1 comments about A Yorkshire Fable: Thirty Knitting Designs.

1. The book itself is nicely put together, with color and b&w photos of the sweaters. There is at least one sweater in here that will appeal to you, although most are designed for younger women. There are a few for men, none for children. Most are inventive, which is refreshing since Rowan's typical line has styled itself towards the simple with bulky wools, etc. These sweaters take more work, and they are made either with the new line of Yorkshire tweeds or with Rowan magpie. Color photos accompany the instructions. Lots of fun to browse and contemplate, though I haven't made anything from these patterns yet so cannot say if the patterns themselves are easy to use.

3 comments about The Knitter's Guide to Yarn Cocktails: 30 Technique-Expanding Recipes for Tasty Little Projects.

1. I purchased this for a gift, and upon review found no projects of interest. Maybe if you are into retro projects, like knitting a tie; or want to knit your man a pair of boxers,(whatever), you might want to check it out. The mitered stole is very pretty, as for my taste that is about all this book has to inspire me. This was not a book for my gift giving purposes nor one I want in my library.



2. I ordered this book as a gift for my best friend's teenager who is interested in jewelry. As someone who has returned to knitting after a 35 year hiatus, I was impressed not only with the number of patterns (28) but with the variety. I can't wait to make the High Roller vest with one beautiful cable down the front and a super quick pattern for the rest so I can actually have it done fast. And After Dark Martini Sweater looks like something from a fancy boutique. But the best part of this book is the information on fiber properties and the challenges they pose, the tips, and the instructional guides which will get me back to speed. This book is a gift I'm going to give myself, too.



3. Taking their inspiration from the cocktail set, Anastasia Blaes and Kelly Wilson have created a knitting book aimed at the new generation of knitters. Each project in this book is inspired by a popular cocktail and focuses on a specific skill, allowing knitters to learn skills incrementally. Eventually these "ingredients" may be mixed together, enabling knitters to undertake the more advanced projects in the book. While a few of the projects are suitable for beginning knitters, the majority are for intermediate or experienced knitters.
   
   The book is laid out following the cocktail motif. The first chapter "Ingredients" covers knitting basics: knitting tools, terminology, yarn and knitting abbreviations. The following chapters group projects by drink category such as "classic cocktails" (textured knitting), "martini drinks" (cables) and "garnish with a twist" (edgings). While the cocktail motif is initially amusing, the novelty wears off and knitters may find it all a bit too cute. One helpful item is the ice cube illustration included in some patterns, standing for "refresh." This icon indicates that techniques used in the pattern are referenced earlier in Yarn Cocktails and helpfully, the authors have include the page reference for the technique.
   
   Most of the patterns here are geared to the younger knitter, with the majority of patterns being for accessories rather than clothing. Clothing patterns include five tops (of the camisole persuasion), two skirts, boxers, knickers and a lace vest.
   
   The final chapter includes recipes for all the drinks referenced in the book--although this reviewer would not recommend drinking and knitting--as it can lead to a great deal of day-after ripping.

5 comments about 24-Hour Knitting Projects (24 Hours).

1. Don't waste your money. About half of the patterns use fluffy novelty yarns like paton's cha cha or boa in simple items like scarfs (a fuzzy scarf knit all in garter stitch! Does anyone really need this pattern? And a tank top made completly out of boa yarn!) You can get the same patterns for free from the ball band. There are one or 2 patterns that are alright (an afghan and I can't remember the other one). But nothing that anyoneshould be aloud to wear.



2. I borrowed this book from my local library, and I have to say I am thrilled with it! I was never a very good knitter, preferring to sew, quilt, or crochet, but with relatively easy patterns like these, I expect to improve greatly, if only through practice from making several of the projects. Although the patterns are fairly basic, perhaps too much so for more experienced knitters, the use of relatively inexpensive, widely available yarns, makes them look completely different from similar projects found in a typical "learn to knit" book made from garden-variey acrylic yarn. I'm a very visual person, but have trouble picturing in my mind how a certain project would look made up in a fancier yarn, so I really appreciate the great photos of these projects made in nicer yarns - different from those I use in my humanitarian work, for example. I like the looks of the finished projects and the clearly written patterns so well that about half the people on my Christmas gift list will be receiving items made from this book (yes, even the guys!).
   
   Listing the brand name and specific color of the yarn used in each project has been very helpful to me as I've shopped online for similar yarns before hitting the stores.
   
   In short, I think this book is great, and I look forward to adding it to my personal library in the near future.



