flower girl

Posted on annePosted in interviews

say what you will about the month of march; so far, it’s been beautiful here—no lions in sight. yes, it’s still cold (mostly in the 20s still), but we’ve had sun and luminous blue skies and breezes instead of wind. breezes carrying that particular softness which tells me spring is approaching.

while we are far from the day when actual flowers might appear—there is still a great deal of snow cover in the yard—this change in temperament does make my mind turn to gardening and my fingers itch for soil.

without the actual cooperation of the season, one must look elsewhere to satisfy the urge to cultivate garden color and, as luck would have it, the solution landed on my doorstep in the form of a new paperback book release from sixth&spring books

nicky epstein’s knitted flowers reads like a very beautiful garden catalog.

the creations within represent a wide range of floral shapes and varieties which are surprisingly delicate and lifelike, with a good dose of whimsy added for fun.

nicky has also used a variety of knitting styles and constructions to produce these little lovelies; techniques such as felting, beading, lace, and i-cord are all represented.

likewise, she has made great use of a range of fibers and yarns here—small amounts of novelty yarns (don’t we all have a tub full of them somewhere?) are transformed into pieces that add a focal point to any plain project.

ribbons, fur, eyelash, ladders, and chenille—you name it, it’s in here.
nicky’s penchant for embellishment is fully realized in these pieces, with many examples showing embellishments on the embellishments with surprisingly tidy outcome.

the book is not just a catalog of flowers, however—many full-scale projects are included as well. some use a single example of floral embellishment to add interest and some are made up almost entirely of floral texture.

in many instances, the reader is led through the construction of single flower projects which are completely attractive on their own

then shown how to use them in multiples to trim a larger project

flowers and projects alike are presented at every skill level

from simple lace to more complex combinations of colorwork and structure,

though i don’t think any one of them requires very advanced knitting skills. patience and a willingness to work in a smaller stitch space are probably most important here, along with good finishing technique.

now, here’s the part you’re going to like: sixth&spring books is offering a free copy of nicky epstein’s knitted flowers to one lucky reader. to be included in the drawing for this book, please leave a comment at the end of this post by sunday, march 7, no later than 9 pm. the winner will be announced on monday morning.

many thanks to nicky epstein and sixth&spring books for sharing this publication with us today.

and hopefully, i’ll be back in business soon with my camera to resume regular blogging (the new spare battery arrived yesterday; i have high hopes that today’s mail will bring me the charger i desperately need . . .)

205 thoughts on “flower girl”

  1. Truly a much-needed breath of spring. Incredible flowers, and I know just the person who needs that tote on the front.

  3. That is the perfect book to help welcome spring. It is beautiful. Thank you for teasing us with it!

  4. Wow, a beautiful book. It should come here to north Iowa and bring spring with it! 🙂

  5. a beautiful book, beautifully photographed! I have Nicky’s Knitting beyond the edge, which I often leaf through as a quick pick-me-up

  6. Breathtaking! Snow melting fast here but wind still like a lion and chill in the air–hoping for lamb-like behaviour soon! Perhaps Nicky’s book would help… ;D

    Cheers, Barbie O.

  7. That book looks like a lot of fun! It’s nice to see novelty yarns being finally put to a good use. And the beautiful pictures make me want to start knitting flowers right away!

  12. Oooh, a free book. Count me in!
    I am excited for the camera to be working. I have already got yarn for my own little rose shawl and am eager for the day of its pattern release!

  13. So ready for spring and all the lovely pictures of the knitted flowers have me craving it! 🙂

  14. Love the book, love the blog. Can’t wait until you’re up and running with your camera again. It feels like spring here in Oregon as it’s been up near the 60s for days now. Everything is blooming. It’s lovely, but a bit disconcerting at the same time as we are about a month early. It’s supposed to be nice again tomorrow, then we return to the rain and cold. Good old Oregon. Gotta love it!

  15. What a beautiful creation…made even more so by what you’ve done with it here!

  16. Il fait beau! It is beautiful!
    Loving the book…. can’t wait for spring!
    very inspiring!

  18. Oooh! I love that book! We’re going to be in the 40″s in michigan tomorrow and all next week! I think my parsley is trying to leaf!

  19. Oh, it’s gonna be so long until I see an actual flower around here that I really should knit some 😉

    Am heading from the Northeast to the Southwest next week, so maybe I will see some cactus flowers.

    K

  20. My favorite store-bought sweater is trimmed with beautiful knitted flowers — I’ve never thought about making my own!

  23. I was talking to a girlfriend on the phone about felting just when I saw this post. These are fabulous!

  26. I’d love to own the book – Took a class with Nicky locally, the flowers are absolutely lovely (OK, if I don’t win the book, I’ll buy it).

  30. This looks like a very intriguing book. I think some of those flowers would be beautiful adapted as shawl pins.

  32. I am looking forward to seeing more of this lovely book. Thanks for bringing it to our notice.

  33. What a coincidence – I just recently had her Crocheted Flowers checked out from the library and had to return it just this week. I’d love to see this new one – it looks lovely!

  34. Not normally a flower person, worn/knitted, but this looks like an inspired book. Just realized I walk to work past Sixth and Spring most days.

  35. Thank you for bringing some “spring” into our lives. What a gorgeous book!

  37. Splendid !
    What an artist ! Great to have a pre-view of spring in this stormy-windy-icy-snowy winter.
    I love particularly the blue orthensia flowers.But they are all so nice… Wishing to be the winner, but anyway thanks Ann for your nice blog and sharing all this with us!

  38. Those photos are amazing – I feel like I’m wearing 3D glasses. My husband and I belong to the local horticultural society, and every year we take part in the summer show – exhibiting fruit and vegetables. We don’t have much room for flowers, so I’m seriously tempted to knit some flowers and arrange them. The judge will probably have a pink fit!

  40. Boy would this beautiful book bring a touch of spring into my long cold and gray Indiana winter. I would love to try my hand at some of Ms epstein’s lovlies.

  41. what a gorgeous book. It looks like wonderful inspiration, could you imagine a knitted bridal bouquet. maybe a replica of the original for a keepsake. wow!

  42. Such a beautiful book. I have a lovely little lady wishing for the flowered cloche. Thanks.

  43. I am a 92 year old knitter and thought I’ve seen everything. This book blows my mind. Would love to make a bouquet!

  44. What a gorgeous book.Makes me ache for spring. Thanks for the mini preview I will definitely be on the look out for this book.

  49. I love those flowers! Particularly the idea of trimming a cardigan with those delivate pale blue ones.

    On another note; you are on my blog-roll and I check out your blog every day. Keep up the good work; I love reading about what you get up to.

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