So, I'm in the Barnes & Noble a couple weeks ago. I enjoy going there with the boys because they can look at books the way they like to. (Let's face it, they're boys, they don't do the sit calmly on a bench and look at a book thing. They tend to pick out the loudest of the interactive press-the-button-make-some-noise books, two of them of course, lay them out on the floor, and scoot and squirm around with them beeping just out of synch with each other. Not exactly library behavior.) And in a brilliant move, my B&N decided to locate the craft book section directly next to the kids section, so I usually grab a knitting book and read it on the floor next to the boys.

The last time we were there, I noticed a new book, Vickie Howell's New Knits on the Block. You know Vickie Howell - she's the fabulous host of DiY's Knitty Gritty and designer of cool knits like Tinsel and Banshee from Knitty.com. Yeah, that Vickie Howell! (And yes, she does really knit!) So here's this neat book all about knitting things your kids would actually like to have, like fun knitted objects for playtime and costumes for dress up. And as the creator of Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes, you know I was diggin' this book. (These Swamp Thing hats in fact, totally reminded me of the thing hats I made for the boys for Halloween. I have got to get some googley eyes!) Then when I got home, I had an email from the publisher that Vickie was going to be doing a blog book tour for the book and would I like to participate. Yeah! I've got some questions for crafty grrrrl, Vickie Howell.

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Q: Just how crafty a grrrl are you? What other crafts do you do besides knitting? Knitting is the best, right? (wink, wink)

A: (nudge, nudge ;-) ) If it involves yarn, fabric, thread, paper or glue, I probably do it! I sew, crochet, embroider, decoupage, cross stitch, card make, etc. Seriously, I dig anything that involves crafty goodness. Knitting holds an extra special place in my heart though--it's the one craft/art form that seems to always hold my attention. It's been years since I've gone more than a day without picking up my needles.

Q: Were you always this cool or is there hope for the rest of us? Can we knit ourselves cool?

A: LOL. Well, thank you. Ummm, I'm embarrassed now and don't know how to answer your question so instead, do you mind if I just curtsey? *curtseying* Thank you.

Q: The patterns in your New Knits on the Block book are awesome! As a mom who dressed her boys up in handknitted Halloween costumes this year, I discovered that it is amazing what they'll let us make for and put on them as long as it's fun. Knitting for kids really isn't so hard, is it?

A: Nah, it doesn't have to be! Even a simple, garter stitch belt (like the one from the Knight's Chain Mail project) can be fun for kids, because it gives them a place to hold their sword. :-)

Q: I don't have any girls to knit for, so, do you think I'd look bad in that Hawaiian dress? How about the mermaid tail? Okay don't answer that. I noticed that a lot of your own patterns in the book are knitted objects (totally LOVE the bowling pins, by the way!). Do you enjoy this sort of knitting more than garment knitting?

A: I feel your pain, I don't have girls to knit for either! Don't think I haven't tried to squeeze my 32-year-old behind into that mermaid costume, though. ;-) Thankfully the designer, Tina Marrin, will be on a future episode of Knitty Gritty showing how to make an adult skirt using the same stitch that she used for the mermaid.

I really dig the sculptural aspect of knitting objects but I don't necessarily enjoy knitting them more than garments. I think that for this book though, I wanted to design a few projects that a child could see developing before his or her eyes while the objects were being knitted. The bowling ball and pins especially, take shape really quickly and are worked in chunky yarn that makes them knit up fast. For me at least, those two features are important when trying to fit knitting into a busy life.

Q: Are you knitting lots of holiday gifts for people this year? If not, can you help me with mine?

A: Oh man, I had grand plans of knitting tons of gifts but there just hasn't been time. I have one lacey scarf done that I made for a friend months ago, but that's it. I feel so lame for being this professional knitter who can't even get her own gifts made. Ummm, so no, I can't help you - but thanks for asking! ;-)

Q: I saw recently on your blog that your 6-yr old son asked you to show him how to knit. Do you think he could help me knit my holiday gifts? Heh, heh, sorry, what I really meant to ask is, are your boys crafty too? I can't get my boys to spend more than a minute in front of a craft project. Do yours enjoy your crafting?

A: That depends. Does the job pay well? Just kidding. Yeah, that post was written during the course of the one row that my son knit before he promptly sent the needles back to their more valiant post as weaponry in his mythical army. My youngest son seems to be more interested in crafting than my oldest, but neither of them is quite ready to slow down long enough to get serious about anything more than throwing yarn balls.

Q: Speaking of boys, what's up with feminism these days? I mean we're having kids, we're knitting, we're knitting for our kids - this is a good thing, right?

A: Absolutely. To me, the 3rd wave of feminism means being able to choose your own path - making the decisions that are right for you as a woman, no matter what they are. A true feminist embraces that which makes her feel whole - we can bake, we can borrow, we can boardroom. It's our world now!

Thanks so much to Vickie for virtually stopping by. I hope you've been following the tour. If you haven't, go back and check out Knit and Tonic's hard-hitting interview from yesterday and catch Vickie at Lolly's tomorrow.

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By the way, once I got the book home, the boys seemed to get that it was really something for them. They took a peek at it, so I told them they could flip through the pages and pick out one thing and I would make it for them. They immediately found the swamp thing hats. But in the end B asked for the bowling pins and ball (hooray! I soooo wanted to make those!) and S picked the memory game. (He really liked the crown, but since B picked a toy, he changed his mind and went that way too. Phew!) So those'll be the new knits on this block after Christmas.

And speaking of things I HAVE to knit, did you see the most recent Knitty Gritty with Tina Marrin making the high heeled boots with the drilling and everything?! Too cool. I don't even wear heels, but I feel that I have to make these things. I mean, there's a drill involved and like 10 double-pointed needles. How can I resist? It's like those dang sweatpants I made last year. I could not get the silly things out of my head until I made them. So who's up for making the funky boots with me? Come on now, friends don't let friends knit silly stuff alone.