Books
Mighty Aptenodytes: A Penguin Knitting Book
When I look at knitting books, vintage and present-day, I’m struck with how the cycles repeat down the years. We keep revisiting the same garments and themes, decade after decade. It makes sense: humans are still constructed the same way now as before, and knitters therefore knit the same types of garments. For all that stays the same, there is also much that changes over time: yarns, fashions in knitwear and in the other clothes we wear with our knitwear, and of course in photography and styling. The basic theme–cover these body parts with knitting–doesn’t change.
It’s exciting, then, when a collection of patterns strikes out on a theme not previously associated with knitting. It’s even more exciting when the designer explores that theme in an imaginative way. That is what Anna Maltz has done in her new book, Penguin: A Knit Collection.
Anna’s approach is curious and fresh. Everything is inspired by her lifelong fascination with penguins, but the connection is rarely literal or direct. She doesn’t hit you over the head with a fish with it.
The fun of Anna’s approach is easier to show than to explain. A few examples from the 11 patterns in the collection:
Fledgling. OK–on these mittens, there is a penguin image. But these penguin faces are simple and stylized–I find them Charley Harper-esque– and they would go very well with a New Yorker’s blackcentric wardrobe.
I love the checkered detail on the palm-side fingertips.
In the Flower King hat, the penguin connection is not obvious, but it is there. As Anna explains, “When I was looking at the king penguin for inspiration, things took on an unexpectedly floral twist. King penguins have what looks like a large yellow inverted petal on each side of their face. In using this shape to form the colourwork patterning on the crown of this hat, I found myself with a flower.” I would do it in all greys, like my Marimekko socks; Anna urges knitters to use handpainted or ombre yarns for the petals to pump up the floral.
There are garments, too. Aptenodytes, for example, is a cardigan with overlapping draped, cutaway fronts. If it were not in this book (and not knitted in black and worn over a white dress and yellow tights, perhaps), you would not look at it and think “penguin” (although aptenodytes is the genus name for penguins). With knitterly stitch details and an unusual construction, it’s a great layering piece.
I basically want to talk about every pattern in the book. None of them are standard in any way, and they’re all interesting as pieces of knitting–without regard to the penguin associations.
There’s Rockhopper, a reversible striped shawl with an intriguing zig zag construction that is knit without intarsia, using miters and Anna Maltz magic–it only looks penguinny if knit in penguin colors.
There’s Teenguin, which looks like a quirky vintage sweater unless you happen to know what adolescent penguins look like when they are halfway through the process of molting their baby down and acquiring their adult feathers.
Finally, there’s the one that intrigues me most: Humboldt, a graphic cropped pullover which deploys an unvented technique that Anna calls “marlisle,” a combination of marling (knitting with different colored strands) and Fair Isle.
It’s ingenius and striking, and probably warm as can be. I’m really into chewy knitted texture right now; I’m seeing it all over the place.
Tucan. The bird with the curved black bill and bright colors.
I love the designs in this book. It would be fun to see clothes and accessories that are really wearable with a fairy/ Hobbit theme!
I saw this contest/post and I love penguins. It’s hard to think of a more inspiring animal . . .hmm, maybe a Magpie . . . they have a very graphic appeal.
The designs are subtle and so inventive, but eye-catching! I’d love to see Anna’s take on sea turtles, or especially…hedgehogs.
These are actually exactly the two animals I was thinking of. But I wouldn’t actually knit any of the things in the book except the mittens maybe, so if I get this one, Ann-n-Kay, pick another!
Not because I don’t like them, but I’m swamped at the moment with other yarns and other things I need to knt. Just had to amend because that seemed harsh, not at ALL my intention.
Birds of prey — all that graphic patterning.
Mmmmm – tigers have been overdone – definitely not leopard – wombats?
Peacocks!
definitely one inspired by rare birds!”
Saw a peek of Marlisle and am smitten! What a fun, energy-filled collection!
Thank you for the give-away!
Parrots!
Parrots would definitely be fun.
When in doubt, always go with animal themes!!
I think seals would be an interesting challenge.
Sunsets.
What a happy concept! Mushrooms would be fun, too.
I’d love to see a book about Anna’s instagram inspirations – sweaters found in the wild, cars and wool.
