Seeing double: your chance to win a knitting book
Note: the below contest is now closed. Thanks for participating.
The other day, while reorganizing books in my studio, I realized I was seeing double.
Although a big fan (huge!) of all three books, I have no use for an extra copy of each. So, to thank you for being readers of TECHknitting blog, three lucky commenters will be chosen, each to receive one of the (lightly used) duplicates.
To enter, all you have to do is tell me, in the comments
1. the title of your favorite knitting book--the one YOU would take to a desert island (pick from any book in the whole wide world, not just one of the three being given away)
and
2. the reason(s) why that particular book is your fave--
The fine print:
1. The whole process is going to be random: Three winners will be randomly chosen, and each of the three winners will randomly be assigned to win one or another of the three books available to be won.
2. A non-US winner would be responsible for any customs tax or fee incurred by receiving the book.
3. The entries will be closed at 12 noon, Monday October 17, CDT, and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Good luck in the drawing, and thanks again for being a TECHknitting blog reader
--TK
The other day, while reorganizing books in my studio, I realized I was seeing double.
 |
| The knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush Knitting Brioche: Guide to the Brioche Stitch by Nancy Marchant Fair Isle Knitting by Sarah Don |
Although a big fan (huge!) of all three books, I have no use for an extra copy of each. So, to thank you for being readers of TECHknitting blog, three lucky commenters will be chosen, each to receive one of the (lightly used) duplicates.
To enter, all you have to do is tell me, in the comments
1. the title of your favorite knitting book--the one YOU would take to a desert island (pick from any book in the whole wide world, not just one of the three being given away)
and
2. the reason(s) why that particular book is your fave--
- Charming things to knit?
- Good illustrations?
- Love the author's writing style?
- Lays flat when you open it?
- Straightforward instructions?
- Inspirational?
- Brilliant knitting insights?
- Excellent photography?
- Amazingly useful for ... starting? slogging through? completing? a garment
- Good graphic design (layout of the contents)?
- Some other reason(s)?
The fine print:
1. The whole process is going to be random: Three winners will be randomly chosen, and each of the three winners will randomly be assigned to win one or another of the three books available to be won.
2. A non-US winner would be responsible for any customs tax or fee incurred by receiving the book.
3. The entries will be closed at 12 noon, Monday October 17, CDT, and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Good luck in the drawing, and thanks again for being a TECHknitting blog reader
--TK
contents © 2006-2013 by techknitting@hotmail.com
351 Comments:
Definitely Barbara Walker's First Treasury!
My fave book has got to be my Knitter's Answer Book. Tiny, portable, and has just about anything you would need should you forget how to duplicate stitch or something on that desert island!
I love Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book. It has everything you can want in a knitting book, and I'll never get tired of it!
I'd have to take the Vogue Knitting book. It's not a riveting read, but it has all the techniques all in one place. It also includes a great section on how to design lots of different types of sweaters from scratch. So once I figured out how to create knitting needles from local vegetation, catch some indigenous sheep for the fleece, and figure out how to spin it, I'd be set!
It's a book I don't have yet - I am eagerly waiting the updated version of Montse Stanley's "Principles of Knitting". I hear it is the ultimate reference book and I think it would help me fine-tune my desert island techniques!
I'd have to pick Elizabeth Zimmermann's Opinionated Knitter. EZ tells great stories in her newsletters so you can read the book for entertainment, but also gives so many formulaic patterns that would keep you busy knitting items for a long, long time.
Unexpected Knitting, by Debbie New. It's very inspirational and creative! I don't have a copy, but have borrowed the library's many times.
Barbara Walkers 2nd Treasury for inspiration
Well, I have to say the book I reach for the most is nancie Wiseman's The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. It provides clear, concise explanations for every technique I have ever needed to use, i's spiral bound so it lays flat (great bonus) and is very nicely illustrated (key to being helpful). After reading the comments above, however, I think I need to check out the Vogue Knitting book! Thanks for the fun giveaway, TECHknitting!
That's a hard one. There would be a few runners up, but most likely I'd have to take EZ's Opinionated Knitter. Skill building knitting, entertaining writing! Some of her patterns are truly simplicity at it's best.
Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I like the adaptable pattern & size guides.
I'd have to take my Anne Budd Book of Handy Sweater Patterns. As long as I had access to yarn, I'd be able to knit away until I wanted to be rescued. I like the templates it offers so I can branch out & love that it's spiral bound inside & lets me lay it flat. The possiblilities for designing are endless for me.
Since I already have the Nancy Bush book, I'd prefer to get one of the others & am crossing my fingers for the Fair Isle book if I win.
Barbara Walker's First Treasury. I love texture and pattern in my knitting. When I start a new project I almost always play with the yarn and swatch various stitches to help me decide what texture suits the yarn.
hmm, I don't have many knitting books yet. I'm tempted to say I'd take Wrapped in Lace, because if I were on a desert island I'd have some serious time to work on my Ferny (?) shawl. But I'd actually say my can't 'live without book', at the moment, is an ancient tome I got from Mom, someone's ultimate guide to needlecraft (Better Homes and Gardens, perhaps?). It has basic sock, hat, sweater, etc. pattern recipes, a small stitch and lace dictionary, etc.
Spakespud - is that the one by Margret Radcliffe? I like that one, partly because I know her through her day job.
