Me! No, I don't mean "me" as in myself, but the commenter who's Blogger name is Me! Everytime I see Me comment I always have to laugh, because I think how am I going to write out the winning post for "Me" if they ever won! Congratulations, Me! You have won your choice of yarn from my LYS Stash and you wrote, "OH what a hard decision!! But Malabrigio would be my choice!" Please contact me at yarnonthehouse@gmail.com with your shipping information.
This time I have a short podcast to share with you, and I also have a written interview with our sponsor. Enjoy!
If you cannot see the player click here.
Links and such from the podcast:
- Phoebe's Sweater the book
- The 3 patterns in the book: Phoebe's Sweater, Phoebe Mouse & Phoebe Doll Sweater
- Poppy Flower
- Nancy's website
- Look at this bib style necklace that would look great made with knitted poppies.
- Poppies of Endearment Project
- YOTH Ravelry Group - you are definitely NOT cool unless you are a member!
- Melissa LaBarre's blog
- Tea Leaves Cardi
- crooked paths
- Melissa's other designs
- Eyelet Shawl by Vikki Harding
- Vikki's other designs
Meet Joanna...
1. Joanna, why don't you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
Let's see...I am a writer, a mother, a wife, a book publisher, and a designer... all mixed up in one somehow! I have always loved books ever since I was a young girl- I would spend hours turning tiny scraps of paper into my own books, usually featuring drawings of windows and little faces. In college, I earned my degree in Literature, and while I focused on Old English and Medieval Lit, my heart has always been drawn to Literature for children. As a mother of three children, I have a lot of opportunities to read great books to them, and as the wife of an artist, it seemed like it was always meant to be that my husband and I would create a book together. Phoebe's Sweater is a really unique kind of book, (which I call a knitting picture book), and it didn't really fit into a "slot" in the tradtional publishing world... so I am not just a writer and a designer, but became its publisher also. What's really interesting about my book is that I literally had my hands on every aspect its creation, from the writing, layout, production and styling, to selecting yarn, designing and knitting all of the projects, planning photo shoots, and setting up distribution. It has been quite a journey, and I have to say it is really an interesting time to be in publishing!
2. You just released your new children's book in April, Phoebe's Sweater, what inspired you to write this book?
We get a lot of inspiration for stories from our three children, and Phoebe's Sweater was inspired by our daughter and a sweater coat I knit for her one summer. I wanted to share the story of a new baby coming into a family, and how such big changes might feel to a little girl, and the knitting of a sweater seemed like a really neat way to show the passage of time and seasons while waiting for a new baby to arrive. Of course, Phoebe is patterned after our daughter, and the way she loves to play and spend her days. She really enjoys everything I knit for her, so that makes the knitting a really natural part of the story.
3. Incorporating a knitting pattern in a children's book is a new concept that I have not seen before. How did you come up with this?
The knitting was such an important part of the story, I thought it would be fun to include a knitting pattern with the book. As we progressed through the concept development of the book, we created the doll character and I thought it would be fun to include a doll sweater to match Phoebe's sweater, too. The story of Phoebe's Sweater is largely told through the beautiful illustrations, and I thought it would be very interesting to a child to see the "real" knitted items from the story photographed and included in the book. Our children often say they want a toy or character from a favorite story book. Unless that book is a licenced character, you can't really go out and buy a toy from your favorite children's book. So Phoebe's Sweater is really special because you can knit the toy just as she looks in the drawings.
4. Who did the beautiful illustrations in your book?
My husband Eric did all of the illustrations for Phoebe's Sweater. He has been a graphic artist for over 20 years, and has always wanted to illustrate a children's book. He used a variety of media for the illustrations, including sepia ink, sepia pencils, watercolors, and colored pencils. It is very rare for a writer and illustrator to work as closely on a book as we have. I designed and knit all of the knitting projects before he did the final illustrations, which he looked at carefully while he created the artwork for Phoebe's Sweater. He asked for a lot of feedback about details in the artwork, so as a writer, it is really special to have the artist approach you and ask you what kind of fabric a dress should be made of or what style chair a character should be sitting in. The book was really a true collaboration, and it was a creative project we passed back and forth all along until it was finished.