Elephants…. All that stretching and gathering and pathos….. And the cute when they’re little……
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What a truly wonderful book.
As a cat lover I would want Anna to explore cats as a theme. Lots of inspiration there!
A wonderful collection of knitting! For further inspiration, there is a fascinating minute world of colour, repetition and form in slime moulds: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/hunting-for-slime-moulds-in-tasmania/6963514
Thanks for the intro to this book! What charming knits!
You’re very sweet to do the giveaway : I’d love to see a book inspired by cakes!
Tigers.
Definitely tigers.
I’m so thrilled to read your blog again! I am very intrigued by marlisle so I hope her next book will feature lots of it– caterpillars might offer good inspiration. All those segments and color variations!
More marlisle!
The exotic, colorful birds in the jungles shown on the PBS special.
Owls! (Please.)
Hmm. Sharks but not the bloody aspects. The smooth, fast swimming beautiful grey aspects
Eagles
Foxes! What a delightful book.
Giraffes!
ooh I nearly went for giraffes
I think pansies could be great, they’re such a bold and unassuming flower at the same time.
This is kind of a serious answer… I think a knitwear collection inspired by one specific place– tile floors of Barcelona or the Cloisters Museum could be a cool idea.
Love this book! the marleisle— so cool!
I wonder what this designer would do with honeybees, apparently an endangered species.
Love these patterns! Love the theme! Cats, maybe for next book? Or some animal that looks different at different stages. The penguin is so perfect since they have transitions as well as the different types of penguins.
Wow! I loved this. Check out the model’s fingernails- now that is styling attention to detail.
Puffins would be fun and then to compare with Kate Davies interpretation.
Another large category would be trees- cross sections of wood, different bark, leaves and general shape. (In my head, I heard Monty Python say “The Larch”)
Whatever the theme, a new book is a joy to anticipate!
Anna is so inventive and clever that I know she will come up with a next great theme herself. But I’ve got Liberty Tana Lawn on the mind, so what about that lovely flowery realness as a jumping off point? Thanks for the giveaway!
Peacocks & parrots?
Knitwear based on chickens. We’d all have little red hats.
I think I’ve already signed up for the newsletter, but can’t be sure. I bet you can take care of the problem of duplicates, though, right?
hmm i am thinking Dogs, a different sweater for each breed!
Monkeys!
Wow. Beautiful & wearable.
I’d love to see what could be done using crystal structures & forms as inspiration (the Mineral Engineer in me never dies).
Crystal structure was almost my choice, too. Glad to see it represented!
Crystals were on my short list, too.
Chipmunks! I don’t know why but I bet it would be cute. Love the Penguins!!
Turtles!
I would love to see elephants–I think so much could be done with the color and the shape of the tusk, also.
Next book – peacocks! This book is fascinating.
Reindeer!
Insects? Lots of variety there! Thanks!
Mountains in all seasons might be a good jumping off point.
Fish. Dogs (Lovvvve terriers).
Intriguing book. How about owls?
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I love this collection! Marylyn beat me to the idea of trees. There is the structure of trees, wonderful color possibilities and loads of texture opportunities.
Wales — the moody sea, the living green patchwork of fields, knotted trees, ancient grey stones, abbeys and castles, portals, sheep and wool, misty moisty weather. . .
Such striking and wearable designs! Great giveaway.
ooh, australian native birds please – so many to choose from: sulphur crested cockatoo, kookaburra, galah, lyre bird, crimson rosella to name but a few. the galah’s colour scheme is just divine – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah
Berries! Those colors are lovely in the berries: raspberries, strawberries, red raspberries, blueberries. Surely one could love some mittens with a cluster of black raspberries on them!
For sheer colour usage, I love to see a peacock inspired book. For cuteness overload, how about koalas?
Insects…colors and patterns
I know there’s a lot that’s already out there but I’d love to see her take on the fox.
Pigs! More than just pink
Macaws, I think.
My grandson loves everything penguin. I would like to see a book on corals. There would be a lot of color and texture to play with.
Cockatoos!
Tree bark. Trees like madrones, eucalyptus, sycamore, cherry, persimmon, cedar, beech, birch …
Hard to think of what to suggest if she has had a lifelong fascination with penguins – what could replace that?
