5 comments about The Opinionated Knitter.

1. another good book from Elizabeth Zimmerman full of good ideas and a chance to 'know' the author a little better... great style too!



2. More than 30 years ago, I found Elizabeth Zimmerman's first book, "Knitting Without Tears" which changed my relationship with knitting forever. (Every knitter should have this book--which not only tells you how the stitches work, but why.) So I was thrilled to be getting this "new" book, and I was not disappointed!
   "The Opinionated Knitter" is really a collection of her "Newsletters," which were originally published individually over a 10-year span. They are like chatty letters from a friend, combined with wonderfully designed knitted treasures to make. You may use her designs with any yarn, for any size person, as she shows how to use percentages to achieve your pattern. This is so liberating! One no longer needs to consult a pattern constantly and knitting becomes so relaxing.
   This book was worth every penny of its cost and will become as well-used as her original book, which is currently quite worn-out on my bookshelf. The only thing I would change is the binding--I wish it were a spiral-bound hardcover, instead of the traditional binding.



3. Although english is not my mother tongue, I just want to share with all EZ fans how fascinating is to see EZ's patterns in color and on modern models. You can travel from EZ's thoughts, her first letters with the original "unventions" and tips, to classical patterns knitted recently. Some comments on how to improve their well known patterns are really useful. 5 stars to a classical/modern "must to have" on a knitter's library.



4. I like the baby surprise jacket and more of the patterns, but I think it's difficult to read the pattern when they are written on a machine and are corrected with handwriting.



5. This book was so beautifuly done I found myself amazed. While it is not a straight forward book of instructions like so any knitting books have become, it is still a very interesting book.
   
   This book smacks of a time when knitting was very commonplace with the young as well as the old. In a time when we are so rushed in everything that we do, it is nice to be able to look back to when more women (or men) could be seen knitting something for the ones they love.
   
   Know that this book is more like a collection of historical documents than a book of straight forward instruction, but the patterns are there, and they are lovely.

No comments about The Prayer Shawl Companion: 38 Knitted Designs to Embrace, Inspire, and Celebrate Life.

5 comments about Knit Kimono: 18 Designs with Simple Shapes.

1. Once you have knitted blankets, sweaters, Irish cable knit sweaters, fair isle and lace and intarsia, it seems like there are no more fun projuects to do. But this book is FULL of gorgeous knitted kimonos that are extremely well designed and it's the best NEW knitting book I have bought in DECADES !! DECADES !!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!



2. The kimonos are lovely. The patterns are very helpful- and if you are an experienced knitter you will be able to figure out how to substitute yarns. If you plan on using the yarns the author did, however, you should expect that some of these projects are going to get very expensive. I spoke with a lady who does museum archival knitting, and she said to substitute yarns one should match the gauge, not just the yarn weight. I think this book would have been improved by giving information about less expensive yarns.



3. I am impressed with this knitting book for two reasons... It is beautifully presented for a knitting book and most of the patterns I am able to adjust easily to my own homespun wool.
   It is a book I leave on the coffee table for anyone to browse through.



4. I knit by hand and with machines. This book is easily adapted to machine knitting. The author provides a basic platform from which to create. I would say that the projects rank on the level with knitting an afghan, so if a person is not up to that level, best start elsewhere. The knitting itself is quite easy on most all patterns.



5. Love the history...love the simplicity...love the book! For a long time I ignored this book on the selves, then I picked it up to look inside. I couldn't put it down. The author draws you in with the fasinating history of kimonos and then with simple designs shows you how to create these beautiful, wearable works-of-art. I'm currently making the one shown on the cover. I love the way it flows. The author brings a sense of Japanese respect for nature in the stitch and design. Thank you for writing this book.
   
   P.S. The yarn does not have to be expensive. The author suggests worsted weight or sportweight for most of the designs. I easily found the proper amount in my stash.

5 comments about A Killer Stitch (Knitting Mysteries, No. 4).