Probably either Victorian Lace Today because it is beautiful, and I love knitting lace, and getting through all those patterns (presuming I had an adequate supply of lace weight on my desert island) would keep me going until I was rescued; or Folk Knitting in Estonia, because I love colour work, and feeling like I am part of a tradition that unites (mainly) women across oceans and centuries, and because the mittens are so damn cute.
I think my favorite would be Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. It has a lot of patterns, and interesting history of knitting.
The Knitting Answers Book - I carry it around in my knitting bag. I always need it to remind me of the Kitchener stitch!
My desert island knitting book is Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee. Not because it's the most informative or best graphically designed, but because it was one of the first knitting books I ever purchased, and it was incredibly empowering in that it made me realize that I could knit anything I wanted to. As a new knitter, I really needed her humor and easy-to-understand instructions!
the little purple knitters glossary... it has all the quick anwers.
My favorite knitting book has to be Cookie A's Knit. Sock. Love.
The pictures are ARTWORK and the patterns are so brilliant. Thanks for the opportunity to win more knit lit!
My go-to book is Barbara Walker's 2nd Treasury. So many lovely stitch patterns...
I'm pretty new to knitting so I've only recently received 2 books for my birthday. I have to say my favorite of the two is When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters. It's got tons of the basics I've already self-taught but it gives me pointers and corrections for some of my newbie errors and (as the title suggests) how to fix things mid-knit or post fasten-off!
The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann -- she covers pretty much every normal way people wear knitting, so I rise to any challenge. Plus since adding one's own variations is encouraged, one should never be bored!
I would wnat to bring Aran Knitting by Alice Starmore. Of course, I'd also need needles, and a huge stash of yarn, and then I'd be pretty happy on a desert island! (How would we keep the sand out of the stash?) I think this book would be challenging FOREVER, and the photos are beautiful, and I could read the history of Aran Knitting that is included, and dream of the cool climate of Ireland and Scotland while on the hot island! Thanks for the giveaway!
That's easy. Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac. It's just so easy to read. It's one of those books that I can read and reread and never get tired of.
Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting. One of the very first sweaters I made was from that book, and the projects take me quite a long time to work through; perfect for a desert island!
I would say Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. Not only does it have good, basic patterns, but her writing is totally charming!
The book I pull out most often is my Stitch 'n Bitch, for the Kitchener. But for stranded on an island, I think I'd take the Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar Knitting with me. I love the writing and I know if I made it all the way through I'd have mastered so much.
My desert island knitting book is Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan. Besides the glorious photography (Thayer Allyson Gowdy) and well written instruction, it is wholly inspirational. Every time I take it off the shelf I'm inspired to look at knitting from another direction, try a different construction approach, or to look at nature for design ideas. This book offers a really a creative approach to knitting that isn't rout knit & purl.
I would take Barbara Walker's second treasury. It has the most versatility of the 3 treasuries in terms of variety of stitch patterns covered.
However, if I was allowed 2 books, I would add Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop. It has so much knitting in it that it would keep me occupied for years. Add to that all the possibilities that it stimulates in my mind w.r.t variations on a theme, and I could keep occupied for at least a decade.
So, I love all my books, and couldn't really name a favorite, but one gets more use than all the rest, and that is Vogue Knitting. I primarily use it to look up techniques, and I like it better than other books I have for that purpose because the layout doesn't try to look like it's on the Internet, catering to people with short attention spans who need to be entertained at every moment. Just the information please. I do wish it didn't have patterns, since that space in the book could have been used for more technical information, but you can't have everything.
My favourite knitting book is Thrown Together by Kim Hargreaves. This book would be the perfect desert island companion because not only is it packed with varied, classic designs and stunning photography, but there's something very English about it which would remind me of home :-)
Probably Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book since it seems to cover every topic I would want to know. I love it!
My all time favorite is Louisa Harding's Modern Classics. I love almost all the patterns and have made most of them. The instructions are clear and pictures are great.
I'm really all about Clara Parke's Books. Her first one on yarn was fantastic (and so are the mitten patterns in it) and the one on wool makes me want to discover new things.
Do I even need to tell you I preordered the one on socks ages ago?
Probably Stitch 'N Bitch - Superstar Knitting. The diagrams are fantastic (like the diagrams here!), and the way techniques are explained has always worked for me.
Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears. It's still a good read, and when I need to feel empowered about my knitting, I pick it up and realize I can take charge. I've loaned it out a couple times and anxiously awaited its return. Now I just tell other new knitters they have to pick up their own copy.
My fave's are 3 books of Nicky Epstein: Knitting on / over / beyond edge. They are kind of dictionary for all type of stitches, but very inspirational as well. I would definitely take them all to a desert island. :-)
Although I'm not really a beginner anymore, I still am a student, so I don't own many knitting books yet. So if I had to choose among the books I do own, it would be Carol Sulcoski's Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn. But if I were allowed to pick a book I don't own, it would be Ysolda's Little Red in the City. I think it would give me the courage to try tackle another sweater - and on a desert island, I'd actually have the time to do it!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Juliane (Llule on ravelry)
P.S. By the way, I would be most interested in the Fair Isle book (a technique I've fallen in love with recently) or in the brioche book (a technique I'd love to try).
Any of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee/Yarn Harlots books and any of the Mason Dixon Knitting books. Not only are the techniques and patterns awesome there is usually some humor as well. Got to laugh no matter the situation.
My two (can't do with just one!) favourites to take to a desert island are Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book and Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits. One is a great stitch dictionary and the other has great patterns to knit as is or to modify.
