50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet & Felt: Review & Giveaway

50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet & Felt
by Kristin Nicholas
St. Martin's Griffin
March 19, 2013; 128 pages

Greetings friends!
The weather this weekend has been unpredictable to say the least!  We had a snow storm one day, and then the next day it was so warm we were able to open the windows and let some wonderful fresh air in.  That can only mean one thing - it's (nearly) spring in New England.  Although our winter has been fairly mild I'm ready for a change.  Since the growing season is still a little ways off, crocheting a sunflower was a terrific way to pass the time and bring some much welcome color to our house.

The pattern and project idea came from "50 Sunflowers".  The wonderful new book by Kristin Nicholas that the kind folks at St. Martin's recently sent me.  Like all of the other books in their Knit & Crochet series, this one is a winner.  Who can resist the variety of beautiful sunflowers that Ms. Nicholas has captured in yarn.  I think it's great that there are both knit and crochet patterns in the same book, making it useful for a larger group of crafters.

As my previous reviews will tell you, there are all kinds of things about these books that I like.  Excellent photography, smart layouts but mainly good patterns.  Every one of them that I have tried has been clearly written and easy to follow.  Often there are charts that accompany the patterns.  I find that they are very helpful in clarifying things. How many stitches I should have in a particular row, or where do I work two stitches into one are common questions for me as I'm working on something new and the charts make it easy to figure out.

I didn't have to look to far before deciding what I was going to make.  It was serendipity that I happened to have a wicker mail basket sitting on my shelf just begging for a great big sunflower to grace it!  I did decide to go with a crochet pattern.  Even though my knitting is coming along really well I'm much more comfortable crocheting in the round.  I'm sure that I would have been able to get something done, but I don't think it would have looked nearly as lovely!

From the Book, Project 6 - Mail Basket (on left) and My Version (on right)!!

Pretty neat huh?  As I was getting ready to write this post I did a bit of looking around the internet for details about the author.  It really is a small world, because what I discovered is that Ms. Nicholas lives in the same region of Massachusetts that I do!  Now we're not next door neighbors, but all things considered we're close enough that I'm sure we've driven on the same roads and shopped in the same stores! It's a rural area so we're pretty lenient about what we consider close by!!  Now are you ready for another bit of coincidence that will make you say wow?? Do you remember about a month ago when I decided it was time to learn how to knit and  I got myself a stack of books from the library?  Well, the first book that I opened up when I got home and the one that I am still referring to on a regular basis because of it's easy to understand illustrations is called Kids Knitting by Melanie Falik.  Guess who illustrated that book?  You got it - Kristin Nicholas!!  Now I'm not sure what the universe is trying to tell me, but I feel confident that there is a message in there somewhere.  It seems like our paths are destined to cross and I'm curious about what the future holds.  In the meantime though I'll settle for making more sunflowers and working on my knitting skills!!

What do you think about that?!?  Now it's your turn!  I'm giving away a copy of "50 Sunflowers" to one lucky winner.  It's free and easy to enter and I just know that you're going to love this book!  If you're interested in purchasing a copy it goes on sale on March 19. You can get a signed copy from the author herself by following the link on her blog, Getting Stitched on the Farm. You can also find it on Amazon and other retailers.

Here's Your Chance to Win a Copy for Your Collection

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A few things about the giveaway.  First, please know that the books that St. Martin's sends me are newly published or advance copies that they have asked me to review.  The opinions that I express are my honest views about the books and are not influenced in anyway by the publisher.  Second, I'm sure it says it somewhere, but this giveaway ends on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at midnight.  I'll announce the winner within 48 hours. And finally, this giveaway is open to everyone everywhere.  If I can mail it to you through the USPS please feel free to enter!

Good Luck! and Thanks for Visiting!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
I hope you enjoyed the review and will take a moment to enter the drawing.
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!