I would vote for other birds but I am really impressed by other knitters’ comments above.
Thanks for the amazing contest.
Raptors.
Someone beat me to chickens, so I’m gonna say eggs…chicken eggs, fish eggs, lady eggs, all of ’em.
Cats—of all stripes!
Indigenous plants of the Faroe Islands.
Especially because the garments don’t scream their inspiration sources, I’d love to see a set of patterns based on tigers!
Suggested theme: Rainbows
For another aquatic bird, the puffin is my favorite and I would love a book of puffin-themed patterns. For something completely different, I’d enjoy a weather-themed book. Storms, rainbows, sunshine, etc.
I’d love to see a chicken book. Love that shrug!
I would love to see Anna explore the penguins’ icy habitat – steely blue water, chunky ice floes, textured snow drifts, with a flash of penguin colors here and there.
Oh, brilliant. I’d like to see this too.
Kangaroo
Hummingbirds! Love the book and the creative designs!
I love those mittens! Her next collection should be inspired by the fox!
Foxes!
Anna is so creative. I think she would make a magic collection based on walking through a garden.
Beetles (along with the Beatles!)
I would vote for patterns based on sunsets: lots of options for colors–bright or stormy–and cloud patterns and changing landscapes.
Her marlisle made me think of skyscrapers.
Just reading all the comments is inspiring. How about my favorite local Pacific Northwest animal – the Orca whale. Dramatic black and white coloring, except for newborns which are light milk chocolate and black for a few days. Great body shape and dramatic dorsal fins. Friendly, at least inPuget sound
Reef fish, the colors and shapes are endless and some of them transition in color and shape through life’s stages.
I’ve been following Anna on Instagram for a while and what stands out is her playful eye — she’s always spotting the joke. Can only imagine what fun she is in person! I would love to see her fresh take on creatures like flamingos or zebras that have already inspired many designs.
I want to make all these patterns. The model is cute as can be. I think South American colorful exotic birds would be a good subject.
I would love to have Anna create a dog themed book. Ther are so many different dog breeds and mutts, the possibilities would be endless!!
Frogs!
LOONS! Who else would be so perfectly primed to make the world’s best knitting collection inspired by the Minnesota state bird?
You know you want to see those pops of red in the sea of black and white ….
Fish! Fat, thin, stripes, spots, every kind of patterning you can imagine. What fun that would be!
Dogs! Would love to see some creative dog-inspired patterns. Thanks for the give-away!
Parrots. A wide range of colors with great combinations of color!
The birds of paradise in Papua New Guinea would be amazing, but their plumage is as exciting as their coloration…
I’d love to see scarves inspired by snakes! 🙂
Elephants. They’ve been a recurring theme in my life for the past couple of weeks, in some bizarre ways.
I think falcons could be a great source of inspiration, and I would love to see that.
Favorite animal ever … Dogs, especially yellow labs.
How about Cheetah’s? Thanks for sharing her book. Love the flower hat.
insects – lady bugs – spiders – butterflies – grasshoppers –
Maybe Anna could switch to being a plant person for awhile. I was thinking of all the interesting textures of leaves and even seeds. Maybe a cardigan like Teenguin but “Acorn” with a smooth or linear yoke and a rough texture below the yoke in a beautiful mottled brown yarn. The varieties are endless. How fun!
Knitwear inspired by wildcats came to my mind first — but then butterflies seem intriguing as well (so long as caterpillars are part of the mix…)
Dogs!
Bluebirds – or any bird theme.
Butterflies – it sounds overly sweet and little-girly, but actual butterflies (as opposed to the sparkly incarnations on my daughters’ dresses) could provide so much inspiration.
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I rather fancy subtle variations on a ladybird theme – and I’d be a cheap winner as am based in the UK> By the way I’ve discovered that it’s very easy to end up posting a commentless “comment”. Couldn’t understand what other people were doing when that was posted. Unsure what I did but it wasn’t very hard.
Hmmm… I think something inspired by Dr. Seuss – either colors or shapes or some other things 🙂
Turtles /tortoises. Great texture and patterns.