1. I have enjoyed the past Kintting Mysteries, but this book is nothing but redundant writing. EVERYDAY Kelly goes to the cafe, gets coffee (enough with the coffee references), takes out her knitting, puts her knitting away, feels the yarn for sale and goes back to her accounts. This character needs to grow to keep the series going. A character needs to do more than drink coffee, talk about coffee, and offer friends coffee to be enjoyable. Kelly would be more upset if the coffee went missing, than if it was one of her friends. Lets get back to being a mystery. I will read the next book in the series, but if it is the same old thing that will be the last.



2. Kelly Flynn is fitting into her new life in Fort Connor, Colorado. She's now running her own accounting business, joined a local ball team, helped to solve a couple of crimes, found some kindred spirits and friends, fell in love with fiber, and started learning to knit. Somehow she also acquired a steady male date in Steve Townsen. But she hasn't managed to buy the canyon property she fell in love with. Christmas is approaching and projects need to be finished. But, Kelly can't turn down a plea for help when Jennifer's friend is accused of murdering Derek Cooper. The problem is Lucy Adair, a teacher at House of Lambspun the local fiber mecca, was dating Derek and she's carrying his child. How to find the truth when it could that the truth could tear apart some of her friendships -- and the clues aren't adding up.
   
   As Kelly starts to look into the murder she finds that there are very few people who knew Derek who didn't have a motive for killing him, and it's comes down to opportunity. But, she's distracted when she learns that the buyer for the canyon land she wanted has put it back up for sale and she puts in another bid. Tensions rise and the police turn up the pressure on their likely suspect.
   
   One of the nice benefits of a continuing series of well-fleshed out characters is that you get updates on what's happening in their lives. So, in the midst of Kelly investigating the murder, we find that maybe Burt and Mimi seem to be spending time together. That everyone has noticed that Kelley and Steve are courting. And that life goes on for Curt Stackhouse who recently lost his wife to cancer. That there may be more to café owner Pete than meets the eye.
   
   With each book the plots are getting a bit more convoluted and we're starting to see a surer touch of weaving in the threads of continuing side plots that may play out in a future book or books. While we have a satisfactory ending to this story, there are now threads that I hope will get picked up and played out when next we visit Kelly and her friends.



3. Although I was interested enough to finish the book, the characters come across as busy bodies who need to "fix" everything and everybody. The author does not portray the important issues of alcoholism and co-dependence very accurately or convincingly. This particular book in the series (it's the only one I've read, maybe others are better) comes across as teen literature. The relationships among characters are, for the most part, either silly and giggly or mean and awful.



4. [[ASIN:0425222020 A Killer Stitch: A Knitting Mystery]This fun and entertaining book is part of Maggie Sefton's knitting mystery series. It contains an easy to follow knitting pattern for a cable-knit scarf and a recipe for chocolate mint fudge (yum!). I enjoy the characters in this mystery series. Anyone who has a favorite yarn store and likes to knit would enjoy this novel.



5. I've read all of the books in this series, and like the others, was sorry to get to the end of it. Kelly and the gang seem like a growing family, we get new characters with each one, and I find that it's like a comfy blanket, the more I'm with it, the better it gets. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE !!! My only advice for the author is WRITE FASTER!!!

No comments about Nicky Epstein's Knitting on Top of the World: The Global Guide to Traditions, Techniques and Design.

5 comments about Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects.

1. I loved the colors, the ideas and explanations. I am glad that I bought it!



2. I bought this book for my wife, who enjoys making decorative felt food. Given the subtitle and cover photo, you might assume this book contains felt food projects. For the most part, it doesn't.



3. LOVED the ideas in this book. Lots of easy-to-make gifts from used sweaters. Great redo crafting for Christmas. Recommended!



4. This is a gem of a book, full of great ideas to give or keep. The instructions seem very clear (will not know for sure until I actually make anything, but still). I do agree that it is a bit confusing when most of the instruction pictures feature colors different than the ones on the final project, but for the most part it is ok. Really, my own project will not be the same colors as pictured, either, but will probably follow the same patterned/solid color scheme. As far as finding materials, I was having a hard time finding suitable sweaters at my local thrift store, as well, until I went to a store in a "wealthier" area of my state. I hit a gold mine! Thank you Betz(y) for the awesome book! Your parents sure are proud, as they should be :)