5. Are you planning on writing more children's books? Or, are there other types of literature that you would like to venture into?
We are working on our second book, which will be similar to Phoebe's Sweater, except it is more of a "boy" book. Eric is working up character studies, we have the story written and the illustrations sketched... honestly, I have so many ideas for other knitting picture books like this one, I would love to just keep writing more and more!
6. We know that you are knitter, so why do you knit?
Why does anyone knit? It is fun, relaxing, gratifying, and addictive! I knit every day, and really enjoy everything about it. Our daughter is a knitter, too, so now we can share our stashes and knit together! I especially enjoy knitting with my friends, as we have formed such strong bonds of friendship over the years of sitting together and sharing our lives over our needles.
7. Who taught you to knit and what was your very first project?
My mother is a a talented knitter, and so was my grandma. They both taught me to knit when I was a girl, and I truly don't remember learning to knit the first time. I remember learning to knit the second time, when I was in college and my mother showed me how to make a pair of mittens. My very first project as a child was a pair of legwarmers!
8. What is currently on your needles?
Right now I have a lot of projects going... I am making Citron out of Brown Sheep Wildfoote in a really beautiful variegated pink and I am finishing up In The Garden, also in Wildfoote. I am also working on two knitting pattern designs which were inspired by Phoebe's Sweater, one is a pattern for women, and one is for a girl and her doll. I am trying to make Jeff's Pub Sweater for Eric, but I think it will have to wait until fall!
9. Where is your favorite place to knit?
My very favorite place to knit is in the car. I love to sit and knit and talk with Eric when we take a road trip somewhere. Our kids are good car travellers, and it is a great time for me to knit!
10. And last but not least, if you were enjoying a favorite drink while reading my blog, what would it be?
Coffee, always coffee. I think I need to go get a refill now...
Here is a pic of the adorable red Phoebe's Sweater in the book:
And, a little look at one of the illustrations in the book:
One lucky follower has the chance to win a signed copy of Phoebe's Sweater and two skeins of Lamb's Pride Superwash wool (enough to make one of the Phoebe Mouse dolls and her dress). I would like you to do the following if you would like to be entered into this week's giveaway:
1. Read over the rules if you have not done so already.
2. Leave a comment on this blog post by the end of Sunday, 6/13/10, telling us what your favorite children's story or book was when you were a child?
I'll randomly pick the winners on Sunday and post the results on Monday along with the new giveaway, so be sure to check back. Good luck everyone.
Four followers also have the chance of winning a copy of one of the featured 2 patterns that I talked about in my new "more projects" series. I will randomly pick four winners from the YOTH Ravelry group and send you a message there. Be sure to check out the group and join if you want the chance to win some cool patterns.
Sincerely,
Ve
103 comments:
I loved the Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes. I tok it out of the library so much, that they eventually just gave it to me!! Man did I love that book!!
kristinfitzgerald on Ravelry
I don't remember my favorite illustrated book as a child, but I started reading Nancy Drew when I was pretty young and I loved those books!
Goodnight Moon was always my favorite and it was the first book I bought when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. My daughter is now 4 and my son is 2 and we are on our 3rd copy of the book :D
I loved (and still do!) Bill Peet books. One of my favorites was Buford the Little Bighorn.
I loved "where the wild things are" and "the velveteen rabbit". I loved the book so much they were the first two children's books I bought for my own children. We still read them at least once a month.
My daughter LOVES knitting picture books! We have "Knitty Kitty" which is adorable.
As for my favorite as a kid, I liked "The Little House on the Prairie" books. I read them so many times!
hrfarley at gmail dot com
Most of you will not know what I'm talking about, but Ve will. I loved the book, stories and LPs of Mach and Sebestova - it's a series of stories about a girl and a boy in grade school who find a magic ear phone. Do you know what I mean Ve?