3. I first borrowed this book from my local library, and I found that there were so many projects that I wanted to try that I ended up deciding that I wanted to buy my own copy of the book.
   The projects are relatively easy ones, as one would expect from a book with this title. If you are looking for a particularly challenging project then this book probably isn't for you. But if you want to make something fun and creative that will work up fairly quickly, then I am sure you will find something that appeals to you in this book. The projects are attractive and there is a nice variety of projects offered. The photos are excellent, giving you an accurate idea of what the project will look like when completed. Best of all, the directions are crystal clear --easy to read and easy to follow.
   I intend to make many items from this book -- for myself as well as for gifts.



4. I agree with someone said below about this book being tacky. There are only a couple of patterns that I thought I might use, but really, you could probably find better variations elsewhere. If I had had a chance to look through this book in the store I wouldn't have bought it.



5. This book provides some very lovely, refreshing ideas & designs that will knit up quickly for yourself, or as a gift. The designs allow some "play" with newer yarns on the market & will appeal to the younger crowd, as well. There's a wide variety of patterns offered. I don't get much time to knit, but I love to knit. This book was a great solution for my personal situation - a hectic home schedule! The photography is nicely done, provides good photos of each project. A little bit of imagination on behalf of the individual knitter would take what this book has to offer, far! It's a nice surprise!

3 comments about All Stitched Up: The Complete Guide to Finishing Stitches for Handknitters.

1. Excellent photos. Straight forward instructions. This book is exactly what I needed. It's been the next best thing to having someone's shoulder to look over and watch as they finished a sweater.

   I also loved the extras. Embroidery, knitted leaves and flowers, making your own buttons, zippers, pockets, shaping techniques -- and I finlly understand short rows!

   This is a nice companion book to my Vogue Reference because it's so focused and expands on exactly the techniques I need as an intermediate knitter as I try to broaden and refine my techniques.

   I have looked at the other finishing books. This is the first one I HAD to have.

   I would have been happy to buy this book had there been no patterns, but they are a very nice bonus, particularly the women's fully fashioned sweaters. Simple and sophisticated with great details. The cardigan I just finished looks MUCH better than my last sweater as I used the things in this book to finish it.




2. I was happy to add this to my library of knitting reference books. It is in depth and easy to understand, also there are some good basic patterns that can be adapted to my own projects.



3. This book is the best visual text and information that I have ever seen. It is like having an extra hand to help. I am a left handed person who learned to knit right handed about 20 years ago. When I am "rusty" I pull out the book and review. Now my daughter in law wants to knit and I have started her on a project. She belongs to a group who does the English method vs. the Continental Method.(my way). I am going to order her this book so it can
   guide her visually. I have told her that even though we do different methods the rules are all the same. I only wish I had learned to knit when I had little ones. Now I am knitting for the next generation with this book not far from my grasp. Mary

5 comments about The Portable Crafter: Knitting (Portable Crafter.).

1. I bought this book for the cute little patterns in it. I completed baby's first hat this weekend. It was a quick knit and certainly portable. I am an avid baby sweater knitter and was excited to see that this book contains 3 pattern variations for a top down raglan. In reading the patterns I find the wording to be a bit hazy. I don't have a problem with this, but I could certainly see a less experienced knitter being frustrated. My big complaint is that the photos don't always match the pattern. The one I remember is for the basic baby sweater. The sweater in the photo has a ribbed bottom. The pattern gives instructions for a garter stitch bottom. It's a little detail, but would certainly be a big headache for someone who may not recognize stitches as readily.
   
   Despite the little mistakes, I do really like this book. It has some cute, quick projects that wouldn't cost a fortune to complete.



2. I'm a new self taught knitter and I "love" this little book. The baby hat is the first thing I knitted and the first real success that I could give as a gift. I've done the 2 fast fluffy hats with the bulky yarn I had on hand and they are great! I'm working on the chevron hat now and I can't believe how beautiful the pattern looks. Yes, I'm very new at this stuff and the dpn's are a bit clumsy for me but at last I'm having success. It seems that Leanne Bennett and I are on the same page. I wish she would do another book. CV



3. I liked the patterns in this book for the baby sweaters and baby hat so purchased it only to find out that all three of the baby sweater patterns have mistakes in the directions. It is very frustrating to start a project and then find that you have to struggle to understand the instructions. In fact, it is more like part of the instructions are missing for all of these patterns. I would not suggest this book if the projects that you wish to knit from it are any of the baby sweaters. The baby hat is a very easy patterns and turns out very cute. But a book is hardly worth purchasing when one of the five patterns that you like can be knitted easily.