I rather fancy subtle variations on a ladybird theme – and I’d be a cheap winner as am based in the UK> By the way I’ve discovered that it’s very easy to end up posting a commentless “comment”. Couldn’t understand what other people were doing when that was posted. Unsure what I did but it wasn’t very hard.
Dachshunds for sure!
I, too, have had a longtime interest/love for penguins. This collection is wonderfully fresh. I would like to see her take on Art Deco.
This will sound boring, but I think Anna could do absolute wonders with the theme of sheep!
Ooh. I love that rockhopper shawl. That might be going in the ravelry queue.
As for next animal theme: Red Pandas! They are the best. 🙂
Although large cats spring to mind, my choice would be BUGS! With room to influence color (shiny, glisteny beetles) or texture (fuzzy caterpillars).
How about whales of the sea?All the lovely shades from grey to ocean blues. Textures can be ocean themed currents, waves, fan tail, spouting!
Kangaroos, I love my heritage, they come on all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours and whilst incredibly strong they are incredibly balanced. They also have the cutest joeys in pouches!
I’m going to have to go with birds of prey as well. The patterning and the colors really ring my bell.
I love these designs, especially that they are so wonderful and yet not so obviously penguin-y. My first thought for another source of inspiration was the zebra, but maybe that’s too obvious.
Love the marling. I just drove my husband to the train station on this rainy morning and I was admiring the dark, wet pavement, trying to figure out how to replicate it in knitting and marling is the answer! Anyway, I think giraffes would be a fun theme.
I’m going with giraffes as well. Stunning beautiful animals!
My vote is for turtles – I could see a lot of great textures coming from that.
Phoenix…… vibrant colours and possibly mythical shapes
Robins
I have always been obsessed with penguins (my ornament collection can confirm this), and I am going to have to go with hedgehogs for the next exploration. Imagine the textures! I also love the idea of insects, or dogs, or rabbits.
Oh, terriers! Or birds. I would be interested in knitting either of those. I loved the book Knit Your Own Dog by Sally Muir. Of course I haven’t knitted either of my dogs (they are very complicated!) but I love looking through the book nonetheless.
And birds, because, put a bird on it. No, actually my husband is a birder and I would knit him something with a bird on it- hat, gloves, etc.
I would live to see Anna’s take on a foliage theme. Grasses or trees.
Hello! I’d like to see something in the Frog Prince theme or a Pug, either would be fun. Thanks!
Oh my goodness, that shawl! Although I am partial to puffins over penguins, I’m guessing a slight color change would be all that’s needed … Thanks for the giveaway!
Hummingbirds
Above all else, thank you both for coming home to roost. You were missed! Not to suck up or anything but….I’ve knit more items from your first Modern Daily book than all my other books combined. Ask my friends. They’re sick of me talking about it. Except the friend who gifted me the book several years ago. She quite smug and pleased with herself.
As for the theme for Anna’s next book. The sky….infinite colors, textures, and moods. Or chickens….again, infinite colors, textures, and moods.
Linda
Bunnies, please!
Koalas!
Turtles or tortoises
Butterflies
Sheep. Things with a lot of texture, natural colors with a shock of color here and there.
Another vote for owls 🙂
Intriguing book! Lichens!
Salmon offers wonderful possibilities!
Frogs! All things green and maybe colors that include the tropical poisonous ones!
I am thinking a beetle. They are versatile in size, color, and form.
I think my vote is for the bluebird, or a blue jay. Although another fun one might be the flamingo.
Not sure there’s enough variation in age stages, but chipmunks have fun details, too.
Pygmy owls!!
As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I would have to get it. Before we were married, my husband worked in Antarctica for years, mostly during their summers but with an occasional winter-over, so our love of penguins goes way back!! As does my love of knitting!
Anna’s book is stunning!!! I love it. Unfortunately, buying knitting books for myself is not in process now – but I’ll pass it on to a relative in case they need an idea for a Christmas gift for me.
I’d like the next animal for Anna to take up to be either the manatee or the capybara. They each need representation in the knitting world because they are underrepresented and very soft spoken.
Cats for sure!
Well, of course Ms. Maltz should choose whatever excites her imagination, and of course there’s a whole universe of wonders to choose from . . . but I’m going to say astronomy. Because I really want the whole universe in my knitting.