Really like the Phoebe sweater!
I loved the Little House on the Prairie Series. When I was really little, my favorites were Stone Soup, Amelia Bedelias and Curious George.
I have always loved Black Beauty!
i love joanna's designs, the sweater is so adorable.
i like "if you gives a mouse a cookie", it's a cute picture book.
Bread and Jam for Francis - which luckily for me turned out to be my daughter's as well.
When I was two, my favorite book was Green Eggs and Ham. We had it in two languages, because we were living overseas. I think my parents got seriously sick of reading me that book!
Hmmm, mine would have to be Mother Goose Rhymes. My Daddy bought me a geat copy which I still read to my kids although it is very worn!
renewedmind on Ravelry
my favorite book was OWEN it was about a mouse who loved his blankie and wouldn't get rid of it and it reminded me of my blankie. at the end he cuts a square off and carries it everywhere... his is just a plain blanket...mine is crocheted...i think we all are figuring out what happened to my blankie. i did the same thing as owen! i just recently had a crocheting friend fix blankie after like 12 years of her being a knotted mess. lol
emxlenie: ravelry
My favorite book as a child was, hands down, The Little Engine That Could.
Really enjoyed your podcast!
i loved all the frances books...bread & jam for frances...a bargain for frances...a birthday for frances...best friends for frances...
the author is russell hoban.
This looks great. Hope I win.
Oh my :) Thanks for linking to this on Rav! My daughter would love this storybook (she's 3 and OBSESSED with my knitting)
My favourite story as a child - first read it when I was 9 - was What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge. A girl injures her back and turns from a selfish spoiled child into a mature, sweet and generous teenager during her recovery. I used to read it every other month, I still read it once a year (I'm 25 now)
My favorite book until I was 5 was Goodnight Moon. When I was about 3 1/2 or 4, I had memorized the book based on my parents reading it to me, page turns and all. I tried to convince them that I had learned to read by reciting it perfectly while looking at the pages and turning them at the appropriate times...which worked great, until I turned from the last page to the inside back cover and recited what I thought was the last line of the book: "Goodnight (my name here)." They figured me out, but when I really did learn to read in Kindergarten, it was the first book I read to my parents :)
Original copy is still in the basement with my other early childhood favorites, The Runaway Bunny and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Adorable book and sweater! My favorite book growing up was Make Way for Ducklings. I went to Boston a lot with my dad growing up (we lived in Oregon) to visit family so it always had a special meaning to it.
I don't have a favorite book but I used to love reading are you my mother with my son when he was little. He would laugh and laugh at that book it was so sweet.
I also wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the podcast. It made me feel like I was on the yarn crawl too! Keep up the good work.
I loved (and still do) reading books. Then I went on to teach PreK through Kindergarten where I was able to relive my old favorites and discover new ones. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be "Alice in Wonderland", I would make my mom read a bit of it every night until I could read it myself.
My favorite book when I was young was "A Little Princess". I still love that book.
greyowl (rav id)
According to my dad, my favorite book was "Christopher Kitten" about a tiger kitten. :)
Wow. My childhood was so long ago I can't remember many books I read back then. My parents never really read to us, but I became a voracious reader nonetheless. I remember The Phantom Tollbooth was a big favorite of mine. I think I read it in the 2nd or 3rd grade. I also read all the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books when I was young.
I read to my kids a lot and I hope they love to read as much as I do. And if they knit, too? Well, that'd be a bonus! :)
Well, I guess I would have to choose the book I learned to read with...There Are Rocks In My Socks Said the Ox To The Fox. That's a mouthful!
I loved Little House on the Prairie series when I was young.
I loved Black Beauty so much that as soon I would get to the end of the book, I would start reading it over again.
The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary, hands down. Thanks for the chance to win such a sweet looking book! I'd love to share it with my kids.
I have to say that I loved reading The BFG with my father- can still remember us giggling over wizzpoppers... and as a younger child I think the books that I remember most are the Richard Scary ones.
