Anti-Authority... Knitting

I learned to knit after a 15 minute lesson during a three day long BORED meeting. To this day my knitting is nothing fancy at all. Promise. I've knit a bridal shawl and crocheted a 52 granny square poncho (you can't bring knitting needles on an overseas flight, so I learned to crochet. 1 trip and 52 squares later...), but really I simply enjoy creating fashion scarves to wear or give away.

The best part of knitting for me is to bargain hunt for yarn or ribbon to pair up in unique combinations and then to have or give away a piece of wearable art. Easy, quick and pretty. I can't not enjoy it.

My favorite to create and wear is a suit scarf, which I make using two ladder ribbon fibers and finish with matching fringe. I'll post a pic of one if I can find a good model. Hmmm, now who do I know... (*winks* I know a model)

I have knit lap pads for hospital patients and a square or five for the "KnitaRiver" campaign. A successful effort to raise world awareness and compassion for countries needing safe, clean water.

I also recently learned that there is World Wide Knit In Public Day (WWKIP). Something in which I plan on participating next year (or whenever a group of knitters wants to gather). Official annual date: June 14th

But apparently there's an even newer fad sweeping the knitting world, and it's... oddly fascinating. The goth, punk and BDSM communities have claimed the notorious knitting needle as a creative medium for their signature fashions. Nope, not kidding.


Pretty in Punk: 25 Punk, Rock, and Goth Knitting Projects
Whether you're new to knitting or a veteran desperately seeking patterns with an edge, you'll find projects here for every mood and every genre. With step-by-step instructions, helpful technical illustrations and intarsia graphs, plus high-fashion photos of all the finished projects, Pretty in Punk is the only authority on anti-authority knitting.
Order, if you dare, here.

Oh, but wait! Like a Ginsu knife offer... There's more!

AntiCraft: Knitting, Beading, and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister
Filled with projects such as the Tough Baby Sweater, the I [Skull] Trouble Tote and a sleek, black duct-tape corset, Anticraft takes an approach much sought after by the growing audience of hot publications like BUST, Ready Made and Craft: transforming traditional crafts into quirky wearable fashion. Featuring a variety of knitting, crochet, stitching and beading projects the book instructs, inspires and entertains.

DomiKNITrix: Whip Your Knitting Into Shape
Mastering knitting skills requires discipline, attitude, and wit to transform a ho-hum stitcher into a badass knitter--a domiknitrix. Stafford uses the dominatrix language well and with humor in this entertaining, beautifully designed, and instructive book. Knitters with the basics (cast on, knit, and purl) will find this a fun and highly instructional book to take them from scarf to structured clothing. What are you waiting for?! Order it NOW, you grovelling worm!