I agree: “Humboldt” is genius. My favorite combination of neutrals, too.
Butterflies!
Butterflies? Just think of the colors!
Fat little birds–like goldfinches but chubbier
Agreed with Gretchen – astronomy. A universe of inspiration.
Well, my daughter is Pisces so I’ve been looking for fish patterns. In fact, astrology would be a fun inspiration!
What intriguing designs! I need to get mittens done and love her fresh take. I’d like to see a designer take a new look at…hmmmm…I guess I’d call it wildlife textures. Just focus on the patterning of zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, etc…not on one specific animal but rather a selection of many prints.
I would love to see Anna’s take on sea and sky; there are so many variations of color, texture, and mood.
Pigs!
Woodpeckers
I love these designs! My suggestion for the next book is owls because they are my son’s favorite creature.
I think hedgehogs would be great, though I’m liking the other suggestions. Or puffins. This book looks great!!
I would agree with the above vote for foxes!
So tremendously lovely! I’m crazy fond of leopard, which gets my vote, but I’m sure she would do incredible work with any of the range of options laid out here (salmon!).
Lots of great ideas in the comments. She’s done so much with the fairly limited color palate of penguins, I’d love to see what she would do with the wider palate of parrots.
Turtles, thinking of color and pattern possibilities!
Armadillos! Definitely some wonderful knitty texture waiting to be explored there ?
I think a tree theme might be interesting. There’s seasonal color, flowers, berries, texture with bark and leaf types, and roots that run deep or shallow.
Because Anna’s designs reflect interests in and influences of the natural world, geometry, and math, I agree with everyone above who suggested designs based on plant themes. But sunsets (the solar system) and honeybees as suggested above are also rich with design possibilities. But as a botanist who recently visited Kew Gardens, I would have to go with plants.
Bees!
otters
Bees
Oh what to do when offered a blank slate as a theme? ??? Ok I will go wih my old reliable and personal favorite since childhood (complete with perfect neutral shades and a “pop” of soulful blue), Siamese cats!
How about a lovely (old) city — Prague, say. Or even one architecturally interesting building? Love the marlisle idea. Going to swatch that soon!
I also vote for Phoenix – they have some interesting stages.
I’d love to see some more exploration of graphic patterning—stripes, squares, chevrons, etc.
I’d love to see a collection inspired by dragonflies or beetles
I would suggest the goat since it is my chinese horoscope and we are still in the year of the goat :-)))
Trees, please! I want to be tangled up in roots and branches. But in a subtle, artsy way, of course.
Octopus/squid/cephalopods, especially because of the color changing and camouflage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-LTWFnGmeg
I love the marlisle! And the petal hat is wonderful!
I would suggest “gnomes” as an inspiration. They wear hats, and they’re wee clothes would translate well to wooly goodness.
as a theme animal: a Manta, that is a giant ray. a fascinating fish!
Ostriches. Enough of a challenge to be daunting and stimulating. Lots of long necks and bustles and opulent feathery work.
Or elephants. Gray, baggy, yet elegant at the same time – you could do a lot of things with fit and texture.
Peacocks!!!beautify colours
Love this. Next book how about winter birds. Lots of browns and beiges to work with and some red and black.
How about bunnies? This book looks amazing!
Sticking with the penguin colors, how about a zebra inspired collection?
cephalopods!
Squirrels – the mascot of every knitter and their ever loving primary distraction – yarn.
Space exploration – seems to be there’re plenty of interesting shapes and colours on and around a spaceship (just to be clear – nothing sci-fi or made up).
I’m thinking of hats like the skull caps the astronauts wear, or leg warmers like space boots. Maybe garments inspired by saturn’s rings?
Was not expecting to LOVE these patterns so much! Brava!!
Giraffes, of course. 😉
I vote for flamingoes – pink, black and white! Loving the penguin patterns – which to make first?!! I’ve knitted with island wool yarns – tried all three and keep coming back to them. So this collection is perfect in every way 🙂
Water! Not just oceans and lakes, but steam, ice, and the things we make with water: coffee, lemonade, slurpies, bubble tea…….
Hedgehogs.
Hawks or some other bird of prey
I’d love to see an elephant theme. I’ve just moved back from Thailand and these beautiful creatures definitely deserve the love!
