to me (kathleentaylor1952atgmaildotcom) will win a prize (I don't know what prize yet, but it'll be something cool).

Here's what you're looking for:

I'll post any and all pics that come in!

Good Luck!

Hand Knit Socks now available for pre-order!

Order before November 5 and get free shipping!

It'll be on newstands everywhere too!

Woot!

Drum roll please....

I don't have ordering info yet, but Threads Magazine (a division of Taunton Press), is publishing a bookazine with patterns from my book. The Big Book of Socks. It's going to press next week and will hit magazine stands everywhere, everywhere I say, in November!

As soon as the page goes live, I'll post a link. But in the meantime: Woohoo!!!!

Monday Contest #2- Two more Taunton's Threads Selects Booklets!

Just like last week- two of Taunton's Threads Selects booklets are up for grabs.

This week's prizes are Fair Isle Flower Garden, with patterns and projects for children's wear, from Fearless Fair Isle Knitting, and Lace Socks, from The Big Book of Socks.

To enter, leave a comment (and be sure to leave your name, if you're posting anonymously) on this post. I'll draw a winner on Saturday and announce the lucky person on Monday.

I'll sign the booklets any way you like, and if you're not a knitter, they'll still make good gifts for the knitter (or the library) in your life.

Have fun!

Taunton Threads Selects Booklets Now Available!!!

Woohoo- the first four Taunton Threads Selects booklets with patterns from my books, are now available for order. Don't be fooled by Amazon's blurb about them not being released yet.

These booklets can also be ordered from any bookseller.

From Amazon or directly from Taunton

From Amazon or directly from Taunton

 from Amazon  or directly from Taunton

From Amazon (don't be fooled- it's available now) or directly from Taunton

Taunton's new Threads Selects Booklets!

I posted a teaser pic yesterday, but here's the scoop: The first line of Taunton's new Threads Selects booklets will hit the stands November 27! Copies of the first 4 from my books arrived yesterday, hot off the press, and I could not be more excited!

The new booklets are 8 1/2" x 11", and each features 5-9 previously-published projects, concentrating on a single technique or style. They're aimed at knitters who want to try new things, but who are maybe not ready to commit to an entire book of patterns. Each of these booklets has a new ISBN number and cover, and they'll all be available for pre-order from Taunton directly, or from Amazon (and I assume other venues) very soon.

Eventually, Taunton plans to publish 8 booklets of my projects, including 2 from I Heart Felt, which is exciting since that book sort of fell through the cracks. I'm glad its getting another chance to be noticed.

As always with Taunton, the quality of the booklets is excellent- good, sturdy, glossy covers, and full color pictures and charts inside. I'm very proud to be a part of this new venture. When I have them, I'll post links to each booklet, but in the meantime, here they are:
Colorwork Socks- 7 Patterns to Knit (from The Big Book of Socks)

 Fair Isle Flower Garden- 5 Gorgeous Knits for Children  (from Fearless Fair Isle Knitting)

 Fair Isle Hats, Scarves, Mittens & Gloves- 7 Stunning Patterns to Knit (from Fearless Fair Isle Knitting)

 Lace Socks- 9 Lovely Patterns to Knit (from The Big Book of Socks)

 Not very often in a writer's career do you get to see four new books for the first time, all on the same day.

A little celebration was in order.

Look what arrived today!!!!

More info tomorrow, but here's a teaser:

More Excitement!

I'm back in business, internet wise (long story, full of much angst and grr-ing and tech people who tell you that the problem is not their fault when it actually is), which is great because I can share with you the latest cover from Taunton's Threads Selects new line of booklets.

This one will feature 7 patterns from The Big Book of Socks!

There will be 6 booklets using my patterns, which is absolutely thrilling. I don't know the pub date on this one, but my guess is that it'll be sometime in November, as with the Fair Isle Flower Garden booklet.

Woohoo!!!

The New Prayer Shawl Companion

Look what just arrived in the mail:

 Woohoo! It's Taunton's latest addition to their Prayer Shawl Companion books, The New Prayer Shawl Companion.

My design, the Good Luck Horseshoe Shawl, is on page 115.

Long-time blog readers may remember that shawl, which was a KAL here. Here I'm modeling the same shawl.

