I’d almost forgotten what this feels like.

The unadulterated thrill of holding a freshly-minted pattern book in my hands.

Not just a pdf printout or a leaflet, mind you, but an honest-to-goodness book. A full three hundred and sixteen pages, no less.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the digital age. I love the instant availability of patterns. And of course, I love video learning (so of course we have the perfect masterclass to go along with this book).

But I do occasionally long for the days when boxes full of brilliant books would arrive at my yarn store…for those magical moments when the latest Rowan magazine would arrive.

And so it is with tremendous pleasure that I present the latest book from the brilliant Åsa Söderman: “Ziggurats: Colour & Texture.”

I first learned of this book years ago, when I was chatting with Åsa about her Knit Stars Masterclass. At that time, she referred to it as “book the next,” and told me about how she couldn’t stop adding designs, so that it was ever-expanding and might never actually be published.

So when she reached out a few months ago and said “It’s done!” I told her I’d be honored to be one of the first to tell people about it.

I pointed out that “book the next” has become “book the now.” And now that I have a copy in my hands, I can say wholeheartedly, that’s exactly what it is. A very modern, very now take on Åsa’s signature, completely-seamless Ziggurat method.

And I asked Åsa a simple question. Why this book, and why now?

“Why? Because I seem to have forgotten how much hard work it involved. I hear it’s the same with having children – some sort of forgetting erases the memory of pain and hardship and you only remember the joy. I’m insanely proud of my new book – a work of love and sweat and tears and also collaborative joy.”

“I’m beaming with joy each time I lay my eyes on it.”

“But why a book? It makes much more sense as a designer to publish a steady trickle of patterns,” she continued. “Well, I like the solidity of a book. Solidity in contrast to the ephemeral and ethereal whiplash-y fast world of social media and scrolling. I also just like books in general. I like turning physical pages. The book is not only a solid home for my designs, but also for the detailed photo tutorials that I truly enjoy making.”

“In my new book I take knitters along on new Ziggurat adventures. I have taken the hard work and difficult choices out of the equation so knitters can play confidently with colours and textures and still achieve the exceptionally well-fitting Ziggurat yoke. There is an explosion of colours and textures, but simple and sparse stitch patterns, too.”

“If I had to say in just one sentence what it is I think I’m doing, whether putting it into books or presenting it online: I design stylish and fun seamless sweaters that fit and flatter your frame.”

“From there you can build what you like – a slim, fitted sweater or a loose and relaxed one. Of course, knitters should wear precisely what they like, but personally I find that a nicely tailored yoke makes for a good silhouette – which is perhaps not super important for young slim things on whom just about everything looks good, but it can work wonders for the rest of us.”

So, why did it take so much time? I ask.

“Because I don’t work linearly or rationally, but circularly and ‘hoveringly’…Any sane designer would knit just one sample of a new design and be done with it. I get too curious and excited about possibilities and have to cast on more (sometimes many more) versions. At times even with the very same yarn but in a different colour.

There are five versions (so far..) of Jatoba cardigan, for example.”

“There are also two Snårvindor (plural of Snårvinda in Swedish). Two Over the Ha-Ha. Four (five?) Bobadilles. Two Braxas, two Abraxas. Two Jarrahs. Two Virrvarr. I could go on. Not all are completed, but many are near completion. I even forgot that I had knitted most of a second version of Girlang and started another in the very same colours…”

“I may have an additional slightly hidden agenda for making books and promoting books: knitting is or can be a respite, a time away from demands to perform and to produce, and away from consuming information and news. By providing my patterns in the solid form of a book, I don’t tempt knitters to do more scrolling than they already do.”

You can check your local yarn shop for Åsa’s new book, or if you’re in North America, try ordering online from Yarn Culture here. In Europe, it’s available online from Pascuali through this link.

And here’s a fun freebie – you can download this free 12-page pdf from Åsa’s site here, and have fun playing with colors for your next Zigurrat. How cool is that?

As Åsa likes to close all her emails…”Knit with abandon! And joy!”

xoxo

What’s the perfect pairing to Åsa’s new book?

Her Knit Stars Masterclass, of course!

Åsa’s cinematic masterclass from Knit Stars Season 5 was so popular, we made it one of the few available as a standalone, and it has been consistently one of the top two sellers. Her Ziggurat method for making (mostly) seamless sweaters that really fit is so transformative and empowering, and her personality will have you energized and smiling from ear to ear!

To celebrate the release of Åsa’s new book, we’ve put her single masterclass on sale for the rest of October, here. Get it for just $47 (regularly $97) and start enjoying it right away.

Here’s just some of the rave reviews we’ve gotten for Åsa’s Knit Stars masterclass…

Last week I teased that I had gotten a special delivery from Knit Collage, but I couldn’t reveal which design I’d decided to do for their fall Knitalong.

That’s because this design was a top-secret bonus that they just revealed Friday. So now I can spill the beans!

I’m making Cheryl Kubat’s Wandering Vine Cardigan, using Knit Collage’s Sister yarn as a base, and embellishing with Wildflower minis. It feels so creative and freeing to me, and I’m really relishing making it my own.

There are long and short versions, and the lighter colors really show off the vine motif, but I feel like my black version will really fit seamlessly into my cozy winter wardrobe.

You can shop all the available Knit Collage fall Knitalong kits here (my affiliate link – thank you!).

And if you feel especially drawn to my version, they’ll even make a custom kit for you! Just email them at [email protected] or call 401-232-4522.

I can’t wait to see what you make! I’ll be there in the Knit Collage app, hanging out with y’all as we stitch along. They have really great tutorials, too!

Photo credit: New York Times Cooking

Olive Oil and Chile-Fried Eggs

This week’s recipe from NYT Cooking is less of a recipe and more of a trick. But I love it so much, I’ve already made it twice! I eat a lot of eggs for protein, but sometimes I just get tired of the same scrambled-or-fried-or-omelette routine. This little trick give you extra-crispy edges and plenty of spice – a great way to rev up your morning!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• Salt
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 small red chile, such as Fresno, thinly sliced, or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions:

1. Pour the oil into a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering (about 3 minutes), crack the eggs into the skillet one by one. The whites will make a big, splattery fuss, but don’t mind them, because you’re in control. Season each egg with salt and cook, spooning some of the hot oil over the whites until the edges begin to get crispy, browned and lacy, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Remove the skillet from the heat and scoot the eggs a bit to the edge, so you can sprinkle the garlic, paprika and sliced red chile into the hot oil. Move the pan around and watch the flaming-red oil begin to stain the whites, then serve.