Brickwork or clay tiles
Love that Humboldt stitch and pattern! I was just at the Columbus Zoo to see the penguin exhibit – fascinating fellows!
I am also fascinated with owls and hawks – the different sizes and colors are amazing!
Thank you for the opportunity to win the book, pattern and lovely yarn!
A sea creature theme would provide all sorts of inspiration.
Puffins!
Sloths are under represented.
A hedgehog – the shape, the colour, the spikes!
So creative! I’m torn between color (birds) and texture (hedgehogs, porcupines) but I think fish would be interesting!
Birds of Paradise! Amazing colors, curling, swaying, tendril-like feathers, fantastical morphing shapes, hypnotic dances – they’ve got enough going on to inspire several collections. KittenWhiplash on Rav thanks you for this giveaway.
hedgehogs or bunnies
Parrot fish! all those spots and stripes.
koalas- you could do a lot with the ears and nose.
Foxy foxes ! Definitely !
I would love to see what she would do with FISH!
Peacocks or butterflies. Lots of shapes and colors there to play with 🙂
Thanks for the contest!
I think snakes would be a good choice, not as cute as penguins but their texture and colors could be fun to research and “recreate” with knitting!
Love the marlisle! Hmmm…next theme… can’t decide between deserts –colors and layers — or clouds!
Rain would make a fantastic theme, in my mind at least…
Flamingoes definitely!
I think foxes would be wonderful.
Leaves!
I love anything sheep. So sheep of any variety would be my choice.
Wow, this is such a cool interpretation of penguins! My favorite animal is the elephant, so I would be interested to see what Anna would do with that.
Ooo, a parrot! All those colors!
Spanish tiles!
I’d love to see what she’d do with sea horses! I am fascinated by seahorse a!
Elephants! Did anyone else say elephants?!
Anna is so creative…I’d love to see her take on leaves and floral designs. Her Instagram feed is a treat.
Sparrows or warblers- so much variety and color . Even the lowly house sparrow hasa fascinating mix of colors on the back
/wings. The juncos are so cute andvaried. And the warblers- oh my!
Or cats.
Spiders.
Parrots, endless color combinations and designs.
I have to admit my first thought was Killer whales , Orca lots of dramatic contrast there.
Thanks for the chance.
I’m commenting to join with 4 previous writers who hope for a flamingo-themed knitting book. Too fun.
The yellow umbrella in the top photo immediately brought to mind the book “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” for me. Penguins are wonderful!
True confession: I grew up with a taxidermied Gentoo penguin. As a young lady my grandmother had a sea-faring boyfriend who traveled to Antarctica. He shipped to my grandmother a preserved penguin in a crate as a love token. She broke up with him immediately but kept the penguin.
My grandmother passed the penguin on to my mother, and it stood in a corner on our kitchen counter for most of my childhood. It was strangely soothing to stroke its feathers, especially the downy ones right where a chick would have been kept warm. (A-hem.) Eventually, as her moral and ethical conscience was elevated in the 1970s, my mother could no longer stand to look at the poor penguin.
When mother learned a friend’s college-age son was an intern at the natural history museum, she passed the penguin on to him. He took it to work, and it was accepted as a donation to the museum. My mother was surprised the museum wanted it. My sister and I were heartbroken. We both cried all afternoon the day we came home from school to find the penguin gone. It’s laughable now, but at the time we felt we had been hoodwinked!
Holsteins. Ok – that’s more black and white, but holsteins.
YES! As a former dairy farmer I was going to say cows, especially Holsteins.
coral!
coral!!!
I am partial to felines, foxes, and seals. And bears, definitely bears.
I think Hummingbirds would be very interesting!
in homage ( in a French accent please) to Mademoiselles Olive and Artie- Dogs of course
She already covered it with Penguin! My favorite! I suppose another nautical inspiration could be the manatee. 🙂
I would like to see a book based on sea shells.
Humboldt is brilliant!!! All through undergrad I was known as the Penguin Lady (well, that and Joan of Art) as I used a little penguin as a sort of stamp/seal.
Black and white = my fav.
But I’d love to see the wonderful things she’d come up with if she turned her attention to rabbits.