That's a tough question... most of my knitting books are hand me downs from my mom. (Just this summer I wrestled Barbara Walker's Treasury 1 away from her.) So I love them for the content(kitsch) and sentimental associations rather than technique. That said, I'd probably choose a Walker, Zimmerman, or Stanley classic. Thanks for raising the question.
Right now I'm really digging New England Knits. I love the range of patterns (from cute cardigans to hats) and I love the good pictures in the book. I also love love love A Fine Fleece. These books and the patterns within inspire me, from the patterns, the instructions, and the pictures. Both books include patterns which flatter a variety of shapes and incorporate classic, timeless styles that won't look outdated by the time I finally finish knitting the object!
Since so many others have been saying Barbara Walker, I'll go with Interweave's Compendium of Finishing Techniques. It's such a great resource both as a reminder on how to do techniques I only use occasionally, and a source of inspiration for inventive new-to-me finishing methods, many of them in disciplines other than knitting (so I get to stretch myself a bit!).
Mine's got to be Latvian Knitting by Lizbeth Upitis. It's got great color photos (by Mrs. Upitis's Latvian photographer-husband!), and complete narratives (in English and Latvian) about the history and culture of knitting in Latvia. There are many graphs, and each is labeled with a geographic region; the book also includes detailed instructions for a child's sampler mitten, and three different adult mittens, where you can learn how to make fringe, braids, and scallops.
I mean . . . in case my desert island happens to be a cold one (: Thanks for the generous (and fun!) giveaway!
This is really tough but I would most likely take The Opinionated KNitter by Elizabeth Zimmerman. An awesome knitting book and also a book of stories.
Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears. I always enjoy her writing voice, and the suggestions and patterns are empowering and practical.
I have many knitting books, and I love 5-10 of them, but at the time, I'm most fascinated by Britt Marie Christofferson's book "Sticking" - sweedish for Knitting. It is a very insprational book filled with beautiful photos of colorful knitting swatches. Britt Marie Christofferson is a very interesting knitting researcher.
I would like to win one of your books becuase I love lace and knits a lot of lace.
In my country, we have no tax/Vat on books sent from other countries.
I love my copy of Super Stitches Knitting, by Karen Hemingway. It does lay flat pretty much, which is helpful. Lovely, calm photography and helpful knitting basics. It was my first stitch dictionary and I could pore over the stitches for hours, trying out different things, like working fun puzzles. It's just a basic little essential.
Any book that comes from the creative mind of Melanie Falick is a favorite of mine. When I see that she has helped produce and edit a book, I buy it sight unseen because I know the photography will be wonderful and the patterns both knittable and wearable.
Thanks, Jean
That's a tough one. I don't refer to my books enough. I think it would have to be a stitchionary. I like Vogue Stitionary 5: Lace. If you have a stitch pattern, you can then go on to create anything.
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting Rules - you can knit anything you want out of her easy-to-understand instructions
I'd take with me any of my Harmony Guide stitchionaries, they're great inspiration for new patterns.
But fair isle is something I'd really like to get into more.
Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns as a fairly new knitter I need simple patterns that let me knit with the yarn I have at the gauge I am getting.
Barbara Walker's Second Treasury, the red one.
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Whoops! Hit enter too soon. I love the Red One because it's the one I used to teach myself lace knitting. Every time I have a new design idea, I pick up the red one first. Thank you Barbara Walker!
I'd probably bring along a Japanese stitch dictionary. I have one (with a title I can't read) that has some 250 patterns - sort of a hybrid of Aran and lace and lots in between. I could stay busy for a long time just exploring those. How much yarn are we allowed to bring to the desert island?
Knitter's Almanac all the way: compact and full of fun projects.
Editing, because I forgot to answer Part 2!
That would be a tough call! Only one book? Couldn't I take a Kindle and a solar battery charger? :)
Knitter's Almanac by EZ. I re-read it every few months and always find something new in it. It's charmingly written, and I enjoy her humor.
If I could take a 'back-up' book, it would be Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn. This book has fabulous patterns, and the front section on how to examine multi-colored yarn is so educational. :D
I really like No Sheep For You because I can't wear wool and it's good info on how to work with other fibers. But if I were on a desert island, I'd actually take Sexy Little Knits because it has swimsuits in it. :-)
Looking over the comments here, I'm delighted—though not surprised—to see so many mentions of Elizabeth Zimmerman's work. Add me to that list: I'd take her Knitting Workshop with me to desert island any day!
Vogue Knitting is by far my favorite because it's the one I always go to when I'm stumped. It has great diagrams and pictures and very easy to understand.
Definitely a Zimmerman book... not sure I could actually choose just one though. I'd probably blindly grab. :) I'd take one of hers though because all of her patterns are so fun and functional, and she really explains how to construct pieces, so I could probably design a bit on my own too. :)
How can we just pick one... ummm!! Ok it would have to be EZ's Knitting Workshop. Although it is not as entertaining as any of her other books, I can see a lifetime of knitting made possible by that one book...perfect for the lonely life in the island. Is there a LYS in this island???
I love "Knitting with Balls" by Michael del Vecchio. Okay, it's for men, and I'm a woman. But the instructions are great and the patterns are things I would actually make and use. I've already made three things from the book and hope to make many more!
I had to take a quick look at my knitting library, and I must say that Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush is probably my favorite. I am a confirmed sock knitting addict, and I think I have used that book the most. I even gave my first copy to my son when he learned to knit. It seems I am almost always working on socks, but I am also trying to branch out. I would love to win any of the books you are giving away.
