Yesterday was another long day (meeting at church), so I'm going to do minireviews of two knitting books I've bought recently.

I ordered "Lace Style" and "Favorite Knitted Socks." Both are Interweave press books. I'm pretty happy with both of them - there are more things in the Sock book that I'd make, but there are some nice things in Lace Style.

Lace Style is much in the style (no pun intended) of the other "Style" books - Scarf Style and Wrap Style. (Of the three, I personally find Wrap Style the least useful and inspiring). Like those others, there's a section at the back that gives some ideas for "design your own." But I really bought it for the patterns.

There are a number of patterns for shawls - both simple and complex. But it's some of the other designs that I love the book for. There are a couple of rather more innovative things (I like the peek-a-boo cloche - it's both practical and attractive and a clever use of lace on a more "winter" garment).

And I LOVE the Katherine Hepburn sweater; I intend to make one of those some day. That's exactly the kind of style of sweater I like: classic (it looks almost as if it could have been bought at a good vintage clothing store), interesting, feminine. The kind of sweater that you could wear for 30 years or more and it would probably never look dated.

I also like the Tailored Scallops jacket - the one on the cover. It's a bit "trendier" but it still works (I'd use a different color, myself: perhaps a cream or a pale blue).

This being a lace book, there are some things that would be less useful to me. There are a number of tanks and camisoles (I don't do tanks or camisoles. There's a reason you never see my bare upper arms in my photos, and it's NOT because I have tattoos.)

There are also a pair of long lace cuffs to go under a sweater or blouse. Now, understand - I LOVE these. I would totally wear these. But as in my daily life, I work with soil, and chemicals, and preserved specimens, and I cook, and I am generally good at getting my wristal area dirty, I don't think a pair of long, elaborate white lace cuffs would work so well. (Maybe for the rare dress-up occasions where I'm not doing anything, like when I'm at a concert).

In general, it's an interesting book, if you like lace. There's a wide diversity of projects - I think just about anything that can be made lacy is in there.

The second book is Favorite Socks.

One thing you do need to be forewarned here is that most of the patterns do come from back issues of Interweave Knits or Spin Off. There are a number of new patterns but I know some people are put off - feel cheated - when a book has patterns they've already seen somewhere else (And I do have most of the patterns, in the back issues of Interweave I own; I think I've been a subscriber since '98).

But I don't mind that. I like having the patterns all collected in one place for reference. (And, as I said, there are new patterns as well).

There are lace socks, and cabled socks, and plain socks, and some colorworked socks. Most of the socks are cuff-down in their construction (but that's fine with me, that's how I prefer them).

I find I keep looking at the book and thinking, "I should make this one! No, I should make this one!" I already plan the Retro Rib socks using some old Kroy from my stash. And I think I'm going to do the merino lace ones - originally done in grey Koigu - in some purple KnitPicks "Gloss."

Some of the cabled/fancy stitch socks are shown in striped yarns, which makes me think some of the variegated yarns I've accumulated would work well with them.

One other nice feature of this book - like the two most recent Nancy Bush sock books, this is made with a spiral binding. It will lie flat on a table, you don't need to weight it open or break the spine in order to get it to stay open. Good for knitting from a pattern that's more complex, that you can't memorize.