New & Noteworthy: The Books of March

March has brought in a nice crop of knitting books,  books about knitting, and books that knitters will like because they’re about pom-poms. Let’s dive in.

The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater: Essays on Crafting, by Alanna Okun

I eagerly dipped into a review copy of this book, and was beguiled by the author’s fresh voice. This is a twenty-something’s take on the joys and perils of the crafting life, and life in general. The essays, of varying length, are very personal, and full of “you, too?” moments.  As I enter the stereotypical demographic for knitting, it’s a relief that a sharp knitter and writer like Alanna Okun is here to defy the notion that you need a cat and a diagnosis of osteoporosis to be a constant knitter. (OK so the cat thing is accurate.)

Interpretations Volume 5 by Joji Locatelli and Veera Välimäki

Loome Party: 20+ Tiny Yarn Projects to Make from Your Stash

This book will make you feel like a kid again, and introduce you to a brilliant multi-purpose tool for making pom-poms, tassels, and cords. (A Loome tool comes with the book!)  To see author Vilasinee Bunnag in action, watch the video she made for MDK readers, in which she made a perfect pom-pom, al fresco, with traffic going by, in LA.

Adding to the fun of this book are its stylish contributors, all of whom are dedicated in different ways to the pom-pom lifestyle. Among them are artists Courtney Cerruti, Arounna Khounnoraj (founder of Boukhou), Lisa Solomon and Cassie Hull (who introduced us to the Loome tools when she made the pom-poms featured in MDK Field Guide No. 3: Wild Yarns)

Knit Like a Latvian: 50 Knitting Patterns for a Fresh Take on Traditional Latvian Mittens

Fifty mittens may sound like a lot, but given the infinite variety of Latvian mittens, it’s what we call a good start.

Faroe Island Knits: Over 50 Traditional Motifs and 25 Projects from the North Atlantic

Is Latvia too crowded for you? Head on over to the Faroe Islands, a sparsely inhabited and richly knitted archipelago in the sea between Norway and Iceland.

60 Quick Knits for Beginners: Easy Projects for New Knitters

The latest installment in a long-rolling series of nicely produced books that are chock-full of basic patterns, showcasing yarns by Cascade.

IMAGE: LOUISE TIFFANY, READING, LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY, PASTEL ON BUFF-COLORED WOVE PAPER, 1888, METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART.