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”

  2. I love Nicky Epstein’s creations. They are always fun and not too difficult to master. I’ll be excited to get a further look at this book!

  3. What a beautiful book.I think I enjoy spring flowers the most,such a miracle after a long cold winter.

  4. I love all of Nicky Epstein’s books, they are a wonderful source of inspiration. I’ll throw in my name and hope for the best!

  6. Pretty! Almost as good as the real thing.

    As for wind, we’re still getting pretty healthy gusts here (last weekend 101mph was clocked in my neighborhood!). But soon, soon, it will be time to dig in the dirt!

  7. What a gorgeous book. I wish you spring soon, although Nicky E’s flowers are a good substitute. Here is New Mexico sunny 60’s!

  13. I saw 2 robins a couple of weeks ago and we’re having warmer weather here in Michigan, but spring can’t come soon enough for me.

  14. I’ve got to say, the blue cardigan with the flowered edging kind of did it for me.

  15. Wow, what an amazing book. I was just trying to design a felt flower pin for my felted bag that I just finished. That little sunflower would be perfect!

  16. okay….I am crossing my toes and fingers and doing the positive karma dance that I could win this book. I love to knit flowers. 🙂

  19. How lovely. I’m getting married in September, and this book looks inspirational. 🙂

  21. I have Nicky Epstein’s Crocheted flowers and love it. I saw the knitted flowers book, but did not get a chance to purchase it yet. These are reference books to have in your collection and great embellishments to add to bags, scarves, and even jewelry.

  22. Wow, what a fabulous book! As a knitter who tends to go for the plain classic look, I’m itching to try something a little bit different, and who can do better than lots of flowers?

  24. Thanks Anne! Some of those flowers were very cool. My Grandma’s Blessing for Sprossling is on the way!! Now I just need to get the pattern! We’re to hit high 40’s this weekend and the time changes next weekend so we’ll have one more hour of sunshine–woo hoo!!

  26. Thank you for showing us inside Nicky Epstein’s book – I would love to try out some of those designs! I have a special place in my heart for knitting and for flowers – a fun chance to satisfy both fascinations.

  27. Anne, I love your blog & would love to win this book! Just saw some wonderful recycled sweater flowers in a boutique & have been fantasizing on how to knit them from scratch – should’ve known Nicky was waaaaayy ahead of me!

  28. That book looks gorgeous, and not only because of the beautiful flowers. It seems that it would be a joy to flip through for the colours, the gloss, and the layout. Plus, awesome knitted flowers!

    Thanks for sharing it!

  32. I love this book. It is one of my favorites. There are so many uses for all the designs–not the least of which is just admiring them. Yours are gorgeous!

  36. Oh my! What tempting photos. I regularly check out her other books from the library and I love love love flowers.

  38. What a wonderful opportunity! Gorgeous flowers that could grace many a fine project. fabulous

  40. Thanks, Anne, for bringing this book to my attention. There are a few lonely skeins in my stash, and I’ve been wondering for a while what they wanted to become… Well, I’ve got my answer (at least for some of them) right here! They’ll make lovely flowers! 🙂

  43. Even here in Florida we are eagerly awaiting spring and flowers this year. Many days of freezing temperatures have killed a lot of our tropical plants. Good excuse to Xeriscape!

  44. If you don’t enter, you can’t win, right!?! Thanks for holding the contest – sounds like fun. The snow is still quite deep here in southern MN… No flowers in sight!

  45. Oh Anne! What a lovely book to share and remind us that yes indeed spring is coming. I just adore those little 4 petal violet flowers.

  47. I almost thought you had made some of the flower projects already – the flowers just jump right out of the book! Still snow in VA too, hopefully will be gone in time for cherry blossoms 🙂

  48. Love how she keeps coming up with such great ways to extend knitting beyond just garmentry.

  49. I am always stunned by such creativity.
    What better way to dream of spring than with a book of beautiful flowers!

  50. I would love to add this to my Nicky Esptein collection and welcome Spring in a great way.

  51. What a wonderful book! And flower embellishements are all the style these days. I need this book so I can use up leftover sock yarn (pick me, pick me . . .)

  56. WOW! Those flowers look amazing! I hope I am lucky enough to win a copy of this book. If not I will have to wait for it from the library.

  64. The blue ones remind me of a lei! I’d love to knit leis of flowers in differet colors. If I made them two-tone in light yellow and white, they would look like plumeria. Okay, I’m planning a project with a pattern from a book I don’t have. Leaving now to check library then Borders in case I don’t win it here! Thanks for the contest!

  68. I have wanted to try knitted flowers for a long time–it would be a great way to cheer up my office, and I’d love to have flowers that my cat wouldn’t eat.

  69. Beautiful photos in the book – I would love to own a copy, please enter me in the drawing.

  70. I’m amazed at the beautiful flowers in the pictures/book. I’ve never done knitted flowers but now I’m tempted. Please enter my name in the drawing as I’d love to win it. Thanks Anne you’re the best.

  71. My comment? I love flowers of any sort and this book looks lovely! Also want you to know–on a moderately related theme–that it’s time to start the garden seeds here in SE Michigan! We have cabbage and spinach and lettuce and basil sprouted here….spring is not far away! 🙂

  72. I am a gardener and knitter and the flowers just scream spring. My fingers itch to make them. What a beautiful book.

  73. Ohhhhh! Ahhhhh! What a gorgeous book – the photos make the pieces look like they are coming off the page. Please, please, please random number generator pick me!

  75. I would love that book!

    My crocuses are just starting to pop up so I have flowers (and spring) on the mind.

  78. Weirdly, I am totally drawn to every project pictured in that book. And usually I am much more the frugal Yankee knitter – things with a purpose. But I’m thinking I’ll have to order that book regardless. Thanks for sharing!