My favorite is A Fine Fleece. It is a beautiful book with fantastic photography and classic sweater patterns. Each pattern has 2 examples one in hand spun and one in commercial yarn. I could knit these patterns over and over again.
My favorite is probably unusual because it's so new - it's Ysolda Teague's 'Little Red In The City.' I love it because the patterns are gorgeous and a little whimsical, and I love it because there is such respect for craft - lots of information on WHY you use various techniques and WHY you choose various yarns, etc. But most of all, I love it because it is so respectful and welcoming for women of all shapes, and explicitly rejects the culture of body-shaming that saddens me when I encounter it in crafting spaces.
Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book is high on my list as Useful Reference, but it's not very exciting or inspirational. Little Red in the City might take its place - while it has less stuff, it's a prettier book and I only need about half the stuff in Vogue anyway.
I also adore Knit.Sock.Love. I guess it would depend on whether I was in all-socks-all-the-time mode or not when I was about to be stranded :)
This is a really tough call. For technique, I love June Hiatt's Principles of Knitting. One may not agree with everything she says, but you know where she stands, and her analysis is extensive and first rate.
If I actually had to produce knitted goods while on said desert island, I'd also have to go with Barbara Walker #1. It would provide an inexhaustible jumping off point for nearly any garment one could think of.
I love Tudor Roses by Alice Starmore and Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller (and Knitted Lace of Estonia too!) but the one book I would bring with me is the copy of Knitting Without Tears I got from my sister, who inherited from my mom, with handwritten notes in the margin from both of them.
I hate to go with the crowd, but we're all fond of sheep here, right? ...
So - Barbara Walker's Second Treasury. Inspiration for an infinite number of stitch pattern/knitted object combinations.
How to knit by Debbie Bliss. It is the reference book that my mother gave to me and my fist stop when attempting anything new. It even smells like wool!
My favorite knitting book is the One Skein Wonders using Sock Yarn. I love to buy sock yarn so flipping though that book gives me so many possibilities other than socks. I also have the Luxury yarn book in the series:)
Wow, you have a lot of comments to read tonight! I'd take the third treasury of knitted patterns, because I love charts, and ring cables make my imagination sing.
I think one of those stitch dictionaries, perhaps Harmony Guides. No wait! I have a pair of books (about 80 pages each), published in East Germany, one of which is a crochet-only book and the other has both knit and crochet patterns and stitch patterns. They use both charts and written (brief) directions, with non-glossy paper and mostly black and white pictures, but they were my reintroduction to knitting when my niece was due, and I like to think that they are an important reason why I can shift between knit and crochet, thread and yarn, acrylic and wool, charts and written instructions, lace and cables without stopping to think of taboos. I remember I got them for about the equivalent of a dollar each.
Mine is "Knitter's Handbook" by Montse Stanley. It's like an army knife for knitters. It has great illustrations, and it's very well organized. The pics could be updated, but the techniques are just amazing.
Either Webb's Knitting Stitches, because it is small and portable and full of amazing illustrations and doesn't waste time telling me things I already know, or Knight's Cable and Aran Stitches, because it's utterly gorgeous and carries a great many fond memories of going to England with my friend Kathleen and just happening to be there the day of a huge knitting show, where we happily spent all day immersed in lace (her) and cables (me). She has the companion book of lace stitches and I think of her fondly and happily every time I see the Knight book on my shelf.
Hitomi Shida's (志田 ひとみ) 250 Couture Knit Stitch Patterns (クチュール・ニット 模様編み250)
I can't seem to follow directions anyway, so I might as well take the most inspiration I can get.
Hmmm, I'm not sure what my FAVORITE one is, because I don't have very many good technique books. But the one I'd probably take to a dessert island would be Cookie A's Knit. Sock. Love., because it would take me a loooong time to knit all the deliciously complex patterns. And it's a gorgeously photographed book; color schemes are wonderful, socks are photographed both "stylistically" and close-up so you can see details.
I love The Opinionated Knitter. The simplicity of EZ's patterns is reflected in the simplicity of her newsletters. I re-read the newsletters constantly and they tend to inspire me when I have the knitting blahs.
I really like Clara Parkes' The Knitter's Book of Yarn: it contains useful information that help us better understand what we are working with, and the patterns are a good way to go from the theory to putting into practice what we've learned in the informational chapters.
I have two favorites (sorry, I just can't pick one, but these go together):
Poetry in stitches by Solveig Hisdahl. Her stranded motifs and color choices are just stunning and so different than most others.
and Barbara Walker's Knitting from the top. This book opened up the ability to design any seamless sweater.
I use Walker's techniques to lay the foundation of my sweaters, then apply Hisdahl's motifs to make stranded sweaters that aren't boxy and unflattering.
Knitter's Answer Book. It's portable, will fit in your purse, and I find myself picking it up even when I'm not in the middle of a project just to read it!
My favorite book, so far, is Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti. With no color pictures to speak of, and somewhat dated patterns, this might seem odd, until you read the content, which carefully and thoroughly dissects the different aspects of sweaters (sleeve joins, necklines, hems, etc) to denote precisely how each one would fit or flatter a certain body type. Without this, I never would've learned how to look at a pattern pic and wonder "Why aren't they showing me how the underarm looks?"
I'm still looking for my favorite books. It would have basic recipes for fitting different garments, a good stitch glossary, and clear drawings like yours demonstrating techniques.