Or chickens.
Lynxes!!
Harpy eagles!
Orangutans and the great apes.
Love Susan’s idea of tree bark…
A robin, or some bird that signifies Spring, after the grayness of winter.
But a clever concept … having fun with design.
I would like a book based on geara and old machines. My sons are fascinated by such things and will fight over who gets to play with the corkscrew/flying robot. (We leave a cork on the end for safety.)
Whales, for sure!
Sparrows!
Squirrels! Kittens! Clouds! Icicles! (Is that spelled right? It looks funny…) I wish I had imagination like Anna’s, to manage to imagine designs like these.
Dragonflies & damsel flies. They come in so many fascinating variations
maybe a snake, not because I really like them but my grandson sure does and I think the graphic possibilities are strong.
Love the patterns, photos, styling……..
I am slightly obssesed with puffins, so would love a bookinspired by those. But in case this is too close to the penguins, spiders would also be interesting.
Insects!
Poppies!
Elephants
Horses. Lots of graphic and stitch pattern potential–pintos and paints, bays with black markibgs, chestnuts with white markings, palominos, manes and tails, etc.
That’s an excellent book! I am sure that lots of people have already suggested beetles, with their many and wonderful variations – and that would be my suggestion too.
I’m definitely in favor of the Koalas and Sheep 🙂 And, love that cardigan, Teenguin.
How about the wonderful Hare..dancing wildly in the chilly March wind.
Bears! Polar, black, grizzly, drop*. They are the polar opposite of penguins, get it? Ha ha. *except the drop bear which is of course all antipodean.
I knew exactly what teenguin was the moment I saw it- I got to see young king penguins on Macquarie island and they look exactly like that! Nice work!
Food based themes. I love the way Anna has taken penguins and designed some amazing garments that stand up on their own. If you didn’t know it was penguin inspired you’d just think what a great shawl etc. Yet they are so penguiny. I think food could be amazing in her hands, some really unusual designs. Maybe breakfast themed or Sunday lunch or ice cream. This would bring together my two obsessions food and knitting!
Trees. Texture, color, shapes and angles all available to explore.
Thanks for this excellent preview of Anna’s new book.
I wonder what Guinea Pigs might inspire ?
Like others commenting, I would love to see Anna’s interpretation of space, the universe!
Elephants! I have a life long obsession with them
Painted Bunting! Anna Maltz is all about adding color to the dreary day.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/nyregion/painted-bunting-bird-making-rare-brooklyn-visit-adds-color-to-a-dreary-day.html?referer= Painted Bunting, a Rare Visitor to Brooklyn, Gives Birders Cause to Stare
Irreverent, very clever, adaptable and playful, I have long been fascinated by mocking birds. I can imagine Anna having lots of fun with them!
Anna took the easy route and picked a cutesy lil animal, I’d like to see her pick something grotesque haha! That manatee idea seems like a real challenge, imagine mittens with useless fingernails on them?? But seriously a fungus theme could be fun, u could put abnormal growth anywhere!!
How about otters?
Lighthouses
Hummingbird
Deer would be so cool – such beautiful colors!
Dogs definitely.
Anna’s book looks amazing !
I love the egg’s idea ! What about vegetables ? or food ?!
Thanks for the giveaway !
I think there should be a collection featuring MUTTS, those dogs that everyone owns and loves, those dogs that have the best of all worlds at least in the eyes of the humans in their lives. Don’t we do that with knitting, too? We take a great pattern and add something different that we love – we change the color, we adjust the sleeve length, we add buttons – and it’s better for us (cuter, comfier, lovelier). It’s an adorable MUTT (though I’m sure there is a more glamorous word that will inspire a creation of knitting patterns).
Love to win my best friend is obsessed with penguins.
The next book should be moose!
I love her use of grey & yellow – a favorite color combination of mine. That could be a theme. Either that or anything fair isle. I’d love to learn that technique.
Sunrises. Or dawn. Or both together.
I’m thinking butterflies would be interesting.
Raptors! Every spring my son and I watch the Hawks, Perigrine Falcon and Bald Eagles nest and hatch their eggs on various bird cams ( Cornell, Decorah Eagles, Umass Amherst & Lowell). I want a yarn dyer to do a raptor inspired collection of yarns and patterns.
