Update on Principles of Knitting

The ever-resourceful Jane Jacobs, who is one of the owners of Porter Square Books and runs the monthly knitting group there, is on the case, tracking down what's going on with a possible reprint of this sought-after book. She wrote in a recent email to knitting group members:

After all of our discussions about this book, it seems something is stirring – again, maybe.

I just received an email from our Simon and Schuster rep. I had asked him the question about who holds the rights to the book.

He said they reverted to the author in 1997! And, that Simon’s Fireside imprint is planning on publishing a revised edition in the fall of 2011.

This sounds suspiciously like what I heard several years ago but at least we have a little more detail. I’ll keep harassing him as time goes on and see if I can get an editor out of him at the beginning of the year.

She promises to pass along any news as she gets it.

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No Principals of Knitting Reprint After All?

Knitters have long been awaiting a reprint of the comprehensive reference book Principles of Knitting. A revised edition was scheduled to come out in 2009, then the publication date was pushed to fall 2010.

Jane Jacobs at Porter Square Books has contacted the original publisher, Simon & Schuster. A customer service person there told her the book was out of stock indefinitely, and said they had no more information. Jane then emailed the store's representative at Simon & Schuster, who told her the book was definitely out of print and the publisher has no plans to reprint it. She has asked him to find out whether the rights reverted to the author.

Jane promised updates if she finds out anything else. If she does, it will be posted here.

40% Off Book Sale at Knitpicks

KnitPicks is having its annual fall book sale. The deal is 40% off all books in stock (so no discount on the books in their Upcoming Releases section). They don't have every knitting book under the sun, but they have a decent selection. And if you are spending more than $50, shipping is free. Here's the KnitPicks book section.

Oct. 3, 2009 edited to add: Another good reason to shop for books on KnitPicks: in many cases, they have many more photos of projects from the books than other web sites, including Amazon and the publishers' own web sites.

May 10 Reading at Porter Square Books

Knit One, Read Too, the monthly knitting group at Porter Square Books will have an author reading during its May 10 meeting. Kristen Rengren talk about her new book, Vintage Baby Knits (Abrams, $27.50). The store offers a 10% discount during the knitting group for those who attend, so if you want to buy the book after hearing Rengren speak, you can take advantage of that.

Here's a Knitty article by Rengren on vintage patterns. (Thanks to Jane J. at Porter Square Books for the link.)

The Knit One, Read Too group meets from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month (except for April's meeting, which will take place on April 5 -- the store is closed on the second Sunday of April, for Easter.)

For more information, contact the store at info@portersquarebooks.com or (617) 491-2220.

One More Year to Wait for Updated (and Affordable) Principles of Knitting

Someone called F Vine commented on the old version of this blog that the publication date for June Hemmons Hiatt's revised version of this book has been pushed back to November 2010. (The commenter got the information via this post on Amazon.) For those who are unfamiliar with the book, Principles of Knitting is a comprehensive reference that has a five-star rating on Amazon and is selling used for $100-$200. A completely revised, updated edition was originally due out this fall.

Thanks to F Vine for the info.

Update, 2/3/09, 3:00 p.m.: Jane of Porter Square Books (she runs the monthly knitting group there) called the publisher directly and was told the book is coming out October 2010. So, that's at least only a 12-month delay instead of 13 months -- if they stick to that date.

Save your $300. New edition of Principles of Knitting due by fall 2009

I'm posting what I thought was going to be a scoop, then realized it's not — by about nine months.*

But I'll post about it anyway for those of you who may not have heard, or may not be familiar with this book: The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt, which is out of print and selling used for around $200-$300 a copy, is due to be reissued this fall by Simon and Schuster. The author is revising and updating it for the reissue. (Thanks to Jane J. at Porter Square Books for checking on this; if you live in the Cambridge, Mass., area, you might want to check out the store's monthly Knit One, Read Too knitting group or the Oct. 15 reading by Yarn Harlot Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.)

I first learned about The Principles of Knitting when it was recommended in another knitting book. (I think it was Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles -- which I gave away once I discovered the Magic Loop method of sock knitting.) The reviewers on Amazon all give it four and five stars and call it a knitting bible. I borrowed a copy from my local library and it does seem to live up to the praise. And last I heard, the planned retail price for the new edition was $45.

*It's already been written about here.

Update, 2/2/09: Someone emailed me that the publication date has been pushed back to November 2010. The information comes via this post on Amazon.

Update, 2/2/09, 3:00 p.m.: Jane at Porter Square Books (she runs the monthly knitting group there) called the publisher directly and was told the book is coming out October 2010. So, that's at least only a 12-month delay instead of 13 months -- if they stick to that date.

Porter Square Shopping

Several members of my regular Sunday knitting group in Somerville have noted that Porter Square Books (in the Porter Square Shopping Center, right next to Tag's Hardware) has a good selection of knitting books. It's not a giant store, and the knitting-book section takes up only a shelf or two, but it's a nice assortment. Just a few of the titles I've seen there are

• Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman,
• Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti,
• the Knitting Experience Books (The Knit Stitch and The Purl Stitch) by Sally Melville,
• Knitting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein,
• Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick,
• The Big Book of Knitting by Katharina Buss,
• Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush,
• Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson,
• Knitter's Handbook by Montse Stanley,
• the Knit Lit books of short knitting-themed fiction, and of course
• the ubiquitous Stitch 'n Bitch books by Debbie Stoller.

Recently I found out why the selection is so good: Lucy, the owner of Mind's Eye Yarns, which is right across the street, helped them choose their knitting books.

I like the bookstore for a lot of other reasons, too. It's roomy, laid back, provides chairs and tables, and the staff is helpful and friendly. They'll order anything they don't have, and usually get it in within a few days. I also like their selection of magazines. It’s not huge, and while they carry many of the mainstream titles, others weren't represented. (Example: they carry Vogue, Cosmo, Allure, and Marie Claire, but not Glamour). Nevertheless, I thought they offered a nice choice, including some less-common titles like the fashion magazine Nylon and the feminist magazine Bitch.

The store offers a monthly selection of Staff Picks, has frequent author readings, and offers a story hour for children on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

There's also a 20% discount on current top 20 adult Book Sense Picks and a 10% discount for teachers on classroom purchases, if they show a teacher I.D. Plus, Porter Square Books offers a customer appreciation program whereby, for every $150 you spend, you get a coupon good for $7.50 worth of store merchandise. (There's no time limit in which you have to spend the $150 in order to get the coupon, either.) Even if you're pinching pennies, it's definitely a nice place to buy some of those books that Amazon doesn't discount anyway, or where the discount is so slight/shipping is so much (read: your order doesn't qualify for Super Saver Shipping) that you wouldn't save much, if anything, online.

If you go on a day when Mind's Eye Yarns is open (Wednesday through Sunday most of the year; closed Sundays in the summer), you can shop for yarn or spinning fleece and then troll both stores for books and magazines, knitting and otherwise. Mind's Eye will have spinning books and magazines as well as knitting.

June 1-5, when Mind's Eye Yarns is having its anniversary sale would be a good time to go. There'll be 25% off all yarn and spinning fibers, with some items 35% off.

Mind's Eye Yarns
22 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 354-7253
lucy@mindseyeyarns.com

Porter Square Books
Porter Square Shopping Center
25 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 491-2220
info@portersquarebooks.com