I'd pick Susan B. Anderson's "Itty Bitty Toys," because it would provide endless fun and creative knitting opportunities!
Little Red in the City by Ysolda Teague. This is my newest knitting book purchase and I am in love. I love the artwork, the examples, the pictures, the organization, the information and the beautiful projects that I can't wait to start!
My favorite knitting book is More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. This book helped me understand the anatomy of a sock and how to knit with various stitch patterns in various sizes. I am free to knit from my own ideas now.
Barbara Walker's Second Treasury -- its stitch patterns could keep this lace knitter busy for ages!
(and thanks for the giveaway! and for your wisdom in general)
Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop. It's just SO DARN informative! The 6 x 9 hardcover size is nice too.
Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book. I already have a backlog of designs in my head, so I'd want the biggest, baddest phone-book-sized compendium of ways to execute it. I have plenty of pattern books, but the sheer raw potential of a giant reference book is what keeps me coming back.
Hands down I'd have to say Mason Dixon Knitting (either the original one or Outside the Lines) because they are so funny! As an intermediate knitter, the patterns are challenging for me and make me stretch, the photos are beautiful, the books are nice and big, patterns use many techniques and did I mention they are laugh out loud funny?
The japanese stitch books are phenomenal - they have so much to inspire me as a knitter.
Hi, thanks so much for offering this contest! My favorite book is The Knitter's Almanac, because it has lots of good information and I just love EZ's writing style.
Susan
My desert island book would be A Season's Tale by Kim Hargreaves, now sadly out of print. I could (and probably will) happily knit every pattern in this book, there's not a duffer amongst them. A timeless classic with beautiful location photos, just makes you want to snuggle up in a handknit.
Definitely my "A fine fleece" book. Great patterns, lovely pictures, charted cables and lace, plus stuff both for spinning and knitting, my two favorite things.
Not the most original, but it would have to be The Opinionated Knitter. I just feel so SANE whenever I pick up Ms. Zimmerman's book. Sane and amused.
I would take Ann Budd's Handy Book of Knitting Patterns because of its versatility. Since you didn't limit yarn and needles I would bring all my needles, yarn, and my hubby too.
My favorite book would be Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop. Left alone with this book on a deserted island (preferably one inhabited by sheep) I'm sure I could knit anything!
My current favorite is "Custom Knits" by Wendy Bernard because thanks to this book, I finally can make sweaters to fit me.
My fav would be any one of the Vogue Knitting Stitchionaries. They are SO helpful for design purposes and inspiration!
Chelsea Anne
chberkom (at) gmail (dot) com
My fav is The complete idiot's guide to knitting by Becca Smith. This book seems to have just about ever answer to every question I have on knitting. I re-learned to knit from this book.
Like Heather commented earlier, I'd like to take Knitting Rules by the Yarn Harlot. Hilarious and helpful.
I think if I could take any book, I would take Cookie A's Sock Innovation. There's so much in there about converting charts, noodling things out for yourself and all kinds of knitting techniques that I could use across the board in all of my knitting.
It would have to be Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top. I love knitting cardigans, from the top down, in the round, and I learnt so much from her book. It allowed me to create my own patterns and every time I read it, I learn something new.
I love my 70s Mon Tricot Stitch Dictionaries. But I'd take Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears to an island. Her encouraging words freed me from perfectionism, giving me confidence and tricks to fix any situation. Of course, when I swung my sweater around in a pillowcase outdoors to wring out excess water prior to blocking, the old case ripped apart and the sweater landed in the dirt. I had to wash it again! Still use the technique, though. Appreciate the TECHknit blog so much; thanks!! You foster finished object status. -Karen
I don't actually own any knitting books (a sore spot with me, I can assure you!). I love the patterns in New England Knits, Little Red In the City, and pretty much any lace shawl book, especially if it's Estonian lace. Since I haven't had a chance to work from knitting books, it's purely the designs that drive my liking of them.
I'm another vote for EZ's Opinionated Knitter. She's such a fabulous writer and the treat of seeing her real handwriting throughout, and her sketches and photos, makes this one an obvious choice for me.
I only own a couple of knitting books. I usually seek out patterns on the internet or make my own. My go to book is the Reader's Digest Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches. I use that for finding knitting stitch patterns and use them when designing my own projects. Thanks for the giveaway!
I'm a relatively new knitter though a long time crocheter. My favorite is actually the Complete Photo Guide to Knitting (and I would definitely take it to a desert island) because whenever I forget which technique is which, I can look at a photo to remind myself. It also has a reasonably sized stitch guide, and those are my favorite books anyway. Thanks for offering the giveaway!
EZ's Knitters Almanac. I love it for the knitting knowledge, but it's also just a really good book to sit and read!
"Knitting in The Old Way" by Patricia Gibson-Roberts. Hands down. I'm assuming the deserted island is somewhere off the New England coast or perhaps in the North Sea. Every imaginable sweater genre. Just enough information PGR figures knitters have brains. Interesting techniques are also included. A continual source of inspiration.
I, like so many others, would opt for EZ. I would select Knitting Workshop. A delightful read, and she passes on the skills and confidence that every knitter needs.
I have a hard time picking my favorite anything! For knitting books, I'll go with my first: Teach Yourself to Knit Visually. It had lots of great photos. With that book and one or two youtube videos, I was able to teach myself to knit.
Knitting Rules, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I have sticky notes on the pages I refer to most often - the sizing guides.
