Knitting for Dummies
by Pam Allen, Trisha Malcolm, Rich Tennant, Cheryl Fall
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Book Summary Information
Author: Cheryl Fall, Pam Allen, Rich Tennant, Trisha MalcolmEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-01-15
ISBN: 076455395X
Number of pages: 392
Publisher: For Dummies
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Book Reviews of Knitting for Dummies
Book Review: Wow, so much positive to say!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make - it is indeed possible to learn knitting from a book, and this one is a spectacular teacher. I shopped around for a book to learn knitting for a long time, and this one proved to be the winner. Here's why:
1. Meticulous instructions and great diagrams. Surprisingly, it's not the instructional books with the glossy pages and photographs that are the best for learning knitting. This book is mainly black-and-white and has drawings rather than photos. Nonetheless, Knitting for Dummies has the best instructions on what to do with your needles and yarn in an easy-to-follow format.
2. The information is not overwhelming. Many beginner knitting books start out by explaining everything about knitting - all the different tools, yarns, etc. How overwhelming! Knitting for Dummies teaches you to do some basic knitting first, and only later (in Chapter 4), when you're more familiar with knitting, you get to see all the variety of techniques and tools. Literally, on the third page of the book you learn to cast on! Tell me of another book that does that.
3. You don't have to spend a lot of money. Many books out there teach the basics by encouraging you to do a project, and suggest you buy expensive yarn and needles to learn. That's ridiculous, don't you think?!? If you can hardly make two stitches the same size, why would you invest dozens of dollars in a fancy yarn to make a crooked scarf? In Knitting for Dummies, you get to practice your skills and learn knitting at the same time by knitting samples of different patterns. That's right, cheap samples with whatever cheap yarn you want. Sure, there are projects to try as well, but doing them isn't the only route to learning knitting skills.
4. Knitting for Dummies is comprehensive. This book covers everything from basic knitting and purling to knitting with color, finishing items, picking up stitches for collars and pockets, cable knitting, etc. It is also full of helpful tips for even a more experienced knitter, such as nifty ways to make edges of knitting neat and avoiding super-big holes in lace patterns. The beginning of the book has a glossary of techniques and a list of abbreviations, which is very handy.
Are there any negatives? Well, I did find two typos, but they were pretty obvious. I'm not crazy about the projects (scarves, couch cushions, simple bags, hats, sweaters, and socks) but fortunately you don't have to do the projects to learn (unlike most of the other beginner knitting books out there). Knitting for Dummies isn't as pretty as some of the other books, but trust me, pretty gets frustrating very quick if the instructions aren't clear. It doesn't have a spine that allows it to lie flat, but once again, if it lays flat but is full on nonsense, you don't want it anyway.
Overall, I taught myself to knit from the book in about one month, following it from the first page to the last (except skipping all the projects). I'm glad that it covered both ways of holding needles (English and Continental styles) because the Continental style felt much more natural to me but isn't that popular in the States. I don't know how this book would work for a left-handed knitter. Knitting for Dummies is not fancy, but it works!
Summary of Knitting for Dummies
Knitting is a relatively simple process requiring a minimal set of tools ? two needles and a ball of yarn. Its basic structure of interlocking loops couldn't be less complicated. Yet the possibilities for design and pattern innovation seem endless. Now is a great time to learn to knit. Never before have you had so many lovely and imaginative yarns from which to choose and so many stylish and sophisticated patterns to work with.Sure, grandmothers knit, but so do movie stars, football players, doctors, and lawyers. They know what our grandmothers do: Knitting does more than just provide you with warm and cozy things to wear. Knitting also
- Stirs your creativity
- Gives you an ongoing sense of purpose
- Teaches patience
- Soothes the soul from the stresses of everyday life
Practice and perfect your knitting skills with Knitting For Dummies. This friendly, hands-on guide will lead you through the following topics and more:
- Mastering the four elemental moves of knitting
- Deciphering knitting patterns
- Fixing common knitting mistakes
- Getting started with simple projects
- Expanding your horizons with stripes and details
- Relaxing stiff shoulders and fingers
Every chapter explaining a specific knitting technique includes a Knitting Notebook of sample patterns to show you some of the different ways it can be used and a section of Practice Projects that gives step-by-step instructions for simple and attractive knitted accessories nearly al of which are features on the pages of the color insert. Most projects end with a list of project variations ? ways to expand on your understanding of how to craft and design projects on your own.
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