The next 3 volumes on my influential book list are the first 3 stitch dictionaries by Barbara Walker. Yes, I know there’s a fourth, but somehow I missed that one in my design upbringing. I learned so much from these books, I’m sure I can’t fully do them justice. I learned textural stitches, mosaic knitting and cable charts. I learned about repeats and half drops and drawing with stitches. I learned by knitting. At one point, if someone mentioned a certain kind of stitch I could go right to the volume, right to the page where it was found. Even after I began designing with pattern stitches I made up myself, an occasional refresher course in the old standards livened up my repertoire. I have to admit that volume III is my favorite because I would so much rather follow a chart than lose my place in words any day.
Beautiful flower…. did you do that?….I was just attempting some origami with my kids today…the crocodile wasn’t going to happen but we did manage a fish!….I too can’t say enough wonderful things about BW’s dictionaries and BW in general!
That’s so beautiful! Where can I find instructions for a flower like that? I love it!
(by the way, if you want the ultimate origami flower challenge, try the kawasaki rose….)
Gorgeous flower – it fits in beautifullly to the Winter White Week that a variety of bloggers ( me included ) have been doing. Have a look at http://theglassdoorknob.blogspot.com/ for lots of bloggy whiteness 🙂
I love doing origami, but I haven’t seen that flower before! are the instructions online?
I love all 4 of BW’s books. The 4th one is a great read on knitted shapes and really freed me from a need for a pattern all the time. Santa brought Knit Visualizer software for Christmas and I have been charting some of the patterns, mostly lace, from Books 1&2. Love it.
i love the barbara walker treasuries too. my copies are littered with sticky notes pointing me to all the stitch patterns i still want to try, and there are many. i use volumes 1 +2 the most, even though i prefer charted patterns.
oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh Nora! Once again I say, “I’m not worthy………….”
🙂
Can’t wait to see what the origami flower will morph into!
I got the first two Barbara Walker books over 40 years ago with $$ my Great Aunt Marian gave me for Christmas. I love them both passionately. I have used the patterns extensively these past 40+ years and added #3 about 10 years ago (may add #4 one of these days). You can do project after project with just those books–I stick the stitches in any basic sweater or vest or use the lace to make a shawl and what more do I really need (though that has never really stopped me from buying more and more–I am a knitting junky after all or I wouldn’t be here on this forum).
I found my origami book! The flowers are parts of a bigger project from “Kasudama Ball Origami” by Makoto Yamaguchi
how do you make the flower?