Ann Budd's handy book of patterns - it provides enough of the basics that I could be happy for a very very long time without anything else!
You mean I won't have an internet connection to look up things on knitty/the interwebz at large??!! Hmm.. I guess the vogue guide, just because it has so many techniques.
~fiorelladiprimavera@gmail.com
Mine would definitely be Ann Budd's "The Knitter's Book of Handy Patterns." It's my go-to pattern book when I'm doing something on the fly. It's the only book on my shelf that gets cracked open more often than the others. There are tons of things I can make out of this one book, and still be able to put an original spin on it.
It is still Barbara Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. With her, I could go anywhere and do anything. I think I've read it to tatters, then I open it again and find something else I didn't notice.
My desert island book would have to be Barbara Walkers First Treasury of Stitches (although if it counts I would love to have the entire set)
With that single book I can knit endlessly fascinating patterns into any object I might need.
EZ's Knitting Without Tears. If I were stranded on a desert island, I can think of nothing more comforting than having EZ's calm voice next to me!
Vogue Knitting. It doesn't have every answer, but it has an answer pretty much every time I turn to it.
I love the Reader's Digest Knitting Book of Answers. It has tips for doing almost anything. However, I have a favorite stitch book, lace book, brioche, etc.
I think I would choose Knitting Without Tears. Although, it's a really close tie with Stephanie Purl Mc Phee's Knitting Rules. Both of these are books I have read and re-read, and they're the ones I most often pull off the shelf in the middle of the night. A Barbara Walker treasury would probably be more USEFUL, but I think I'd rather have the comfort of Zimmerman's chattiness or Mcphee's humor.
what a great giveaway; if i win i'm keeping my fingers crossed for the brioche book. ;)
I would say The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. I can come up with a pattern for most things but I am not so strong in deciding which kind of paired increases are the best, many cast-ons and cast offs (I pretty much only use long tail cast on and kitchener/plain ole cast off). And it lies flat.
Believe it or not, it would probably be Wendy Johnson's Socks from the Toe Up. The size small with a US1.5 dpn will fit my foot with any sock yarn, and there are so many variations on the basic pattern that I could go on forever. Plus, it's a deserted island. of course I would need socks...
Yarn Harlot's knitting rules. at least i can laugh while stranded
My favorite of the moment is Sock Innovation by Cookie A. There are almost no patterns in it I don't want to make, plus there's a large, easily understood section on designing socks.
I'd take my Vogue Lace Stitchionary (or any of the Barbara Walker's but I don't own those yet..) - eternal inspiration
Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Knitters Almanac". Great fun to read and with so many useful ideas and ways of thinking about knitting.
I think my favorite knitting book would have to be the "Fearless Knitting Workbook" by Jennifer Seiffert. I love that it's got a spiral binding within the hard cover (so it lays flat but is more durable than "the usual" spiral-bound book). I love the illustrations and explanations, they are so clear and it's obvious that great care was taken to make them accessible to beginners. It wasn't the first knitting book I ever bought, nor was it where I learned to knit (that was a combo of learning English when I was a kid and finally "getting it" when I learned Continental from this very blog about 2 years ago :) )--but it was the book that helped me really understand how knitting stitches work and about stitch mount, and helped me to be "fearless" in identifying and fixing mistakes in my knitting (instead of paralyzed by fear of making it worse or not completely understanding what went wrong and how to make it right).
The knitter's handy book of patterns by Ann budd. It gives me the blueprints for many projects which I can embellish on.
My favourite is Knitting Rules by the Yarn Harlot because it was my "first knitting book." It made me really appreciate the humour in knitting, as well as give me some solid fundamentals and "rule of thumb" types of things to keep tucked in the back of my mind as I began my new hobby.
Victorian Lace Today, because the photos are beautiful, the laceweight projects would keep me busy for a very long time, and there's inspiration for designing your own patterns. Plus, I probably wouldn't have much use for warm woolies on a desert island. (But if it were a cold-weather island, probably any Elizabeth Zimmermann book would be my choice, since I would have the basics to make anything.)
I would take Susan B. Anderson's Itty-Bitty Toys with me. I can make little stuffed animals to keep me company on the island!
All of the projects are easy to read and comprehend, and super cute to boot!
I have all EZ's books but my fav is Knitter's Almanac. I love reading her books. They are funny and inspirational.
billicummings@gmail.com
The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann- great techniques and skill building, and of course, very entertaining :).
Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top Down was for me a life changer. To be able to get a perfect fit without a pattern has given me so many more options.
Montse Stanley's "Principles of Knitting". I inherited my copy from my grandmother and was absolutely stunned at how many ways there were to cast on and cast off that I had absolutely no idea about. I thought I knew how to knit until I owned this book! There's still a lot I can learn from it.
Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top has definitely been the most influential book for me
My most consulted book, the one I wouldn't be without, is The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancy Wiseman. Although most of the things in there are covered by Vogue Knitting (which I also have), I like the commentary on the pros and cons of each technique. If I could take a pattern book too, it'd probably be Knit. Sock. Love., or maybe Sock Innovation (I lurve Cookie A's designs).
I don't read a lot of knitting books but I really love Modern Top Down Knitting by Kristina McGowan. Great pics, great designs and she encourages you to just go out and make your own.
I would really love to win Marchant's book on Brioche...fingers crossed!
Hiatt's Principles of Knitting, with the books by Clara Parkes a very close second.