4. I agree with all of the reviewers -- this is a nice little book with lots of enticing patters, in a great portable size. But so far every single pattern I've tried has mistakes. The cabled baby sweater is the worst of the lot -- I ended up ripping back half the sweater because the author tells you to begin the sleeve cables after all the increases are done rather than at the top. (It's shown correctly in the photograph.)
   
   After studying all of the other baby sweater patterns in order to figure it out, I realized that she simply "cut and pasted" the directions from one to the other, without double checking whether they worked. In fact, they don't actually work for any of the three patterns. There's a significant error in Row 8 that tells you to work the ribbing until the first increase. Well, that's wrong for all three patterns. You only work the ribbing for the first 4 stitches -- what is worse, one of the sweaters doesn't have any ribbing at all (it's done with seed stitch edges) so a beginning knitter would be very confused indeed.
   
   I think someone should really have tested out each pattern separately; that would have eliminated at least the repetition of those particular mistakes. There are other issues with the patterns as well -- not so much mistakes as vague instructions or design glitches. For example, the baby sweaters work better if they're cast on in an even number of stitches, so that the ribbing comes out evenly. And it would have been nice to have been given specific instructions for increasing so that the increases slant correctly. I knew what to do, but a beginner would come out with slightly messy increases.
   
   Other patterns have small omissions, which would be relatively easy to fix even for beginners (e.g., the towel patterns forget to tell you to work the garter stitch edge at the end.) I would have loved to give this book 5 stars for the adorable designs and the handy size of the book, but there are just too many careless mistakes. I'm especially bothered by the fact that the mistakes carry over from one pattern to the next, indicating that the patterns weren't written and tested separately. I tried contacting the publisher but they ignored my email.
   
   That said, once you understand the errors & deal with them, the projects do come out =well and make great gifts. I couldn't recommend this book for beginners, though an experienced knitter who knew about the errors ahead of time would probably get good use out of it. Still -- there's no excuse for cutting & pasting incorrect patterns.



5. This is a handy book for any knitter to throw in your bag to go to knitting groups or travel. It has a nice range of patterns, complete instructions, and photos to show what your project could look like. Good for any knitter's collection.

4 comments about Joy Of Knitting Companion.

1. I think that this book might be good for someone just starting to knit. If you have done much knitting, this probably isn't the book for you. I got it because I hope it will be helpful for beginning students. It does give some suggestions and formulas which will be helpful. I would probably recommend checking it out of the library instead of buying it.



2. The fall chill is setting in, and Christmas is just around the corner -- so now's the time to curl up in front of the fireplace (or maybe just the TV) with a cup of hot chocolate, a pair of knitting needles, and a big ball of yarn. Knitting, after all, is cool again -- it's not just for old ladies anymore.

   Once you've learned the basics, and you've mastered basic, boring scarves (every member of my family and every one of my friends now owns at least one hand-knit scarf), you're ready to go out on a limb a bit. In The Joy of Knitting Companion, Myers, a yarn store owner who's been knitting since she was eight, gives all kinds of insight into the craft. In the pages of this book, you'll find tips on selecting the perfect yarn for a project, basic patterns for hats, socks, scarves, mittens, and bags, and a few refreshers of the basics. You'll also learn how to read charts and make your projects even more personal -- by designing your own patterns.

   The Joy of Knitting Companion is chock-full of instructions for new stitches and patterns and suggestions that will even make you excited to knit boring old scarves again. Myers also includes graphs for designing your own patterns and pages for filling in information about various yarns, the projects you've completed, and more.

   This book is definitely a must-have for any knitter -- every page is full of information that you'll want to refer to over and over again.




3. What do you do when you've learned the basic skills of knitting -- casting on & off, knitting, purling -- and are looking to expand your skills and become a better knitter? The answer is simple: buy this book. Lisa Myers, owner of Rosie's Yarn Cellar in Philadelphia, has been in the yarn business for years and is an experienced writer and teacher. She shares her hard-earned knowledge in this book, designed to take novice knitters to the next level (although even experienced knitters can learn a lot and will appreciate the charts and technical info). She gives practical advice for picking yarns, selecting stitch patterns, and incorporating design techniques for a variety of garments: mittens, hats, socks, and so on. There are helpful illustrations and plenty of tables and other information to help you make sense of it all. Don't spend the rest of your life blindly following other people's patterns: become a thinking knitter and make the knitted garments YOU want to make.