Beetles?
Love everything about this book! The patterns, the style of the pictures and the whole concept of it. Hard to say what would be as good as penguins. Maybe tulips or insects or the weather?
Flamingos would be nice and colorful. But I do love the black-and-white creatures.
I love penguins. I love the way they inspired her knits!! I am even more partial to Puffins!!!
Fish, the pet kind. They’re grand.
I suggest either the great British children’s books or the works of her favorite author.
Cars. Was I supposed to name an animal? If so, then beetle, rabbit, jaguar, fox, pinto, ram, cougar, stingray, mustang.
I watched the penguins in Sea World San Diego ads with new appreciation!
Cats of all kinds are my favorite animals.
Sea shells have such beautiful colors, textures, and shapes that I’m sure Anna would be inspired to create amazing designs.
I can’t wait to receive my copy of the book and start making those mittens!
I would love to see a book inspired by weather patterns or diatoms as the central motif.
LW
As far as I’m concerned, bunnies should be everyone’s #1 favorite animal.
Winter trees, because you could have so much fun with texture–cables and wandering twisted stitches–but also because when silhouetted against the sky, they can be very graphic. I also love how the colors seem muted from a distance, yet up close have variety and depth.
Rabbits. Charming creatures, full of inspiration!
I love reading your blog and am so happy you are back. I do wish I could “pinch” my tablet screen to increase the type size on my screen. Is this a feature you would consider for those of us who don’t knit on needles smaller than 4s and can only knit back and navy on sunny days?
I am into waterfalls – heaps of colors and diagonals and pattern. Haven’t thought of how to base any knitting on it!
What a great review! Makes me want the book desperately.
My vote goes to Alpacas for the next book, she seems to have done Penguins in an amazingly beautiful, graphically strong way, not at all kitschy.
Hedgehogs! Just discovered them. Adorable!
Tulips!
Bricks–many cool knitting patterns could be made using stacked bricks. (The dishrag pattern has always reminded me of bricks.)
I should win this drawing, because my daughter was born on Dec. 9, 41 years ago. I should get something out of being in labor all day besides a kid to raise!
I would like to see iguanas.
Perhaps the parrot could be the inspiration for another book. So many colors, so many ideas. Maltz’s book is lovely to look at.
I love this book theme, so a different one would be difficult to find, but I think something about cats, kittens or felines would be interesting.
I would suggest owls! They are fascinating and unique! I love the patterns and inspiration for this book.
Wombats! Because the fashion industry has ignored wombats for far too long.
I love the penguins, but I think a take on the interesting not-oft seen animals of a zoo would be fascinating!
‘Waters’ would be a great subject: Rivers, streams, waterfalls, oceans, ponds!
maybe otters, they are sooooo cute and interesting.
Moss – all different shapes and colors
The northern lights! Think of the colors.
Cute book. Art. Knitting patterns inspired by Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, etc..
Wolves – love the variation in color the coats and eyes have.
Love the Rockhopper and Flower King. Andy Warhol. I’ve been rereading Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Cookbook and I love his simple pen and ink drawings.
New book should be inspired by parrots, color after black and white book.
I’m trying to work through stash but may have to venture into yarn store to look for this book as I have a young friend,#i can for Isaac, that live penquins
I think colorful birds would be a wonderful theme. I absolutely love Humbolt and would be thrilled to win the kit!!
Oh gosh these are fabulous designs, thank you for the thorough look through! I’d love to see yarn and old cars translated into patterns next 🙂
How about Snails? There are some pretty amazing snails in the UK.
Flour. Yep, flour, not flower. The variations of whites, tans, greys, browns, and the texture which can be soo soo fine or filled with bits and pieces. I think it would be very unique 🙂
Elephants please!
Whales or Moths(gorgeous)
I’d love to see orchid-inspired knitting designs. But, really, how can you go wrong when you find your inspiration in nature–there’s just so much from which to choose. For example, have you seen those cobalt blue tarantulas? AMAZING!
Ohh …otters perhaps?
Platypus! and other down-under uniqueness!
Whales!!
Coral reefs!
ooooh this book is so tantalizing! Maybe for the next one, a theme about otters. They are just so cute!