If I had to choose just one, it would be EZ's Knitting Workshop. If I ever worked it from cover to easy-to-understand cover, I know I would be a far better thinking knitter than I am - and very well dressed in handknits! Mostly I've clothed a lot of babies in Baby Surprise Jackets from it. :-)
I like The Principles of Knitting. I bought it many years ago and saw a few years ago it was selling for over $200 on eBay. Now a new edition is coming out, but I'm waiting for TechKnitter's book!
Such a tough question! I love the the Barbara Walker treasuries for sparking ideas, Elizabeth Zimmerman for being so inspiring and Montse Stanley's Knitter's Handbook for being my go-to place for technique. Don't make me choose!!
Thanks for a lovely giveaway - all three books look wonderful!
Ooops! forgot to say why. The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt has almost everything you need to know about techniques and why they work.
Tough question! I'd have to say "A Gathering of Lace"; I have a lot of books but that was the first one that made me want to knit ALL THE THINGS.
Probably EZ's Knitter's Almanac. You could knit gazillions of variations on her patterns and be re-empowered every time you read it. (We did get to take yarn and needles to our desert island, didn't we?)
Of all the books I currently own, probably either VLT or Alice Starmore's Fair Isle book, both for the same reasons... Lots of challenging, time consuming projects to keep me busy on the island, and good eye candy with some history included.
'Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book' would be the book I would choose (that is until you publish) because it has answers to most of the questions I come up with while knitting!
It is so hard to come up with just one book! I guess I'd say Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns because it would give me a template to knit any kind of sweater I wanted. I know enough about socks to do them without a pattern, but sweaters would be harder without a basic pattern to follow! Great giveaway. Thanks for offering up these books!
I love Contemporary Knitting: For Textile Artists bu Ruth Lee. It is SUCH an inspirational book! It explores knitting with completely different materials in totally new ways. Every single page evokes a "huh, I never thought of doing THAT." Endless ideas reside in those pages.
Knitting vintage socks! Its spiral bound and really can you ever knit enough socks?
Hands down, Knitter's Almanac. Elizabeth Zimmermann was such an amazing woman/writer/knitter, and I love that the pb version is so tiny (compared to most knitting books). There is so much information packed in that little book, and on a desert island I would have a chance to knit my way through all of the patterns. I read it at least once a year, usually when I go to Wisconsin for August/Family vacation - seems like the right place to revisit this wonderful book.
If I could sneak a second book in, it would be Barbara Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns (the red one), which has the lace edgings in addition to a plethora of wonderful stitches (can't finish a desert island lace item without an edging!). Though, of course, I would prefer having all of them ("green" is on my wishlist)!
The first knitting book I ever loved was Katharina Buss' Big Book of Knitting, so I think I'd have to bring that. It's a great reference for garment design and finishing, and has a small stich listing in back in case you need inspiration.
Sally Melville - The Knitting Experience Book 1. Because it makes me knit again after many years. Because i still like to look at the simple patterns for to relax.
Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard, because it's full of patterns I love and design tips that are fantastic.
I'd probably take The Knitters Book of Patterns, it has the basics for all the patterns I'm likely to need and being basic it might well push me into trying new things; though really I'd prefer more than one book!
sewsable on Rav
Charlene Schurch's Knitting Marvellous Mittend (for the everlasting colourwork) OR Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters, because socks are good, OR (and this is a weird one) The Readers' Digest Guide to Needlework (I think that's it's name) for the plethora of methods within, plus sewing, crochet and possible tatting instructions.
The Knitter's Handbook, by Montse Stanley/Reader's Digest publication...because I like to put stuff together myself and for years I couldn't buy a ton of books,although I found a few fab ones to read at length at the bookstore. Montse's book is packed with gems of info. Now I know I need a design book to go with it! I've learned a lot, thank goodness. But that is the book I actually have on my shelf that I would grab on my way to said Desert Island.And maybe a sock book...still learning that stuff...and my notebook. Okay, what knitter doesn't have a go-bag of some sort, anyway?
This is a really hard question! Knitting Without Tears was one of my first books and I still love it for its chatty style and practical ideas.
whoooops...not Anon!
Hmm, it probably changes periodically for me... but these days I'm a big fan of Ysolda's Little Red in the City. It's such a great combination of really useful information, fun patterns, and lovely photos - so I can always find something interesting in it no matter whether I'm in the mood to really sit down and read or just flip through it.
Can I take two with me to that island? Please? It's a tie between The Knitting Answer Book and The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques. I love both of these books because they answer just about any question I have.
hmmm...Mason-Dixon Knitting. Funny engaging writing, great photos, perfect instruction. I've knitted more patterns from that book than any other. I'd actually be bereft if I had to leave ANY of my beloved knitting books behind.
For me it's a tie between "Knitting in The Old Way" by Patricia Gibson-Roberts and "The Principles of Knitting" by June Hemmons Hiatt. They each give invaluable information to knitters, from beginners to advanced.
Favorite book (so far) - New England Knits
Reason - Its silly. It doesn't really have a lot of techniques but I LOVE the patterns, every single one. I'm knitting the Neckerchief right now and waiting for the yarn to start a sweater while debating between two others (scarf or vest....decisions, decisions).
Well, I guess my favorite knitting book just happens to be my only knitting book. So I really don't have anything to compare it too.
Crazy Toes and Heels because it lets me make custom-fit socks with any size yarn, any size needle.
I prefer "recipes" to actual "patterns". Recipes allow you to work with the size yarn and needles you have available to make something that fits the person it was knit for. Patterns lock you to exactly what the pattern author did, what she used and for a limited size range.
