CONTENTS
6 Foreword
8 About this book
MATERIALS
12 Yarns
34 Embellishments
TOOLS
38 Knitting needles
42 Other equipment
48 Garment care
SWATCH GALLERY
52 Stitch pattern gallery
TECHNIQUES
88 Key techniques
118 Preparing and repairing
122 Following stitch patterns
126 Following a pattern
128 Increases and decreases
146 Twists and cables
148 I-cord
152 Lace knitting
154 Colorwork
165 Textural and color effects
174 Structural effects
180 Short rows
186 Circular knitting
194 Reverse, twice knit, and
Tunisian
196 Finishing details
220 Embellishments
238 Knitted toys
244 Felted knitting
247 Using unusual yarns
252 Arm knitting
PROJECTS
264 Harlequin scarf
266 Delicate lace shawl
270 Cabled armwarmers
272 Textured women’s shrug
276 Cozy double-sided scarf
278 Women’s cardigan
282 Men’s textured hat
284 Men’s striped sweater
288 Cute hooded baby jacket
292 Baby blanket
294 Child’s owl toy
298 Child’s Fair Isle bobble hat
300 Geometric coasters
302 Elegant table runner
304 Checkered pillow
306 Checked blanket
308 Chunky pillow
310 Color-block blanket
314 Magma felted pillow
316 Arm-knitted rug
STITCH PATTERNS
320 Stitch patterns
356 Glossary
358 Index
363 Acknowledgments
364 About the authors
FOREWORD
Every knitting book claims to be the one you should own, but The Knitting Book truly is one to have at your side. If you are new to knitting, there is plenty of informed advice about choosing equipment and yarns, and the beautifully photographed step-by-step instructions will gently lead you through casting-on and knitting your first stitches. As your experience and confidence grows, every technique—from purl stitch to garment making—is clearly explained so that you will be able to build on your skills at your own pace.
More experienced knitters will find new techniques to try out; they may even find fresh variations of those they have been using for many years. I also hope that students studying textiles and fashion will find this book to be a valuable resource to inspire and enable their creativity.
As you leaf through the pages you will find that techniques are helpfully grouped together by type, with lots of additional information and hints and tips about how or where to best use them in your knitting. Garment finishing details, including buttonholes and pockets, are explained, as are instructions for embellishing your knitting. More challenging techniques, such as intarsia and cables, are also put under the step-by-step spotlight. These then feature in the stitch pattern library alongside lace, Fair Isle, and textural patterns. This comprehensive library really helps you see how combining individual techniques from the step-by-step techniques section can produce gorgeous, colorful, and textural knitted fabrics. Of course, the big advantage of this book is that while working the stitch patterns, you can refer to the step-by-step instructions for help at any time.
Having been a knitter for more years than I care to count, and have taught knitted textile design for most of these, I am proud to say that this book represents a store of knowledge and skills accumulated through my own design and teaching practice. As such, I do hope that it will become your indispensable reference book. I am confident that no one will put this book down without having learned something, and that anyone even slightly interested in knitting will enjoy owning it and, most importantly, using it.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
This book is suitable for all knitters, whether you have never held a pair of knitting needles before or have been knitting for years. All of the key areas are covered—tools and materials, stitch patterns, techniques, and projects—providing everything you need to get knitting.
Start by familiarizing yourself with the Materials and Tools chapters—which are packed full of essential and specialized gear for a variety of disciplines. The Swatch Gallery shows all of the beautiful fabrics you can make using the techniques in this book, many of which only need simple stitches. The Techniques chapter makes up the majority of the book, taking you through more than 250 techniques, including those for starting off and understanding a pattern, and then moving on to each specific discipline, from cables and lace knitting to colorwork and embellishing. This new edition also includes arm knitting.
The Projects chapter contains 20 fantastic ideas covering a range of skill levels and a variety of techniques. Bring your skills to fruition knitting hats, scarves, and garments, as well as items for the home. With The Knitting Book, you’ll find everything you need to knit with accuracy, confidence, and flair.
YARNS
Yarn is the long, stranded, spun fiber that we use for knitting. There are many types of yarn, allowing knitters to enjoy a variety of sensory experiences as they express themselves through the medium. Yarn may be made of different fibers (see pp.12–19) and have a range of textures (see pp.20–24). The possibilities are exciting: you can, in theory, knit with anything—from a skein of supple silk sock yarn to the plastic bag that you used to bring it home. Choose from a color palette that sweeps from subtle, muted tones to eye-popping brights.
FIBERS
Yarns, like fabrics, are made from fibers. A fiber may be the hair from an animal, manmade (synthetic), or derived from a plant. The fibers are processed and spun to make yarn. Yarn may be made from a single fiber, such as wool, or mixed with other fibers to enhance its attributes (for example, to affect its durability or softness). Different blends are also created for aesthetic reasons, such as mixing luxurious silk with wool to add a lustrous sheen. As a result, all yarns have different properties, so it is important to choose an appropriate blend for your project.