My favorite picture book when I was small was "'There Are Rocks In My Socks' Said the Ox to the Fox". So silly! My favorite reading quote comes from Harper lee: "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."
I loved the book The Little Prince and still have my old copy of it.
I loved a little book called "I am a Mouse." I can still recite most of it!
My favorite children's story of all time is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I love it! I think that book is what inspired my love of Australia.
Thanks for the chance to win! My favorite book when I was very small was called The Fourteen Bears. It had lovely illustrations of a family of bears who each lived in her own little tree house. My daughters have my old copy and they like to choose which house they like best, the same way I did.
Love love love "There's no Such thing as a dragon" My parents recently re-found it for MY kids!
When I was little, I loved "Green Eggs and Ham." My kids love "Goodnight Moon". My favorite of my kids' books are "I Love You Forever" and "I Love You as Much as"
I loved all the Madeleine books by Ludwig Bemelmans, but I could never figure out Miss Clavell ... I went to Catholic school in the 50s and Miss Clavell dressed just like the nuns who taught us, but how could she have a name like MISS Clavell?! Shouldn't she be SISTER Clavell?! I read them over and over, in love with both Madeleine's daring and Miss Clavell's mystery.....
bookboxer
Little Women and Anne of Green Gables were some of my favorites when I was young but old enough to read them myself.
Joanna's husband did a wonderful job with the illustrations of their book. Beautiful!
Phoebe's Sweater looks like a definite "must" on my Christmas list this year. I try to give the younger kids in the family at least one book a year and this one would pair perfectly with a hand knit gift (which they also expect!)
Kim in IA
Wow, I'm really going to date myself here, but my favorite book was "The Five Little Peppers and how they grew" This series was written around the turn of the century and I just loved them.
I loved all the Madeleine books by Ludwig Bemelmans, but I could never figure out Miss Clavell ... I went to Catholic school in the 50s and Miss Clavell dressed just like the nuns who taught us, but how could she have a name like MISS Clavell?! Shouldn't she be SISTER Clavell?! I read them over and over, in love with both Madeleine's daring and Miss Clavell's mystery.....
bookboxer
I was definitely a "Where the Wild Things Are" child. The illustrations were just fantastic. But we had to switch back to "Goodnight Moon" for a while, because my younger brother would have nightmares about Wild Things.
I loved the Berenstein Bear books when I was little. I still have all of them at my parents' house.
I loved Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, and spent a lot of time this last winter reading it to my nephew.
When I was old enough to read chapter books on my own, my hands-down favorite was Where the Red Fern Grows.
riordjo on Ravelry.
The Velveteen Rabbit was, and still is, my favorite book.
I loved the Dr Suess books. So much fun, and silly too.
Amanda
amanda dot werling at gmail dot com
For me it was Madeline!
I had lots of favorites when I was little, including:
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
The Big Orange Splot
Little Rabbit's Baby Brother
The Monster at the End of This Book
Pat the Bunny
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
The Pain and the Great One
What a talented couple! And so nice to keep the book in the family loop, love the little red sweater.
I taught K/first grade for 12 years and have so many favorites! The Giving Tree being one, Raymond Briggs The Snowman, Where the wild things are, The MItten...lol, this list could go on!
Such a great giveaway!!
When I was a kid, I loved "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein. My original, VERY well loved, copy now lives on my daughter's bookshelf!!!
Looking through the other comments brought back so many favorite books and series I loved to read growing up :)
The first book I clearly remember as a must have, carry around is The Monster At The End Of The Book (with Grover from Sesame Street). It always made me laugh out loud, which I still do. As I got older it would be Maybe, A Mole or The Secret Garden as favs.
I think my favorite was "Where the Wild Things Are", the author lived in the small Connecticut town I grew up in and he came to visit our Elementary School. He also wrote a non-fiction book about the wildlife in our area - 'The Secrets of Redding Glen". If I don't win I am going right out and get this book for my goddaughter Phoebe - I'll have to find her something soft to knit her the sweater out of because like her mother my "little sister" everything is itchy to her!
