Coronation Knits is Launched!

Da, da, da, da, da, daaaaaaaaaaaaaaah (Imagine this as a fanfare playing)!

So without further ado, I am delighted to announce the launch of Coronation Knits.

Here's the front cover which I've shown before

This book has been hard work as it had to be completed in a relatively short period of time, but it has been an absolute delight at the same time. As a designer, putting together a collection is always the ideal but something which one rarely gets to do. However the concept of Coronation Knits was just that; to design a complete collection around the theme of the Coronation/Jubilee, Royalty and the personal style of a young Elizabeth from around 1947 to 1953. I have always enjoyed working to a brief or interpreting a storyboard. I guess it was the way I was trained, and as I always like to create a story in my head as I design, the brief becomes the framework around which I build my ideas.

This is the back cover - you can just see the new publishing imprint I'm using - Susan Crawford Vintage

Over the years I have collected a lot of memorabilia from this period, some incidentally containing images of the Royals, others specifically about them. As I was going through all this material, I began to ask myself why had I actually collected it. I don’t think I ever collect things randomly, even though I do collect a lot of things, I feel there is usually a reason, a connection, that initially starts me off.  Then the penny dropped. All the threads led back to the same point - my mum! Mum was 12 when Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952 and was already a collector of all things related to her. But particularly about Elizabeth, and her sister Margaret’s, personal style. Mum had kept a scrapbook about Elizabeth during the late 1940s and early 1950s that resided at my nan and granddad’s house and which I used to study on wet Sunday afternoons when I would go and visit. Unfortunately the scrapbook no longer exists. At some point my granddad had thrown it out without our knowledge and it was lost. But mum and I both remember it clearly and it without doubt it has been a huge influence to me when designing the collection. so, I hear you ask, just what is in the collection? Here the the 14 designs that make up Coronation Knits:

Coronation Knits by Susan Crawford

You'll see and hear a lot more about each of the individual designs over the next few weeks but for today I am very excited to be announcing the Coronation Knits Blog Tour. This is the first time I've done a blog tour so am quite nervous but thrilled that my book is in the hands of some of my favourite designers, textile artists, knitters and bloggers. So here is the list of where we will be visiting: Doing interviews, questions and answers, technical behind the scenes info, reviews and giveaways. It should be a lot of fun:

12th June 2012 - More Yarn Will Do The Trick - Jean Moss
16th June 2012 - JenACKnitwear  - Jen Arnall Culliford
18th June 2012 - The Icelandic Knitter - Helene Magnusson
20th June 2012 - Knitting Institute - Knitting Magazine
24th June 2012 - Ingrid Murnane Investigates - Ingrid Murnane
28th June 2012 - Domestic Soundscape -Felicity Ford
29th June 2012 - Sheep To Shawl - Donna Druchunas
2nd July 2012  - The Making Spot - Simply Knitting 
7th July 2012   - Fourth Edition - Karie

6th July 2012   - rock+purl - Ruth Garcia-Alcantud
10th July 2012 - By gum, by golly! - Tasha
14th July 2012 - tomofholland - Tom Van Deijnen
18th July 2012 - Woolly Wormhead - Woolly
22nd July 2012 - Crinoline Robot - Mim
25 July 2012     - Sexyknitter.com - Sarah Wilson


Each post will feature the book in a different way that will really help you to get to grips with what makes this book so special. The variety of bloggers also means that you can learn about the book from many different points of view. Many of the posts will also include an opportunity to win your own copy of ‘Coronation Knits’ so be sure to visit each blog if you can.

If you cannot wait to get your hands on a copy of Coronation Knits however, you can see more details and place your order on my website, here.

There are three options for your purchase: Print book only which is £12.99; E-book only which is £9.99; and a Print and E-book joint purchase at £17.99. We're also adding a 'bolt-on' option this week which will allow print only purchasers to add the e-book to their order for £5.00.  There will be more details on this to follow. The print books will be available for us to despatch at the end of this week. And finally, the e-book will be available to purchase directly from ravelry later this week.

for now
Ruby xx