5. I LOVE the ideas in Warm Fuzzies and I like the idea of using felt but I HATE the idea of going to thrift stores and buying old wool sweaters that I have to felt myself. Sure, it's probably cheap and it gives people great satisfaction of knowing that they're doing something "green," but I'm not into that stuff. I don't like thrift stores and I don't like the idea of having to go through that kind of a process to make anything. I'd rather buy the fabric at a fabric store and start in on making a fun crafty project! So, that's what I did!
   If the idea of felting wool sweaters on your own makes you uninterested, don't worry! Any of these projects can be done by using new fabric that's found at the craft store. It can be wool or felt or a wool combo or even boiled wool. Or, you can use some completely different fabric (and even use batting if you want it to have a thicker sweater-like feeling to it).
   I'm just saying that we don't have to limit outselves to felt if we want to use the great patterns and ideas in this book.

5 comments about One-Skein Wonders.

1. This is a great book to use for gift ideas or for weekend projects - a great "stashbuster" resource.



2. The book is great; the only problem I have is they use skeins slightly larger than normal to make most of the projects.



3. I got this book for christmas... I like it. Mostly all knitting projects so if you crochet and don't knit, probably not the book for you. It's got some good projects in it just to have on hand.



4. I ordered this book and was thrilled when it arrived. So many wonderful ideas. It's a must for any knitter with even a small stash! It will be used over and over. Small projects are perfect for in-between the large ones and this book offers lots! Many gift ideas collected into one book.



5. I have inherited many orphan skeins from my grandmother's stash, and was looking to this book to make some use of them. All in all, I can say that this book was somewhat helpful. I think that the cell-phone case, while not original, was one of the coolest patterns in here!
   
   Pros (the first two are its greatest strengths):
   --The center of the book has color-photos of each and every project, cross-referenced to the page where its pattern can be found
   --Patterns are organized by yarn type/weight, which is one of the most useful features I have ever seen in a knitting pattern book!
   --IMHO, Two-thirds of the patterns are useful/wearable/would make great gifts
   --Most of the patterns are easy for us newbie-knitters
   --A good variety of items to knit
   --Even the ubiquitous scarves and knits hats were creative
   
   Cons:
   --About a third of the projects were just not things that I would ever wear or make for someone else (weird things, like knit cravats, or funky purses and hats that just were not my style)
   --Yarns detailed in each project were usually not commonly-found ones and had odd combinations of material types or were more expensive yarns, even though one would expect them to be easily "substitutable" in a one-skein project book.
   
   More pros than cons make this a recommended knitting book for those of you with orphan skeins that you don't know how to use. It is worth its price!

5 comments about Knitting from the Top.

1. Before I purchased this book, I was kind of skeptical. I read the other reviews on here and a lot of them said that it is hard to understand. I do not believe that is the case. So far I have designed my own top down raglan and I am working on a sweater using her top down simultaneous set-in sleeve method. I love this book!! It has helped me to improve my knitting skills in so many ways. I highly recommend this book.



2. Wonderful book. I recommend this book to any knitter who longs to design their own sweaters.



3. I originally didn't want to buy this book. It was recommended to me, but I found it at the library first, thinking that I have about 7 quadrillion knitting books already, I don't need another one, especially not one with such a dated-looking sweater on the cover. Was I ever wrong! I found the book at the library, and after reading it for about an hour, went onto Amazon and ordered it because I knew it needed to be a permanent addition to my library. Get her book and a couple of books by Elizabeth Zimmerman (Knitting Without Tears and/or The Opinionated Knitter), and I promise your knitting life will be changed.
   
   She has very clear instructions for knitting different, very basic garment types, like a raglan sweater, or a cardigan or a knitted skirt. This is not a book where any of the patterns will jump out at you and say "Make me now!" What this book does is gives you an understanding of how to take a yarn that you like, and without thinking too hard, to make a garment out of it that will fit you and is pleasant to work.
   
   The techniques that she describes in here can be used on just about ANY pattern to make it easier and more pleasurable to knit. Plus they can reduce your worry about following a complicated pattern only to finish with a garment that doesn't fit.
   
   If you want to start designing your own sweaters, or have been disappointed with what you have made in the past, do yourself a favor and read this book and use these techniques to make your garments in the future.



