BEA 2010

BEA 2010 was recently held at the Javits Center. It was actually during the week (as opposed to on a weekend) this year which I think was great for publishers. The floor was actually pretty crowded, which was a great sign that having the show during the week is a good thing. I wandered around connecting with old friends in the industry and nabbed some crafty catalogs. In general, I found that there are a LOT less knitting books on the horizon this year than there were in past years, but that there are a lot more sewing books. I do, however realize that I missed a few publishers I normally hit up and while I didn't think that Interweave was there because they weren't with the group they used to be with, they actually were, and I totally missed their catalog. :(

I should also mention that I'm taking full advantage of the new Amazon Associates program that Blogger and Amazon have teamed up on. In return for my linking to amazon (which I do all the time!), if someone actually buys something from one of my links, I get a (small) cut. Why not, eh? Just wanted to mention it in the spirit of full disclosure. If it feels too pushy, just let me know. On the up side, the Amazon Associates program will totally liven up this blog post with nifty boxes of the books being reviewed (when they're on Amazon).

At any rate, here's a recap of what I've found in the catalogs!

STEWART TABOORI & CHANG
$27.50 | October | Hardcover

I'm sure we all remember Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top. While that book is an immensely useful resource, McGowan's Modern Top-Down Knitting gives Walker's book a bit of a face-lift for these modern times. The book is actually endorsed by Walker herself, a coup for McGowan. Modern Top-Down Knitting includes patterns not just for dresses, but also for dresses, skirts, tunics and accessories. This one is sure to be a captivating inspiring resource!




$27.50 | September | Hardcover

Go ahead, tell me you don't love the cover of this book. It's freaking adorable, isn't it?! The projects from Joelle's last book were really great. Somehow, I think that this book will be just as good, if not better. Personally, I'm ready to knit that hershey kiss hat for bunches of kids this winter!









CHRONICLE

$29.95 | October | Hardcover

I do love Amy Butler's fabric prints. I also have a love affair with bags. I sometimes even sew. So logically, I'm pretty excited about sewing some nifty Amy Butler bags from this book. I have found some of her pattens to be a little bit complicated, so I'm hoping that her bag book won't be as difficult as other patterns I've tried to make of hers. The description does say that the book includes only 12 basic patterns for bags, however, if you're familiar with her style, you might realize that those 12 basic patterns will be able to create even more different looks (26 according to the catalog).



ANDREWS MCMEEL PUBLISHING
All Wound Up (I'm surprised this isn't on Amazon yet)
$16.99 | September | Hardcover | Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

This is kind of a no brainer. If you knit and you have a sense of humor, you're obviously going to want to buy this book. It's really a shame that the book isn't listed on Amazon yet, because the cover is absolutely adorable.

$14.99 | November | Paperback

I know, I know, you have a knee jerk reaction to hate anything Ed Hardy. I know that having the sentence "Hardy's tattoo-inspired art is carried at stores ranging from Nordstrom to the Saks companies and is a regular favorite of cast members on Jersey Shore" doesn't quite sell it to you either (keep in mind that these catalogs are targeted towards buyers at bookstores, not the public). However, you have to admit that tattoo art makes a much better cross stitch design than those lame Laura Ashley flowers. I'm not going to lie, this is totally going on my wish list. I can totally see having some sort of Ed Hardy cross stitch pattern framed in my bathroom. I also need to mention for your stitchers out there that there's a similar Manga Cross stitch book out there!

 WORKMAN

$17.95 | November | Paperback

You may be thinking I reviewed this last year. As things are so often the case in publishing, this book seems to have been delayed. More time on the book, however, means it's going to be one awesome book though, right? I know I use her first book constantly to refer to techniques for the basics. I'm hoping this will be an amazing reference of advanced techniques I can refer back to like the first book.






STOREY

$18.95 | October | Paperback

So, the first One-Skein Wonders
book was rather meh. I did end up buying 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders: A world of possibilities inspired by just one skein and thoroughly enjoyed it (I know it's silly, but I still can't wait to knit something from it - there are many contenders). I must say that with all this sock yarn I've accumulated, even though I love knitting socks, it'll be great to get some other ideas as to how to use it. I'm really looking forward to perusing this book and hope to make some awesome things out of it!