My fav before I could read was the book Pönnuköku Strákurinn or in English The Pancake Boy. I loved it so much that I knew it by heart and would ''read'' it to myself. The art in it was so amazing.
I loved Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series growing up as a child. I can still remember the feel of the grass under me and the smell of summer in the air as I would read these wonderful books.
I don't really remember a book from my own childhood but I read Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney at least a bajillion times to my kids when they were little. Love that book!
Phoebe's Sweater sounds very sweet and I love the idea of incorporating a pattern into the story!
jendada on Ravelry
When I was little, I always loved to check out "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein. They eventually banned it from the library (silly huh?). As an adult my sister bought me my very own copy. Now with a toddler and another baby due any day, I have new appeciation for children's books (thank God these entertain my son!).
I loved the Giving Tree as a child... and I still do as an adult! I always thought it was a sweet story as a kid, but it means SO much more to me now as an adult. I cry every time I read it.
I can't remember the title, but I remember the pictures and remember loving it -- it was about a bunch of woodland animals (all I can think of is and otter right now) that form a little band. That's the book I remember looking at the most. Would love to see Phoebe's Sweater :)
i have to say this is the coolest giveaway ever! Reading the interview, i felt so connected, since i'm a mom of 3, love to knit, love literature and books, and make my own children books for my kids...
As for chatacters, i grew up in Argentina, so you guys would not know the character, but my second best was Cinderella (way before i ever saw the disney movie :)
I liked the classic short stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Three Bears, etc.. I enjoyed the Frances books too. Around age 8, I liked the Ramona Quimby books.
What a Wonderful book! I'd love to win. Lots of great prizes this week!
First time here, this blogs is awesome =D
Mmmmm my favourite childbook was Alladin.
hello I love your blog and your entertaining contests.
My favorite childhood book "Perico trepa por Chile" by Marcela Paz.
maluaral on Ravelry
My favorite book as a child was "Love You Forever". My mother would read that to me every night and sing the lullaby to me every time. :)
My parents bought me records with stories and my favorite was "The Little Engine that Could." Seems like the moral of that story has stuck with me a long time.
my favorite book was Jack and the Bean Stalk because my cousin Danny gave it to me when we were in the first grade. patsycoats@bellsouth.net
The Velveteen Rabbit was a favorite of mine, as well as Paddington Bear. As I got older I read a lot of Boxcar Children and Saddle Club books.
Reading is definately a passion of mine and I love reading to my son. I hope he grows up wanting to spend as much time in a library as I did!
My favorite children's book was a German book with wonderful illustrations of a garden and its flowers. The story was about the different families living in the garden, like the Mole family. Mother Mole would sit and knit and watch her children play in their patch of yard. I still have the book somewhere and I still love it. (I guess she was not blind). That's what it's all about, family, knitting and your garden.
I was an avid reader, so there are many that come to mind. I loved "Dr. DeSoto" and also anything Beatrix Potter, of course.
wow, so many great stories listed here. i had 4 brothers and 3 sisters and we all loved a book called "Little Black Sambo".
that was many years ago...
I lived in England as a little girl and I remember loving some books about a "naughty girl" who always was getting into trouble. I recently went through my books from when I was a child and couldn't find them :(
One of my favourite books as a child was Winnie the Pooh. But we also had a copy of the Elves & the Shoemaker that had an accompanying record that was just magical to listen to. I hunted down a copy on Ebay & now I need to get it converted so I can play it to my kids.
How charming! Like Kristin, I loved the Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes! Other favorites were Little House in the Big Woods, Betsy-Tacy, and Wake Up, Bear, It's Christmas. Hmm... those are all by regional authors, so perhaps my favorites were influenced by growing up in beautiful Minneapolis, MN
My favorite book was Little Prince (Le Petit Prince - Antoine de Saint Exupery). I loved it! and I love your blog!!! :)
marcelamacari on Raverly
I have always loved, and still love The Little Prince! The illustrations were very simple, but added so much to the story.