4. This is a wonderful book, do not let the layout or colors slow you donw. Don't worry if you do not like the projects either. This is not a book you buy to do the projects in it. This is a a book you buy to learn to design and do your own projects in a manner that allows you make adjustments as you go. If you ever liked the Stitch Diva patterns and wondered how to do that yourself, here is a book that will get you started. It is on my nightstand and just reading it makes my mind spin with colors and ideas.



5. Knitting from the Top
   I bought this book after reading the Amazon reviews on it. I would usually check a book out of my local library before purchasing, but this one was not available that way and the reviews were explicit enough that I felt it was worth the slight risk. I'm not disappointed! I prefer knitting sweaters from the top down. This book shows how to do that, but it goes into much more! With what I've learned in this book I have been able to design and knit clothing - including pants, skirts, dresses, socks, jackets... - that fit perfectly from the moment they come off my needles; no matter who I'm knitting for! I've enjoyed free-form crochet for years. Now I'm enjoying the same creative freedom in my knitting!

5 comments about Teach Yourself Visually Knitting (Teach Yourself Visually).

1. I am new to knitting, and although I couldn't understand the first few steps to start knitting (my fault, not the books), this book has been a big help after learning the basic cast on and knit! So many things to learn and GREAT pictures!



2. This is the book that I always have at hand when I'm working on a knitting project: It has provided answers --with pictures-- to every dilemma that I've ever had. It's incredibly handy, with great photos and a comprehensive index. I didn't use it to teach myself knitting from scratch, but I have used it to teach myself some new and useful techniques. For me (a somewhat experienced knitter) it's an indispensable resource.



3. I was given this book when I started knitting and I just bought a copy for my sister in - law. the pictures and instructions are clear and easy to follow.



4. I did not have the luxury of anyone teaching me how to knit, so I turned to this book. After checking out a huge stack of knitting books from my library, this one was the clearest so I bought it from Amazon. It taught me everything I need to know about beginning to knit, and well over a year later it's still my best reference book when I come to a problem I haven't encountered yet. The pictures are incredibly helpful, as are the written descriptions. Some of the projects in the back seem a little awkward-looking, but they're a great springboard for other ideas and color combinations. This is a fantastic first book for knitters, and also for anyone who would like a visual walk-through of stitches and solutions to knitting problems.



5. To tell you the truth I was very disapointed. I tried to follow the instructions given and I was not able to start knitting. In the end, I had to find someone to teach me to start knitting.
   So it might be useless book.

5 comments about Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book.

1. As soon as I picked up this book, I knew it would become one of my favorites! I page through it wishing that I were an intermediate knitter, but, alas, am just a little bit better than a beginner. Take heart, if you keep making those little stitches, you improve immeasurably.
   
   I just started knitting again in November after a more than 10 yr hiatus, due to choosing patterns that were beyond my expertise. Since November, I have learned numerous cast on techniques (which I could NOT do before), how to fix dropped stitches (also something I was unable to do prior to November) and other little so called trivial techniques.
   
   Keep at it, and keep on hand a book such as this. You WILL learn. If I can do it, anyone can do it, if you keep at it.
   
   Happy Knitting!! Blessings!!



2. so my wife says. but she's the knitter - not me. she says this is THE book to have.



3. This beautifully presented book is a minefield of wonderful illustrations and photos to help and guide you through almost any queries you might have. The relative sections I wanted information on, were very easy to find. An absolute treasure of a book.



4. I just recently got back into knitting. I understand some of the basics (knit, purl, casting off), but I am still just a novice. The illustrations are excellent! I have found these to be very helpful. I used to go to the internet for help and would waste time searching through site after site. No more, this is the first place that I go to now. In many cases this book will show you how to do techniques in more than just one way. A must for every knitter!Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book



5. Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book has helped me MUCH more than any other how to book. I think it's a must have learn how to knit and reference book for any knitter - whether you're just learning or are an expert. The illustrations are thoughtfully presented in multiple colors and unlike many other books, it's actually very very easy to understand. Illustrations as well as verbal descriptions work for people that learn both ways. Fabulous book - I highly recommend.