Hello from the 8th stop of The Great American Pouf Tour. I’m celebrating with my friend Anne of Flax and Twine today on the launch of her new book, Knitting Without Needles. If you’ve been around since the early days, you might remember my shop full (and sometimes not so full) of knitted cowls. I think it was around that time that I met Anne. She’s been making crafting cool again since the early days. When her arm-knitted pouf arrived a couple weeks ago for The Great American Pouf Tour, Hallie usurped it for her own room. With the addition of the pouf to her tent and dog beds (keep reading!), her nook is looking pretty magical. I’m not sure if it’s more for her or me.

My love for making food trickles over into crafting. I just like to make things, though I haven’t knit since my tiny human arrived on the scene. But the minute Anne’s book arrived, I ran out to buy yarn to make her wired word art (tutorial also here). We spent the afternoon at the park. Hal ate sand (kidding!) while I learned to finger knit. It was easy, mindless, and therapeutic—the only kind of knitting I do. In a short afternoon, we had play scripted behind her reading nook.

Come nighttime, we hover in the tent and on the pouf for bedtime stories. It’s a magical little space, one that I hope fosters daily play in her life (and ours too).

Now, I have a secret. A nook is no good unless it’s comfortable. Pillows are no good long term, especially under the weight of an adult. But memory foam. That stuff saves tailbones. It can be pretty expensive, but memory foam dog beds from HomeGoods are straight steals at about $24 a pop. (They’re $60+ on Amazon.) We have two in her tent. I let Hal lay on one in the store for testing purposes. I had to pull her off with a little force after a couple of strange looks. She tells everyone that comes over about her reading nook and dog bed. Ok, maybe I bring up the dog bed part. We have no secrets at this house.

To Anne, congratulations on your book! Thanks for making our space playful, crafted, and beautiful. You made knitting simple and modern again—two of my favorite things.

Playful reading nook sources: Pouf Kit (in book)  |  Tent  |  Wired Art (in book)  |  Paper Tassel DIY  |  Dog Beds and Pillows  |  Rug

These are on the to-make list next ?.

The book’s yarn and all the yarn for this tour were graciously sponsored by Purl Soho. This fabulous floor pouf was made with Cascade Magnum yarn. Kits for the poufs or signed copies of Knitting Without Needles can be purchased at Anne’s shop.