Lovely book!
When I was a little child I had a book, a compilation of classic stories like Cinderella, Tom Thumb, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White... I loved it! ♥ And a few years later, I think I took out of the library every children's book they had!
My favorite books were the little house series.
Baby Dear by Eloise Wilkins
It is about a little girl taking care of her dolly along side her mom taking care of her sibling. I was pretty in love with my baby dolls so it fit.
bigheidi on ravelry
My children's favorite book was Little Red Riding Hood, forest, family, and I guess his grandmother knitting
I loved two books equally, "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Harold and the Purple Crayon"
I would love love love to have this book and yarn! I keep seeing it lately and am going to break down and buy it!
My favorite story growing up, hmmm, there are alot of them, my momma was always reading to me! I rememeber loving the Poky Little Puppy. My kids love to read Where the Wild Things Are. Anything Curious George! And my boys love, We love to Nurse.
I hope my library has this, if not will have to buy it!
Hi, I'm from Argentina. My favourite illustrated book when I was a child was "Platero y yo". Internationally speaking I remember "Snow white". Thank you for the international giveaway!!
I have some many favorite childhood books. I've held on to most of them, and keep them on my bookshelf still. Animal Tales for Bedtime is about 3 animals who trade a captain for his boat and then travel down a river having lots of adventures. Who wouldn't love a grumpy frog who rides a bicycle (giant frog feet and all)?
Or.. A great big ugly man came up and tied his horse to me. (As I was standing on the corner/ just as quiet as can be/ a great big ugly man came up/ and tied his hose to me. AWESOME book of (British?) verse. Illustrated by Wallace Tripp who is amazing.
As an adult (I'm 33), I *still* love reading children's books. One of my favorites has always been "Where the Wild Things Are." Another is "Goodnight Moon."
I remember reading Pokey Little Puppy to my nephews all the time. The youngest one is now 22 but I still see this book in the stores.
My favorite book as a child (and probably still today!) is "I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew" (Seuss, 1965)
I was into Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn adventure books!
I always loved the Laura Ingall's Wilder books as well as the Chronicles of Narnia. Currently, with my three year old, we love the Giving Tree and The Lorax.
i loved A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. i also loved the movie with Shirley Temple.
My favorite children's book when I was little was "Where The Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. Obviously, it's still a fav with many kids. I'll be checking back to see if I won this wonderful giveaway prize!
My favorite was frog and toad. The librarian at our school at our school encouraged others but I always loved reading about their adventures. Now I love reading goodnight gorilla and goodnight moon to the kids. They love it!
There were so many that I loved as a kid. I loved the little Nutshell Library books by Maurice Sendak especially Pierre.
My favorite book was the Secret Garden and Harriet the Spy. I don't remember the picture books that were read to me, but reading on my own was wonderful!
My favorite book as a child was Are You My Mother? I remember reading it over and over and over..I still have the same exact book and have read it to my kids!
My favorite children's book when I was a kid was "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey. I still love it! Can't wait to check back to see if I'm the lucky winner.
I loved "A Little Princess" as a young girl. It was one of the first books I read by myself. I still have my original copy and I plan to give it to my own daughter when she gets older :0)
I don't think I had one single favorite book, but I can remember several I really loved:
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle
Corduroy
My Puppy is Born
Gyo Fujikawa's Come Follow Me to the Secret World of Elves and Fairies and Gnomes and Trolls
To name just a few...
My favorite books were the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein. My parents read them out loud to me!
My favorite books when I was a little girl were the Little House on the Prairie series. I still love them today, many years later.
Definitely the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Hi! What an awesome giveaway!
Growing up in Lebanon, I had many favorite childhood books. I LOVED the Sinbad story, Snow white, and Aladdin. I read them over and over everyday! It's no wonder I LOVE reading so much :)
Eliana A.K.A IknitCupcakes on Ravelry
POSTING FOR THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Thank you everyone for posting! -Ve
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