Knit the sky Cultivate your creativity with a playful way of knitting

Artist Redmond (cofounder, Leafcutter Designs) invites knitters to explore the world around them, telling their stories with yarn and needles. The first project, the titular "Knit the Sky," sets up the premise: knitters will use sky-colored yarns to replicate the day's sky, creating a scarf over a long period of time. When the project is complete, it's a wearable record of the weather in a particular time and place. The other projects serve as similar records-a mood ring cowl that documents the day's atmosphere (Redmond makes suggestions for color and mood matches), a knitted "growth chart" that reports a child's height through age 18, and a knitted neighborhood cowl in which the colors of the houses on a block are archived in yarn. Redmond's directions are open-ended, consisting of a story that outlines the project's premise and provides some very basic guidance (e.g., a number of stitches to cast on). In addition to the documentary projects, there are also several projects that will stretch knitters' imaginations, such as a skirt knit using pencils as needles and a tiny ring knit on straight pins using sewing thread as the yarn. The illustrations by painter Nassef are a delight, complementing the author's lighthearted approach to knitting and life. VERDICT Redmond's debut is thoroughly unexpected, deeply charming, and a lot of fun. Knitters seeking a unique way to explore the world around them via their favorite pastime will devour this lively collection. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.