The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book: 26 Patterns Celebrating Four Decades of American Sweater Style

Published 2010


Vintage-inspired projects culled from the archives of the legendary knitwear maker...

Paris, Milan, London … Cleveland? Yes, it's true. For decades, this Midwestern city of grit and steel remained at the forefront of American fashion. Cleveland was home to such garment makers as the Ohio Knitting Mills, which created knitwear designs for department stores from Sears to Saks as well as for hundreds of labels, from Van Heusen to Pendleton.

Author Steven Tatar discovered a treasure trove of mint-condition knitwear and patterns for men and women when he acquired the mill's archive in 2005. Now, working with the original patterns, from the 1940s through the 1970s, he has painstakingly adapted 26 colorful knitwear projects for the home knitter.

The majority of the patterns are for classic mid-twentieth-century women's sweats, from 1956's Abstract Expressionist to 1976's Puppy Love. But there's much more in The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book: men's sweaters like 1954's Father Knows Best, as well as dresses, shoulder bags, ponchos, and scarf sets. Clear directions, supplemented by schematic charts and color guides, make all of the patterns easy to follow, for everyone from beginners to more advanced knitters. The patterns are featured in their original colors (teal and tangerine, ocher and avocado) alongside newer palettes geared to contemporary tastes.

As you create your own versions of such mid-century standbys as New American Gentleman, Rebel Rouser, Wavy Gravy, and Beatnik Babe, there's a lot more to enjoy. No run-of-the-mill knitting guide, this fun-to-peruse book includes vintage photographs; fashion lore, including a visual tour of original labels from national brands, regional department stores, and small-town shops; and interviews with Ohio Knitting Mills employees. All told, this book highlights the ingenuity and excitement of an important American fashion era.

From argyle to zigzag, The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book brings it all back.

Itty-Bitty Toys: How to Knit Animals, Dolls, and Other Playthings for Kids by Susan B. Anderson

Published 2009

Adorable hand-knit playthings, featuring clever twists on classics and enchanting reversibles and interactive toys.

Kids love toys, and toys you make yourself are extra-special. If you could buy these imaginative playthings in stores, they would fly off the shelves! This book features stuffed animals, including a luscious lamb and a gigantic giraffe, and finger-puppet fruits that will delight babies and toddlers. With step-by-step directions, clear diagrams and drawings, and gorgeous photographs, knitters of all levels will find it easy to make the Pull-Toy Mama Duck and Ducklings, the set of Russian nesting dolls, and the Princess and the Pea Set. Even older kids will enjoy these, as well as the Felted Bouncy Ball, a felted version of a Super Ball that's perfect for indoor play. A series of five reversible toys—a frog that turns into a turtle, a mouse that changes into a cat, an egg in a nest that transforms into a blue bird, and so on—showcases the creativity that makes Susan B. Anderson a rising star in the knitting world.

Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson

Beautifully rendered, heartbreakingly adorable, and wonderfully wacky knitted caps for newborns and toddlersThirty-eight million Americans knit, and that number grows every day. The baby hat is the perfect project for knitters of any level, with enchanting patterns that are easy enough for rank beginners but also interesting enough for the most accomplished needle wielders, in yarns that range from silk and linen to cashmere and mohair.Susan Anderson’s Itty-Bitty Hats presents thirty-eight irresistible designs for infants and toddlers—fun, hip, creative patterns with decorative flourishes that are witty, whimsical, and undeniably unique. The projects are arranged by order of difficulty and accompanied by beautiful photographs, instructive how-to illustrations, and utterly clear instructions (with no confusing abbreviations or insider shorthand). Anderson also provides an indispensable introductory section on stitches, materials, equipment, terminology, and techniques, allowing even the most inexperienced knitter to get started confidently.Made for boys and girls, by parents and grandparents, aunts and even uncles, and, of course, best friends, the handmade hat is the perfect shower or birth or birthday gift—and Itty-Bitty Hats is the perfect gift for any knitter.