There are some really beautiful shawl patterns in this new book, geared to knitters of all levels. And as always with Taunton, the photos and presentation are gorgeous. The proceeds from this book go to the Prayer Shawl Ministry, which is a very good cause. I'm proud to have been part of all three of the Prayer Shawl books.

Cool book news

I can go for weeks without anything new to report on the publishing front, and I still don't have anything new to tell about the current fiction project, but Knitting Book News sort of exploded all over this week.

First, I did a podcast interview with Kelly Petkun of Knit Picks a few weeks ago, and it went live on Thursday. I, personally, have not listened to it yet because there is some weird technical glitch with my recorded voice where I end up sounding like an adenoidal 12 year old. It happens every time... so strange. But you can listen to it here. It was a fun conversation, and I don't think I said anything too stupid.

And I learned that foreign rights to The Big Book of Socks were sold! English language versions of the book are already available in Europe, so I have to assume that whoever bought the rights (I don't have all of the details), is planning a translation. This could be my first foreign language edition, and I am inordinately excited about it.

And on top of that, PDF versions of both The Big Book of Socks and I Heart Felt are now available directly from Taunton.

 It's actually handy to have the book in PDF format, because you have to download it to your computer first, and then transfer it to your eReader (it looks wonderful on my Kindle Fire, doesn't it? The entire book is there, just like any other book on my Kindle, and I can pinch and zoom the pages as I need).

And since the book is on your computer, you can print out the charts and instructions for individual projects! Win Win! Both of the Prayer Shawl Companion books (knitting and crochet- I designed the cover project for the former, and another shawl for the latter) are also available as PDF books.

Speaking of eBooks, Interweave has the All New Homespun Handknit book available too- I have a project in it. Also, Spin Your Socks, with the Christmas Stocking pattern that sort of jump-started my knitting book adventure.

Oh, and I guess I do have a little Fiction Book News- the final 3 Tory Bauer mysteries are nearly ready for me to proof in their eBook format. Mourning Shift will be the first one of this batch released, probably by mid-June or so, with Cold Front, and Foreign Body following.

Like I said, and exciting week!

SAFF Workshops

There is still time to sign up for workshops and classes at SAFF, which will be held at the WNC Ag Center in Fletcher, NC, October 21-23.

I'm scrambling around, getting all of my workshop stuff done (printing handouts, gathering supplies and book giveaways) so I can mail them out early next week. It's too much to pack, and I wouldn't trust the airline to get the bag to Asheville with me (did I ever tell you how I flew to Burbank to tape a couple of HGTV shows, but my clothes went to San Francisco?).

Anyway, this is the entire workshop listing- as always, I wish I had time to take classes too.

Here are the classes I'm teaching at SAFF:

Friday 11:30am-3:30pm: Mitered Square Cuff. Openings available
Learn to knit mitered squares with worsted weight yarn and Size 5 needles. Use your mitered squares to make cuffs for mittens or socks (patterns for both included in the class handout).

Friday 4:00pm-6:00pm: Writing Patterns for Publication. Openings available
Learn about writing patterns, formatting, photography, and submitting your original designs.

 Saturday 8:30am-12:30pm: Fair Isle Design. Class full, but you can get on a waiting list
This is a half-day version of my full-day Fair Isle Design class. Use worksheet exercises to design your own toddler-sized Fair Isle hat which you can knit later.

Saturday 1:30pm-3:30pm: Knitting Tips and Tricks. Class Full
Learn tricks for fixing mistakes in Fair Isle knitting and cable work, put beads in your knitting with wire, knit back backwards and make bobbles, and lots of other great knitting time-savers.

Saturday 3:30pm-5:30pm: Knitting Tips and Tricks (Session 2- same as above). Openings available

Sunday 9:00am-4:00pm Nordic Christmas Stocking. Openings available.

Learn yarn wrangling as you knit a Nordic style Christmas stocking. No Fair Isle or sock knitting experience necessary (this pattern uses an Afterthought Heel- no short-rows). It is not likely that students will finish their stocking in class, but we'll have more than enough time to learn the basics, and knit the heel. There was an error in the homework listing for this class on the SAFF site. That error has been corrected. Students need to bring 2 balls of worsted weight yarn (highly contrasting colors) and Size 8 needles.

The great folks at Taunton have supplied books for class giveaways. I'll have copies of all 3 of my Taunton titles (I Heart Felt, The Big Book of Socks, and Fearless Fair Isle Knitting) to give away, one per class. I hope to see some of you there!