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looking forward to...

a random assortment of things that recently came out, or are soon to be published, that i want to get my grubby paws on!

1.  superchunk's new album, majesty shredding,  out sept. 14, 2010.  it's been too long, and i'd all but given up. will be getting this one tomorrow for sure, come hell or high water!

2.  brave new knits by julie turjoman, out aug. 31, 2010.  there's been some buzz amongst my knitting buddies about this book, and i've seen some teaser photos that are enticing - but i think the interview with julie turjoman in shannon okey's book is what piqued my curiosity the most!

3.  knit.sock.love. by cookie a - seemingly will never be published, her website still says it's to be published in the spring of 2010.  amazon says it will be out on dec. 15, and i sure hope that's true so it can be in my christmas stocking!! 

4.  entree to entrelac by gwen bortner - out aug. 17, 2010.   i confess, i've never attempted entrelac.  i've been wanting to make some entrelac socks for a while now, but for some reason this is one knitting technique that still intimidates me.  i'm hoping this book not only demystifies entrelac for me, but also inspires and motivates me to get outside of my knitting comfort zone and try something new!

5.  the big book of knitted monsters by rebecca danger - out jan. 17, 2011.  i'm a huge rebecca danger fan (is it that obvious?  or is it just the sincerest form of flattery?), and even though i probably have several of these patterns already, i'm super excited to get this book.  for starters, i dyed some of the yarn that she used while was still at lorna's.  but more importantly, i will be several steps closer to amassing an army of monsters to have at my disposal.  cue the evil laughter.

6.  knitting mochimochi by anna hrachovec - out june 29, 2010.  i am super remiss in buying this! one of my favorite things i've ever made is one of anna hrachovec's patterns (the stackable cats), so i am really excited to check this book out and make some cute knitted amigurumis! 

7.  grinderman's new record, 2, also out sept. 14, 2010 - i'm a much bigger bad seeds fan than i am of this other nick cave project, but honestly, anything that guy touches turns to gold, and he's only getting better with age.  so this record will most likely be worth picking up, even if it takes me a while to get around to it.  i'm sooo lazy about buying music these days!

8.   modern top-down knitting by kristina mcgowan, out oct. 1, 2010 - i love top-down knits (no seaming!) and i think barbara g. walker is the bomb, so i have high hopes for this book!

9. modern knits, vintage style by kari cornell and jennifer simonson, out oct. 10, 2010 - i'm a sucker for vintage stuff. i have a whole stack of vintage knitting pamphlets and books, which someday i will adapt and knit for myself - til then, i'll let other people do that task for me!  i'm not super-wowed by the image they chose for the cover, which brings me to the next point...

10.  Vintage Modern Knits: Contemporary Designs Using Classic Techniques by kate gagnon osborn and courtney kelley, out. feb 22, 2011.  if i were to judge #9 & #10 by their respective covers, i think this one would win.  however, it looks like there's a lot of modernized vintage-style knit books coming out, and i'll just have to wait til i can head to my lys and page through them all before i decide to plunk down my hard-earned cash!

11.  Stitch 'N' Bitch Advanced by debbie stoller, out nov. 1, 2010 - i have all of her books, though i can't say i've knitted many of the patterns.  the instructions, however, have helped me out of many a jam, and i love debbie stoller - Bust magazine is the best!  so i will most likely be picking this up out of sheer admiration and devotion - if there's some cool patterns or helpful hints, that's just the icing on the cake!

12.  around the world in knitted socks by stephanie van der linden, out sept. 14, 2010 - i really, REALLY need to make friends with colorwork socks, because these are beautiful, and i want to put them on my feet.  now.  notes to self:  will have to try going up 2 needle sizes, or knitting inside-out.  yes.  colorwork socks, i will vanquish you!

13.  knitted wild animals by sarah keen, out oct. 12, 2010 - despite the fact that i already have a zillion animal pattern books, and usually just make up my own, this looks irresistible and i will still need to have it in my library!

14.  knitting america by susam m. strawn and melanie falick, out may 15, 2011.  i love reading about the history of knitting, and i have to say, once more judging a book by its cover, this looks to be awesome.  i love the images they're found, and it sounds like this book will be full of such photos, along with a detailed and well-researched historical context for them.  sign me up!


meanwhile, i don't want to be a hater, but i just can't get behind the whole vampire thing, and it really makes me roll my eyes when i come across things like Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep You Knitting from Twilight to Dawn.  really?  i can just imagine that meeting - several people in suits sitting around the conference table, talking about how they should get in on this whole vampire craze before people move on to the next logical mythical creature (which, if you're wondering, is a chupacabra, and how the hell do you knit anything for them, much less trap one and get it to stand still long enough to get it on them?).

also not a fan or some of the terrible puns in soon-to-be-published book titles -  a knitting wrapsody? hattitude? all wound up? is it too late to change the title to something that is a little less cheesy? because even if the patterns contained therein are the coolest ever (which honestly, looks to be the case in a few of these instances), i just can't bring myself to own a book with such a groan-inducing pun.  that may say more about me than anything else....regardless, i am clearly not their target demographic.

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