If any one design can be said to embody Elizabeth Zimmermann's creative gifts and twinkling eye, it is this one - the Surprise Jacket in all it's possibilities. Cully's explication of Elizabeth's original pattern is wonderfully clear and the added photos and technique tidbits are both elucidating and inspiring. Joy, sheer joy, awaits those who follow these footsteps.

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket has become near legendary since its conception in 1968. The jacket is knitted back and forth in garter stitch, then cleverly folded and completed by weaving the shoulder seams. This updated pattern includes Elizabeth's original Baby Surprise Jacket instructions, original Adult Surprise instructions, and instructions for the new Child's Surprise jacket. Cully has also added row by row instructions for the Baby Surprise Jacket, so that your initial encounter with the SJ is along a well-marked trail. Both the Adult and Child's Surprise are based on the construction of the baby jacket. Cully has included numbers to knit the Baby Surprise Jacket at different gauges and a chart to enable you to knit different sizes at different gauges. The pattern also includes an options section for adding hood, collar and other features such as EZ's Afterthought Pocket and more. Technique instruction is also included.

I first encountered these two Guernseys in Elizabeth's third book, Knitting Workshop, which included brief instructions for her version (Gaffer's Gansey). Meg's Guernsey ("Mrs. Laidlaw's Guernsey" in blue) has not been published anywhere before. This pattern includes specific instructions for both garments which are knit in the round (with gussets and 'seam' sts) from the lower edge to within a few inches of should height. The armholes are cut open and garter-stitch saddle shoulders knitted onto the raw body stitches. Techniques include: Provisional Cast-on, Short Rows and Wrapping, and choice of steeks. There is a brief diagram/explanation of how Elizabeth's Percentage System (ESP) applies to designing the sweaters, which leaves the actual discovery of where and how to center your pattern to your own common sense. (Hint: just find the center of your motif - the rest will take care of itself.)

This sweater was designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann and given to Joan Morhard Smith in the 1950s. Joan wished for her beloved sweater to be re-knit as the original sweater (at left) is almost 60 years old and could not be repaired. Designer Sunday Holm reconstructed the pattern replicating the original shaping of the garment. The sweater is worked from the bottom up with a mitered hem and "phoney seams." It is a cropped sweater with Dolman sleeves (we've seen this type of sweater sleeve in many clothing magazines lately) and is knit in the round to the shoulder. Plenty of techniques are provided (provisional co, phoney seams, securing steeks, EZ's icord button loops and more), along with an option for slimming the sleeve. Sizes (38, 42, 46, 48 chest circumference). Recommended gauge is 5 stitches to the inch.

EZ's Butterfly Jacket was first published in McCalls Needlework in 1956. Meg Swansen re-knitted the design in the spring of 2008 for the 50th year anniversary of Schoolhouse Press. EZ's intitial article in McCall's was accompanied by her Ribwarmer and the manner of construction in each design is related. (You can see the Butterfly being knitted on the Elizabeth's Ribwarmer DVD.)

This lovely, historic sweater has been shown in a number of Scandinavian books and Meg has added her own variations which include built-in-cardigan borders and modified drop-shoulder shape. The charts have been expanded to include complete charts for body circumferences 33", 37", 41", 45" and 49". Your favorite fingering weight wool will be just right for the Delsbo.

Elizabeth Zimmermann knitted the prototype for the arch shaped stockings in the 1960s. As with Cat Bordhi's "New Pathways" socks, they are quite sensuous as you slip them on and feel the arch snug up into the bottom of your foot. In a thorough search of EZ's knitting journals, no notes about this particular design were found. Meg Swansen pored over the original stockings to create the written pattern which includes detailed instructions for a pair of aran or two color stockings plus charts for 7 different designs including an elegant Bavarian Twisted Stitch design. A sock-knitter's delight!

Anna Makarovna has finished her stocking,” said Countess Marya. . . .They meant two stockings, which, by a secret known only to her, Anna Makarovna used to knit on her needles simultaneously. When the pair was finished, she always made a solemn ceremony of pulling one stocking out of the other in the presence of the children.

War and Peace, 1869, Leo Tolstoy

Knitters have wondered for a century and a half how on earth Anna Makarovna managed to knit her socks that so amazed everyone that the finishing of them was enough to bring a household before her as she unveiled two socks where only one had seemed to be.

Beverly Royce clearly explains how to knit like Anna and amaze your friends and all children (and yourself, I well imagine!). Could this be a technique to launch a thousand stashes?

How very nice to be able to get a single Latvian mitten pattern by Lizbeth Upitis, the unequaled master of Latvian knitting and traditions. And to have the mitten be so very beautiful - it's almost too much! It makes the adventure of learning these techniques even closer at hand.

This pattern holds your hand as you step into the ocean of Latvian techniques and designs. The shading in this mitten’s cuff plus alternating colored sun symbols in its palm give the appearance of a difficult six-colored mitten. But this traditional Latvian mitten is worked with no more than two colors in a round. Single-colored fringe immediately precedes two-colored braid, so fringe strands pop up inside the braid. The result is mittens to cherish.

Lizbeth's book, Latvian Mittens, is available here.

At winter's dawning
Birds are dancing on my snow
To silent music.

Dance with the birds through icey realms as your hands warm to the knitting of their joyous steps.

Bridget Rorem's Near Solstice, a triangular shawl, features an array of lacy bird's feet, dancing in the snow. Also, knitted in lace across the top of the triangle is an original and very touching haiku.

Bridget is truly an extraordinary lace innovator, never borrowing existing patterns from books, but designing each of her unique motifs from scratch and, when necessary, inventing techniques to realize her ideas.