One of my favorite things about crocheters is the way they play fast and loose with the concept of “dressed” vs. “naked as a jaybird”. I’m all for running naked and free, but it shouldn’t require four skeins of Red Heart and a size 7 hook to get there.

Take this acrylic homage to Cleopatra in chainmail. (Cleo was big into the medieval reenactment scene before anyone even knew what it meant.)

This beach cover-up drapes the model from head to toe and yet, there’s not a whole lot of covering up going on.  My assumption is that she’s wearing a bikini under there, but the bizarre variegation of the yarn appears to be rendering the scraps of clothing she does have invisible. How is this possible? I cannot speak to the magic of crochet, ‘tis a mystic wonder. But I do wish they’d shown us a photo of the reverse grill marks she got after a day of cheerless frolicking in the sun.

You know how sometimes you have a few extra minutes during the day to just relax? For some reason a couple of years ago, I decided I don’t need those any more. I chose instead to fill up those minutes with a new project. This time, it was going to involve yarn AND paper, two of my favorite mediums. It turned out to be way more project than I could handle and I put it aside for a while, then the lovely Caro of Splityarn fame came to my rescue. She’s my knight in wooly armor, that one. This was definitely a two-person job and Caro was the best co-conspirator a gal could ask for.

So almost two years later (seriously, two years!) I am proud to announce that the project is complete and will be ready for public consumption soon! Hopefully by the third week in August. Think of it as a mix tape of vintage style, made with love just for you (and you, and you. Yes, you, too.)

I give you:

Knitting It Old School — 43 Vintage-Inspired Patterns!! We crammed this thing just as full as we could get, then we sat on it to make room and stuffed even more in. It’s available for pre-order now!!

Caro and I are delighted beyond words, so we’ll just be over here squealing for a little bit. It’s taken a long time, but we amassed some of the most amazing designers and commissioned some of the ass-kickiest designs you’ve ever seen. If you’re reading this blog, you’re going to love it. Love. It.

The cover design is by Marnie MacLean , the first knit-blogger I ever followed. Funny how that works out, isn’t it? The sweater is called “Saucy Convertible” because you can wear it a few ways. The model is named Camille and she and the other models we used are absolutely adorable. This book is colorful, light-hearted, and most of all, it’s chock full of retro goodness. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re feeling classic or kitschtastic. I swear.

Seriously.