Category: knitting book reviews

Knitting Knee-Highs: Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary by Barb Brown has 20 different knee-high sock patterns which also include shorter socks and leg warmers variations.

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If you are looking to up your sock knitting experience then Barb Brown’s Knitting Knee-Highs book may be just what you have been looking for. This book takes you to the next level by offering knee-high length socks (13 inch legs) in lovely designs and patterns. And if that much knitting seems too much, there are shorter sock length(6 or 7 inch legs) and leg warmers (knee-highs with out the foots) that you can knit.

The book is divided into two sections.

The first section is about getting started with knee-high sock knitting. It provides a clever formula for figuring out how to knit custom fit knee-highs. And it covers how to convert knee-high sock patterns to other type of sock patterns.

The second section has 20 different knee-high sock patterns. Each of the patterns include one or more variations which could be a shorter sock, an anklet, or legwarmer. Most of the patterns are either fair isle or lace stitch patterns. Some include both types. And there are a couple of patterns that use a picot cast-on that give the knee-highs a stylish look.

A couple of my favorite patterns are the Airy Mountain Knee-Highs on page 65 and the Maid Marian Knee-Highs on page 93. The Airy Mountain Knee-Highs has a picot cast-on and a lace pattern that follows the shape of the calf. The Maid Marian Knee-Highs has a lovely lace pattern and a simple cable running up the sides of each leg.

Overall, Knitting Knee-Highs: Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary has some good information on knitting knee-high socks and some great patterns to get you started on your first pair (or more!).

Happy Knee-High Knitting!

The Knitter’s Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes is an informative and entertaining guide to everything you need to know about yarn.

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The Knitter’s Book of Yarn is written by the editor of Knitter’s Review (http://www.KnittersReview.com), Clara Parkes, who has been reviewing yarn, needles, and all things knitting for years.

It includes a thorough discussion of the 4 major types of fibers used to make yarn: protein fibers (wool, cashmere angora, etc.), cellulose (plant) fibers, cellulosic fibers (rayon), and synthetic fibers (nylon, acrylic, etc.). Clara writes about the characteristics of each kind and where they come from. More importantly she explains the properties of each kind of yarn and what type of knitting uses are best for them.

Clara also has a whole section of the book that covers how yarn is made from the major mill to the microspinneries and everyone else in between. Plus she discusses the different processes used to dye yarn.

Finally, in the third section of the different plys of yarn (single, two-ply, tree-ply, four-ply, cabled, textured, boucle, brushed, and chenille), she has 40 knitting patterns that take in the best features of each type of yarn.

I especially liked the two-ply Baby Soft Cardigan (page 91), the four-ply Princess Mitts (page 173), and cabled-yarn Cabled Headband (page 187) by designer Jennifer Hagan of Figheadh Yarnworks. The baby cardigan has an unique slightly asymmetrical front placket that doesn’t require a button band to be knit. And the fingerless gloves have a beautiful cable pattern on top.

Amy King has several nice patterns including an angora cardigan, Vines Cardigan (page 103) and a cabled-yarn vest, XOX Vest (page 183).

Other designers featuring patterns in the book are: Adrian Bizilia, Cat Bordhi, Teva Durham, Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer, Norah Gaughan, Amie Gavin Glasgow, Bess Haile, Lana Hames, Shelia Janury, Elanor Lynn, Tara Jon Manning, Gina Wilde, and Margaret Klein Wilson.

Clara Parkes has included several of her own patterns including a lovely Butterfly Moebius shawl done in a cabled-yarn.

What I especially enjoyed about all the great patterns in the book is that in addition to listing the yarn used in the pattern, the book also has recommendations on what type of yarn to use for substitution.

Two patterns from the book are available for free, Maine Morning Mitts by Clara Parkes and Princess Mitts by Jennifer Hagan

Errata for the patterns is available on the Knitter’s Review website.

The finally section of the books is a great reference that any knitter could use. It includes how to care for handknits and special considerations to keep in mind for each type of fiber. There are couple of invaluable charts, one on figuring out Wraps Per Inch (WPI) and the other listing the standard yarn weight system. And the abbreviations and technique section is invaluable.

Overall, The Knitter’s Book of Yarn is a must have for any serious knitter who want to knit better finished garments. It gives all the information you need to make better buying decisions of yarn and wonderful patterns to use the yarn with.