POTTER CRAFT

$22.99 | October | Paperback

I'm not sure about this one. It seems to be rather short and is somewhat expensive. I am, however, totally in love with one of the sweaters I see on the spreads here. A massive cowl with ribbing that changes around the waist.










$22.99 | November | Paperback with Flaps

I recently read Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously, which is about the author's quest to complete an Alice Starmore Sweater. I was quite inspired by this book to knit an Alice Starmore Sweater actually (I'll write a review sometime soon!). However, since I haven't knit too much with color, it might be a good idea to practice first. I have loved each of Melissa Leapman's previous books on cables. I tend to gravitate towards her cabled afghan patterns. I'm very much looking forward to her modern take on color knitting. Also, if anyone's interested, it looks like her previous books on cables are available in paperback.


WATSON-GUPTILL

$19.99 | October | Paperback

I'm not a huge fan of knitting stuffed animals. I knit the Baby Bobbi Bear because it has no seams and it's all knit in one piece and there's really no sewing. That being said, all the wild animals in this book are adorable. There are several different spreads in the book pictured. Of all of them, I think the giraffe is probably my favorite. With all my friends having babies these days, I think this book might be a great investment.






$29.99 | November | Paperback

Lorna Miser, founder and original owner of Lorna's Laces authors this helpful book on dealing with variegated yarns. Now, I personally have a TON of variegated yarn in my stash. Certainly, I have a lot of sock yarn (which is a whole other book), but I do also have some bigger variegated yarn. It will be great to hear tips from the master of variegated yarn how to best show off the undulating colors of variegated yarns. There are also several projects specifically for hand-dyed and variegated yarns.





$22.99 | November | Paperback

I've been rather fascinated by dying. This weekend I'm going to a dying party actually, and while I think we're using Kool-Aid instead of hollyhock or indigo, these natural dyes are just as interesting and even more fascinating. The little bit that I've seen of this book (and understanding it's a revised and updated edition) certainly conveys excitement and inspiration, even though I'm not a big dyer.






STASH BOOKS
Lunch Bags! 25 Handmade Sacks & Wraps to Sew Today
$15.95 | July | Binding TBD

You know, the bags in this book look so cool that I think I'd actually be inspired to bring my lunch more.


DOVER

$29.95 | September | Paperback

This is a new and expanded version of Alice Starmore's previously published Aran Knitting which has been out of print for 10 years. The sell piece boasts 60 charted patterns for caps, sweater and shawls, as well as 2 new pattersn. It also claims that the revised work includes expanded size charts, as well as new photography and re-knitted patterns. I think you'll agree that this beats getting the previous edition somewhere online for $250-$300, right?
 





$24.95 | September | Hardcover

Calling all EZ fans. Dover's re-publishing the Knitter's Almanac in hardcover! There's a new introduction by Meg Swansen and a preface by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee! They've even re-shot the book so ti'll include all new color photos of the patterns that have been re-knit in more modern yarns. I hope this refresh might get EZ into the hands of newer knitters that haven't quite realized her awesomeness. It's taken quite a while for me to realize that patterns older patterns can be awesome and don't always look out dated when they're finished.

Represent @ BEA

Yup! That's me from the Yarn Harlot's autograph line. My sock, frolicking with her sock. She was brilliant as usual, she recognized my Roundabout Leaf Tank from Knitting Nature.

This was the second time I got the chance to go to BEA, and I have to say I liked it a lot more than the first time. The first time I was completely overwhelmed. It is quite overwhelming when you realize just how much there is there. But if you go through the show methodically, it's not so bad. The best part about the show (besides meeting the Yarn Harlot, Debbie Stoller, Kay and Ann, God, a guy wearing a giant name-tag that said his name was Scott, and neo-nazi authors - no, I'm not kidding on that one - of course) is getting to see what all the other publishers have going on for the fall. Here's a quick run down by publisher. I wish I had cover art because some of these are beautiful, but alas, since these titles don't pub until the fall, I've got nothing.

