Basic Knitting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started

Rating:
Summary: You can do much better
Review: I decided to pick up knitting again as an adult after learning the very basics when I was a kid. I wasn't interested in classes, I just wanted to learn from a book. I already know how to hold the needles, and that's probably the biggest hurdle to get over, where you might want an actual person to help.

The reasons I bought this book: it looks great. It's a sort of soft hardcover, and it's spiral-bound on the inside, making it great to put on the table as you follow the directions. There are step-by-step pictures for everything. You can literally just follow the pictures without ever having to read the text. The pictures are actual photographs, rather than cartoons, and they are pretty big.

The reasons I returned this book: you don't think much about it at the bookstore, but the way the photographs are taken makes a huge difference if you're trying to follow them. Here, the knitter has dark blue yarn and the photos are on a black background - very difficult to see. Also, the yarn is pretty thin, which doesn't help. Again, you don't think about it much at the bookstore, but the way things are taught make a difference. In this book, the basics are taught first, and more complicated knitting (knitting in the round, knitting cables, increasing/decreasing stitch number, knitting with two skeins of yarn, etc.) are taught *in the context of* projects presented in the second half of the book. I don't know about you, but I want to know how to do most things first, before I buy some really nice yarn and start on an actual project.

What about the projects? Well, all beginner projects are pretty simple, but here the selection is a bit blah compared to other books. A teddy bear sweater? I wasn't interested, I'd rather size it up a bit and knit a baby's sweater. A tea cozy? This project was used to introduce felting, but who uses tea cozys?

Overall, I would recommend "Knitting for Dummies" instead of this book. Although it doesn't have photographs for making the stitches, the drawing are excellent. Also, most things are taught before you start on a project and spend some money on nice yarn.

Rating:
Summary: You can do much better
Review: I decided to pick up knitting again as an adult after learning the very basics when I was a kid. I wasn't interested in classes, I just wanted to learn from a book. I already know how to hold the needles, and that's probably the biggest hurdle to get over, where you might want an actual person to help.

The reasons I bought this book: it looks great. It's a sort of soft hardcover, and it's spiral-bound on the inside, making it great to put on the table as you follow the directions. There are step-by-step pictures for everything. You can literally just follow the pictures without ever having to read the text. The pictures are actual photographs, rather than cartoons, and they are pretty big.

The reasons I returned this book: you don't think much about it at the bookstore, but the way the photographs are taken makes a huge difference if you're trying to follow them. Here, the knitter has dark blue yarn and the photos are on a black background - very difficult to see. Also, the yarn is pretty thin, which doesn't help. Again, you don't think about it much at the bookstore, but the way things are taught make a difference. In this book, the basics are taught first, and more complicated knitting (knitting in the round, knitting cables, increasing/decreasing stitch number, knitting with two skeins of yarn, etc.) are taught *in the context of* projects presented in the second half of the book. I don't know about you, but I want to know how to do most things first, before I buy some really nice yarn and start on an actual project.

What about the projects? Well, all beginner projects are pretty simple, but here the selection is a bit blah compared to other books. A teddy bear sweater? I wasn't interested, I'd rather size it up a bit and knit a baby's sweater. A tea cozy? This project was used to introduce felting, but who uses tea cozys?

Overall, I would recommend "Knitting for Dummies" instead of this book. Although it doesn't have photographs for making the stitches, the drawing are excellent. Also, most things are taught before you start on a project and spend some money on nice yarn.

Rating:
Summary: Creative, accurate and detailed; the right start...
Review: If you are looking for a creative, accurate and detailed beginner's knitting book, you've found it!

"Basic Knitting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started" gives the reader a wonderful foundation on which to base their future knitting adventures. Detailed illustrations and creative projects help the beginner through every step of the learning process.

As your skills improve though a carefully crafted set of step by step instructions (thoughtfully accompanied with both highly accurate illustrations and full-color photographs), you will find the included projects rise to meet your new abilities.

Unlike others, this book will give you all the "tools" you need to enable comfortable growth in the highly popular field of knitting.

For those who have past the "beginner" stage, "Basic Knitting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started" provides a glimpse into the creative heights which can be achieved with high quality yarns, dyes and creative design.

The thought, energy and vision which went in to the making of the book is evident at every level; from the selection of hand dyed yarns to the convenient "lay-flat" spiral binding.

This is definitely the right book to add to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Color photos offer close-ups of various knitting positions
Review: There are numerous knitting books on the market but many presume a level of expertise or introduction which leaves bare-bones beginners out in the cold. Not so Leigh Ann Berry's Basic Knitting: All The Skills And Tools You Need To Get Started, which focuses on techniques and materials needed to begin knitting. The spiral binding within reinforced cover makes the book both easy to lay flat and easy to locate on a shelf. Step-by-step color photos offer close-up of fingers in various knitting positions essential for a book where hand movements are key to producing a knitting result, and missing from many titles which use words to convey meaning. The result is a highly recommended pick.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Resource for Knitters of All Skill Levels
Review: This is a comprehensive book with amazing photos and illustrations. Well-written and thoughtfully laid out format. Effectively establishes the basics and enables you to move onto the next level at your own pace. I've purchased a number of different knitting books and this is the one that I recommend to my friends.