With recipes you come to understand HOW the different parts of the item you're knitting comes together to form your item. You can then design your own, unique item. For patterns, you're playing "follow the leader", hoping to get the authors item done and fitting someone.
Montse Stanley "Knitting Handbook"
Its a really old edition I got for cheap used, and it has so much character! Its also really helpful, and my go-to for anything new.
Fiber-wise, I love "Alden Amos' Big Book of Handspinning." I read it for fun all the time. It cracks me up!
Hi, I'm in Canada. If you simply mark the parcel as a "gift" with zero value when you pack it up, there shouldn't be any duties to pay.
If I was taking a book to a desert island, it would have to be Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Around. I have a few of her books, but this one has her personal story in it and makes for a good read, in addition to including her inventive patterns.
I love her no-nonsense attitude and chatty patterns.
nicolaknits AT gmail DOT com
Montse Stanley's Handknitters' Handbook. It is the best reference I know and when i was a young knitter, I had it open next to me all the time.
My favorite book would be Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. It would give me options for sock patterns for a LONG long time.
I lovelovelove Finishing Techniques for Hand Knitters. A skilled knitter can produce the most beautiful garments without any help, but it's the tiniest details that really make a sweater super duper special. This book gives me all the little tips and tricks I need to take my garments from awesome to breathtaking!
My desert island pick would be Principles of Knitting by Hiatt. It's incredibly comprehensive and is my go-to book when I can't remember how to do a technique. Just the thing to keep me occupied while being stranded.
I like Vogue Knitting because it's the first knitting book I bought.
Mary Thomas' Knitting Book! It is the one that taught me to knit, and the one (I'm on my second copy, and hope to live long enough to go through a third copy) I always go back to when I'm stuck, and I can find an answer.
Barbara Walker's First Treasury. Enough stitch patterns in there to design from for years on that desert island!
Continuous Cables by Melissa Leapman. I like designing cable patterns to add to projects, and this book has both plenty of cabling patterns for inspiration and lots of information about how to design your own cable patterns.
Sock Innovation is the book I've knit from the most. Every time I pick it up there's just the right pattern to suit my mood and yarn.
182 posts so far. Hehehe. I haven't got many books, but I'm going to say Knitting Rules, because Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is a crack up. :)
Kristin knits by Kristin Nicholas. Great patterns!
I really want to be able to answer this question, but the truth is, I don't own any knitting books. I have used the Internet to learn all I know about knitting. I would LOVE to own one someday, though;)
I'd really love a combo of a BW treasury and a general knitting book so I could knit anything and everything.
However, Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia might just be my one book. I've knit several patterns from it and want to knit the rest. The charts are clear and it has a good combination of cultural interest with technical explanations. I like knitting patterns that make me learn something new but are not so complex I can't listen to music or watch tv while knitting. Estonian Lace in general seems to be the right level of complexity for me.
Vogue knitting- it has nearly all the techniques, good illustrations, beautiful patterns and introduction to sweater design
My fave knitting book has to be Montse Stanley's "Knitter's Handbook" - many ways to cast on, many ways to cast off and lots of other useful information. Just wish she'd written one for crochet, too!
The Haapsalu Shawl. It is such a beautiful book. I could spend weeks just studying the photos and keep myself occupied for a very long time knitting cobweb fine shawls.
Not *technically* a knitting book, but I'd pick 'the readers digest complete guide to needlework'. The knitting section is fabulous, very clear pictures, lots of stitches, techniques and assembly instructions. Any of my friends who want to learn to knit, I scour the thrift stores and second hand bookshops for a copy.
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My favorite KNITTING book would be Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. It's got beautiful photography and excellent history (I love falling in love with the tradition of something). The biggest reason I love this book is that it was given to me by my grandmother, because she was just thinking of me. She had no idea what a popular knitting book it was. She just wanted to give me something that I would really love. It was so sweet, and I cherish the book because she gave it to me.
Hmm, on a desert island I'd need something that would be a constant source of inspiration, and that would be Maggie Righetti's Sweater design in plain english. I love her style of writing and this book is shock full of technical information one can endlessly build upon.
The Big Book of Knitting by Katharina Buss. It has wonderful techniques and with needles and yarn I would be good to go for years :-)
Elizabeth Zimmermann's Opinionated Knitter. It's got everything I need for my knitting and plenty of stories for reading.
I'd take Knitted Socks East and West. It is probably the only book I own where I'd love to knit every single pattern. And to be honest, being stuck on a desert island is probably the only way I'd find the time to do so.
This book has maybe 30 patterns, beautifully photographed, all inspired by Japanese stitches. The patterns are well-written and all interesting knits without over-complication.
And useful too. Where's the fun in being on a desert island if you've got cold feet!
Japanese "Knitting Pattern Book 250", because all the patterns are astounding.
And the desert island seems to be the brilliant opportunity and the only way to knit them all.
I've always loved Boutique Knits--it was one of the first I bought after learning how to knit, and it has some cute patterns that incorporate lace. I just hope this desert island has some yarn and needles too, though... Thanks for the giveaway!
I'm a new knitter so I don't have a favorite book yet. But, after reading all these comments I definitely have some ideas for my wishlist. Thanks everybody!
It would have to be Vogue Knitting. Its still my go-to book for when I'm stumped by a technique or I forget how to do it or I need to make sure my memory on how to do it is correct.
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