4. Whereas The Joy of Knitting, her other title, is more of a reading book with ideas and inspirations, this book is the nuts and bolts. She walks you through selecting a project and choosing yarn. The remaing chapters each cover one type of project (hats, socks, mittens, scarves, and bags). She also gives you graph paper to plan out your own ideas, and forms to keep track of the projects you've done.
   
   There are a lot of good ideas and technical info. here. It would be a good addition to your knitting library if you are a beginning to intermediate knitter.

No comments about Collars to Knit and Crochet (Aunt Ellen's Treasury).

2 comments about The Great American Afghan: A Special Knitter's Magazine Publication (Best of Knitter's Magazine).

1. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by needlecraft experts Elaine Rowley and Rick Mondragon, "The Great American Afghan" is an instructional compilation of innovative and 'user friendly' knitting techniques involved in the making of an afghan blanket. Featuring 25 unique squares created by 25 accomplished designers, "The Great American Afghan" covers such techniques as the entrelac, cables, bobbies, applique, lace, and more. Whether a novice afghan knitter or a seasoned, experienced afghan creator, "The Great American Afghan" will prove an inspired and inspiring source of information and example. Also very highly recommended as additions to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft instructional resource collections are three more titles in the XRX Books 'Great American Afghan Series': Great North American Afghan; Great American ran Afghan; and Great American Kids Afghan.



2. The blocks in this afghan are beautiful but VERY challenging. This is not for a beginner knitter. I had my book spiral bound and then had the covers laminated and it opens up nicely when I am trying to follow the pattern. Patterns are given in chart form AND written.

5 comments about Knitting with Wire (Knitting Technique series).

1. I have just recently purchased this book, and am greatly enjoying both reading through the many projects as well as beginning to experiment with several of the hand knitting projects. The author employs a conversational tone throughout the book, which both makes for a more enjoyable read and makes the beginning of new projects less daunting. I would recommend this book to those who would like to explore some new projects and methods of exploring their crafty natures...



2. I knit a lot and was interested in a book to bring my skills to wire. I bought this book thinking, reasonably, that this book would help.

   You should know that the lovely pieces in this book were almost all machine knit. There are only a few pieces that were knit by hand....and none of the great pieces.

   Absolutely skip this book unless you have a knitting machine and are interested in this technique for that purpose. Had the book been called "Machine Knitting with Wire" I'd have had no complaint. I'd have not bought the book.




3. A small book, about 6x7 inches and 90 pages. An interesting book with unique projects - jewelry, boxes, and the knitted scarf on cover and flowers (both require knitting machine).
   
   The findings section demonstrates several types of closings. This is important as colored wire cannot be soldered as when making silver jewelry, therefore "cold" connections must be used. Nowhere does she show how to add those findings to the jewelry.
   
   Hand knitting section has 9 projects, much of the jewelry w/ beads,
   
   Viking knitting (this turns out like the spool knitting we did as kids)is the weaving of the wire around an allen wrench. As allen wrenchs are inexpensive (a set can be had for under $2) this is accessible to those who wish to try the technique. Here there are 9 projects.
   
   Machine knitting - this requires a knitting machine and is therefore not easily accessable to all. I would guess there is not much written on the subject. For those who would like to try using wire with a machine, it would be a godsend. 5 projects are made w/ the same knitted flower and there are 4 other projects.
   
   While interesting, if I were to do it over, I would only buy her crochet book.



4. I agree with the two previous reviewers. This book is not about using knitting needles, much of it involves machine knitting. The title could have been more descriptive of the contents.
   
   For the Viking knitting, there are several better books.
   
   On the other hand, if you aspire to making aluminum jewelry for your pre-teen this may be a good book for you, especially if you have one of those little knitting machines.
   
   I'd suggest visiting the library to look at the book before buying it, however.



5. This book is wonderful. Frugal as I am, I must have checked it out of the library five or six times.
   
   The instructions for viking knitting are wonderful. And I've read many online instructions that were hopelessly confusing. But I was able to complete very nice projects with the aid of this little jewel of a book.
   
   The projects are wonderful, and they provide a good sample of ideas which get your creative thoughts going.
   
   I wished that I owned a knitting machine.
   
   This book should be highly recommended!

1 comments about Simply Knit 3.

1. Although this book has tempting ideas, it is full of errors, and even the errata sheets one can find online do not address all of its problems. So, knitters beware! I've spent weeks knitting and ripping due to its problematic pattern writing, and I am a moderately accomplished knitter.