  80. I would love to be included in the drawing. Nicky Epstein always has such fun ideas.

  81. Those flowers look amazing – I’m currently knitting up a bunch and putting them on magnets at my office – a bit if cheer in a windowless room 🙂 Please enter me in the drawing – this book would certainly broaden my options

  82. Those are lovely; I would love to win the book. I’ll bet I’d have more luck with knitted flowers than the real thing also. Here all that happens is the deer eat them!

  84. Hi Anne, Tnanks for the kind words about my Knitted Flowers book–It is one of my favorite books, and the comments of your readers were very gracious. If you or them wish to contact me,I am on Facebook at NickyKnits by Nicky Epstein, or on my website at nickyepstein.com.Many thanks,again, Nicky
    PS I think your designs are lovely.

  86. The creative genius is awe inspiring. Thanks, Anne for opening up this book for us.

  87. Looks like a fun book. Everyone needs more flowers, especially this time of year in the Northern hemisphere.

  88. Beautiful book! I have a friend who has some flowers coming up through the snow right now – I believe they’re called Winter aconite. After they bloom, she’s going to dig some up and give to me, so from next end of winter on, I can have flowers in the snow!

  90. oh pretty! i haven’t done any felting to speak of, but this would be a fun book. thanks for sharing.

  91. What a fantastic book! Love to look at and knit from many of her others. Looking forward to this one.

  92. Pick me! Pick me! (Raises arm and waves hand excitedly!) Deliciously beautiful. Would love to have it just to look at the photography, even if I never knit a stitch from it! It would grace my coffe table! Thanks for the opportunity to try my luck!

  94. Just returned from an afternoon of x-country skiing in the Adirondacks–ready to get back to knitting my longjohn socks but just had to check out knitspot first-the flowers brought a smile -thanks

  96. I feel like a giggling teenager . . piick me, pick me! But the designs are so lovely I cam excited. SPring has come!!

  98. Hallo I love this book. Sigh. I think if I do not win, I shall have to break out the plastic.

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

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

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

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

  106. 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.

  107. 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!

  112. 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!

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

  114. 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!

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

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

  118. 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!

  119. 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

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

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

  126. 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).

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

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

  133. 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!

  134. 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.

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

  137. 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!

  138. 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!

  140. 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.

  141. 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!

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

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

  144. 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.

  149. 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.

  151. What a beautiful book of everlasting inspiration! I don’t particularly LOVE flowers…but some of these are just gorgeous and too good to not put a twinkle in your eyes!

  152. Pretty, pretty! We’ve got buds on our trees and the birds are singing a morning chorus! Bless the spring.
    I’ve cast on the gansey sock. Such excitement!

  153. I’ve been looking for flower patterns for a neat hat I’m knitting. This book has some just perfect patterns!

  155. Oh, what beautiful photos and glowing review of the book! Our weather has been like yours, it sounds like – warm sunny days 😉 Baby lambs will begin arriving here at the farm any time now…

  157. What a lovely book – with gorgeous photos! Some of the bulbs here are breaking through the snow cover, and the sweet williams are out – spring IS coming!

  158. Wow! I have a couple of Nicky’s books already and love them. However, these flowers are simply amazing.

  163. I love Nicky Epstein’s books. I have been looking
    for a book to make knitted flowers as I don’t like
    to crochet. These flowers are beautiful. They
    would complement any garment and they make beautiful additions to holiday wrapping also. Please enter my name in the contest.

  165. What a beautiful book! Flowers, spring, color…. the perfect combination for end-or-winter here in the great northeast! Thank you for your generosity!

  167. I’d love to add the Knitted Flowers book to my Nicki Epstein book collection.

  173. I’ve been a fan of Nicky’s for a number of years and enjoy her books. Always a treat to see another inspirational book from her.
    Even if I don’t win it here, it’ll be on my want-to-buy list.
    The photos literally jump off the pages!
    Thank you for sharing it here KnitSpot, providing a bit of springtime to otherwise a dreary time of year.

  178. Wow. Those are like a garden in a book! How lovely. Thanks for showing it.=)

  181. Thanks for sharing – what a gorgeous book of flowers! I spent a weekend in December snowed in and making flowers all weekend long…they make for such fun, quick projects.

  182. The book looks like loads of fun! The flowers are all so pretty too. Thanks for offering the book!

  183. Nicky Epstein’s books are always wonderful, but this one looks like the best. Such beautiful flowers!

  186. Ooooo, what a lovely book. I think that scarf of blue flowers is to-die-for! Thank you for the opportunity.

  188. Flowers are always a welcome sight, but especially at the end of winter. What a beautiful book!

  190. Wow! What a nice collection. It is cold and rainy today, so a little sunshine in my world for these beautiful pictures.

  191. Wouldn’t it be logical if they sold batteries charged? I love the hat in the book, that is lovely bluey/purply, with the lady-like flower adorning it.

  192. Beautiful pictures in this book; the flowers almost seem to pop off of the pages. Thanks for the contes.

  194. Nicky’s creativity is endless. Thank you for the review of another great book.

  196. That book looks fabulous! As one who hesitates to throw out ANY scrap, this book could really be a beloved resource.

  198. I think the only way I am going to enjoy flowers anytime soon is to knit them! The ones in the book are beautiful. Besides, my knitting fingers are much more successful than my “green thumb.”

  199. I’ve knitted flowers before but–WOW these are fabulous. I’ll be looking for this book for sure.I can just picture a border of the blue flowers on a shawl I have in mind–sigh !!

  202. Today is the first “no-jacket” day for me in MN, so spring flowers seem utterly appropriate to me! (To be clear, we still have lots of snow on the ground, but it’s 40 degrees!). I think I may go home and force a few bulbs in celebration.

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