Pretty Knits by Susan Cropper has 30 feminine-styled knitting patterns knit with some of today’s’ most beautiful yarns by popular knitting designers.

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If you are looking for a knitting pattern book with a little less glam and a lot more feminine, then you should check out Susan Cropper’s Pretty Knits. In it you will find stylish knitwear as well as beautifully lush home decor.

Susan Cropper is the owner of the London yarn store, Loop. In her book, Pretty Knits, she has patterns from popular knitting designer such Debbie Bliss, Leigh Radford, and Claire Montgomerie, as well as lesser known designers.

The book has four sections of patterns and there are several patterns in each section that would be great knits.

The first section, Flirty Fashionista, has several feminine tops including the Beaded Camisole by Lesile Scanion, the “Bliss” Empire-Line Top by Debbie Bliss, the “Elsie” Swing Cardigan by Amy Twigger Holroyd, and the “Avril” Shrug by Kristeen Giffin-Grimes.

The second section, Divine Accessories, has the “Anisette” Wrap by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes.

The third section, Beautiful Boudoirs, has the Lavender Sleep Pillow by Ruth Cross, Floral Bolster Pillow by Catherine Tough, and Lace Ruffle Bed Socks by Leslie Scanion.

The fourth section, Feminine Fripperies, has Scallop-Edged Lace Wrap by Kate Samphier and Lavender Heart by Catherine Tough.

I have been looking for a good sock knitting book for a quite ahile. I think I found it in Ann Budd’s Getting Started Knitting Socks. This is one of the best sock knitting books to come out in a long time. If you are new to knitting socks or want to learn how to knit socks or having been knitting socks for some time, you’ll find this book to answer most, if not all, your sock knitting questions from getting gauge to casting on to solving common sock knitting problems.

Ann covers the basics of socks including five different ways to knit socks in the rounds which are with four double-pointed needles, with five double-pointed needles, with one very short circular needle, two circular needles, and one long circular needle.

She also covers a couple of flexible cast-ons , the long-tail cast-on and old Norwegian cast-on. And she shows three ways to join rounds. These are a simple join, a crossover, join, and a two-end join.

The best part of the socks basics chapter, however, is the photographs and sections on knitting each part of a sock. Ann breaks it down into knitting the cuff, knitting the leg, knitting the heel turn, knitting the gussets, knitting the foot, and knitting the toe.

Throughout she offers tips to handle sock knitting problems such as preventing ladder stitches, matching leg and foot lengths, preventing holes at gussets, preventing ill-fitting socks, and preventing holes in the heel and toe.

This socks basic information is then followed by a chapter on basic sock instructions. In it, Ann has patterns based on gauge and yarn weight. They include socks knitted with 8 stitches per inch, 7 stitches per inch, 6 stitches per inch, 5 stitches per inch, and 4 stitches per inch. Each pattern has directions for five different foot circumferences and foot lengths.

The rest of the book is broken up into three chapters focusing on different kinds of socks starting with knitting socks with color and texture the easy way with self-striping and variegated yarn. The next chapter shows how to add color and texture on your own with stripe patterns, rib patterns, cable patterns, and lace patterns.

The final pattern chapter has sock with different cuff and leg variations that include picot anklets, ruffle cuff anklets, and knee socks.

I highly recommend Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. It is probably the only sock knitting book you will ever need. It covers all the basics of knitting socks and shows you how to make your own variations so that you can be confident in knitting great socks every time!

A great Knitting book for kids is Kids Learn to Knit by Lucinda Guy and Francois Hall.

From book description:
“Learning to knit can be enormous fun for five-to-ten-year-olds – especially when helped along by frisky animal characters whose antics make each lesson a delight.”
From the inside cover:
“Using simple language and witty animal characters, each stage of knitting is set out in a series of lessons; each lesson is then followed by a project to try out new skills.”

It has great illustrations and directions. Projects include:
Knit-stitch flag (basically a small garter stitch square with a felt start sewn on)
Happy Herbie (a small dog that is really cute)
Hooting Henry (a stockinette stitch owl)
Striped Garter Scarf
Knitted Book Cover (I may make one of these for myself!)
Flitting Flo (a butterfly to practice decreasing and increasing)
All-Together Bag (it uses all the stitches and techniques in the book and is another project I may have to do myself)