WORKMAN

Workman publishes Debbie Stoller and Workman's imprint Storey Publishing, you'll have heard of from the Yarn Harlot. I missed picking up one of their fall catalogs (cause I can be a dope sometimes), but I did pick up a sell piece for Debbie's new book coming out.
Son of Stitch'n Bitch, like always, looks stunningly hip and awesome. I wish this had been around when I was looking for sweater patterns for my brother. This seems to be in this new trend of publishing patterns for men. I'd say DK (my company!) started the most recent burst of men's knitting pattern books with Knitting With Balls by Michael Delveccio. And includes the titles (I'm not linking to them all because I'm lazy): Men who Knit and the Dogs that Love Them and Never Knit Your Man a Sweater. This book will do really well because Debbie Stoller's amazing and the style of the patterns in her book is usually pretty hip and classic at the same time.

STEWART TABORI AND CHANG

My issues with Melanie Falick aside, I really enjoyed the Harry N Abrams booth. Only problem was that the knitting books always seemed to be right behind where a meeting was taking place. The third time i dropped by, I said screw it, and wandered back (respectfully of course) anyway. I was handsomely rewarded.

KnitKnit: Profiles + Projects from Knitting's New Wave by Sabrina Gschwandtner looks to be totally awesome. A verifiable who's who of push-the-envelope knitters. I only saw a few spreads in a dummy book, but I sooo can't wait to see it!

Knitspeak by Andrea Berman Price (seriously, what's up with the compound word titles here?) seems to be a ultimate guide to pattern reading. At 4 5/8" by 6 1/2", it's sized to fit in a knitting bag on the go for when you're stuck on the tarmac with no idea of what a sskpssoktyi (slip slip knit pass slipped stitch over and knit till you're insane - I just made that up, not bad is it?) could possibly mean.

On the short list, they've also got a book on knitting scarves (My hatred for knitting scarves is a topic for another post), knitting classic styled patterns and Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by (guess who!?) Joelle Hoverson. If I ever get a sewing machine, quilting is SOOO next up!

INTERWEAVE

Interweave is obviously awesome (someone please remind me to renew my subscription before it runs out with the fall issue) because they perpetually have their finger on the knitting world's pulse. They've got quite a few books coming out this fall that look hot.

The Best of Interweave Knits is edited by Ann Budd, so you know it should be good. The best patterns, and articles are reprinted here in one tome, which is pretty awesome. My BEA cohort suggested they come up with a pattern index or something similar for their magazines and sell that as well. The woman responded quite well to it. Time will tell.

Knitting Little Luxuries by Louisa Harding also looked pretty cute. I'm sooo not a girly girl, but the items I saw from this really struck me as pretty. Four chapters show Details as luxury, Urban luxury, Feminine luxury, and Warmth as luxury. Looks like some of the projects might be good for a little stash busting too!

The shortlist at the Interweave booth includes Kimono Style, Bag Style (which looked REALLY good! Johanna and I got to see a preliminary copy of spreads and got kinda excited. I don't even like using knitted bags!), and Folk Style (which seemed a lot less folky to me than I generally consider folk, but whatever).

WATSON-GUPTILL

I've no idea what these folks even publish. I just saw yarn on a cover out of the corner of my eye and hurried to the booth to check out the title. There's a couple interesting ones here...Vintage Crochet (which looked good even for a non-crocheter like myself!) and Super Stitches Knitting which is basically a stitch dictionary it looks like.

WILEY

Didn't see a whole lot going on there, but definitely check out Find Your Style and Knit It Too by Sharon Turner, if only for the pattern my Smittin w/Knittin friend conjured up!

I'm sure you can tell it was quite the exhausting show...and that's only the KNITTING/CRAFT section I looked at!! There were quite a few other books (novels etc) there that caught my eye, some I even managed to drag a copy home with me. Maybe I'll share, if you're good!!