Thursday, April 26, 2007

New Books!

Punk Knits by Share Ross ~ $23.95
Share Ross is addicted to the needle—the knitting needle. A few years back, this punk guitarist and singer wouldn’t have given knitting a second thought. She is a dyed-in-the-wool rocker, and knitting . . . well, knitting was for grannies. Then a friend showed up at her house wearing a scarf that she found totally amazing. When Ross asked her where she’d gotten it, she said she’d knit it herself. Ross was hooked.
With Punk Knits, Ross shares her passion and unorthodox approach to the ancient craft she’s so grateful our grannies preserved. All of the 26 designs—beginner- to intermediate--level projects that include arm- and leg-warmers, scarves, miniskirts, hats, and sweaters—draw their inspiration from the style and independent spirit of rock ’n’ roll legends like Sid Vicious, Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, and the New York Dolls, and they’re all modeled by pierced and tattooed Hollywood rock ’n’ rollers and scenesters.
If you think knitting can’t be punk, consider this from Ross: “Knitting can be as artistic as you want. You can make a statement. And by knitting garments instead of buying them, you can snub the corporations that strip away your individuality.” So what’s not punk about knitting?

SHARE ROSS, currently an avid knitter/designer and the guitarist and singer for the award-winning independent rockers Bubble, formerly played bass for the platinum-selling EMI recording artists Vixen. Her knitwear designs have appeared in the magazine Knit.1 and the book Stitch ’n Bitch Nation. She lives in Los Angeles. Los Angeles–based artist and musician BAM ROSS shoots publicity shots for rock/punk bands and has created CD and album artwork for The Dogs D’Amour, Bubble, The Blessings, and The Wildhearts. He has also directed videos and edited commercials for Geffen, Dreamworks, and Universal Records. Visit his website at bam13films.com.



Runway Knits by Berta Karapetyan ~ $39.95
For more than two decades, New York City fashion maven Berta Karapetyan has been creating gorgeous high-end knit-wear, designing awe-inspiring sweaters, and working as a technical knitwear developer for the likes of Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein, as well as Banana Republic and Gap. Now, after founding the highly successful and inventive yarn company Karabella Yarns, Berta focuses her keen designer’s eye on the sophisticated knitting patterns revealed here in Runway Knits.
From ruffled sweaters to fur-trimmed scarves and serious jackets, there’s something for everyone in this stunning collection of thirty designs. The book is divided into four sections: spirited, featuring bold and adventurous outfits that demand attention; playful, which includes lively and eye-catching items of all kinds; demure, designs for the modest girls or those who just like to play coy; and driven, outfits for career-minded women.
Packed with plenty of lavish color photographs as well as clear techniques and construction methods for creating thirty must-have designs, Runway Knits is sure to inspire any level of knitter—novice, intermediate, or expert.

Berta Karapetyan founded The Karabella Company in 1993. It quickly became a coveted resource among New York’s top designers for developing knit collections. Clientele includes Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Anna Sui, Banana Republic, and Gap. Berta later launched Karabella Yarns in New York City, a wholesale yarn division that has rapidly become one of the most innovative yarn companies today.




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