Knitting for Dummies

by Pam Allen, Tracy L. Barr, Shannon Okey

Book Overview

Whether you're just picking up knitting needles for the first time or you've been knitting for years, Knitting For Dummies, 2nd Edition , will be your pattern for knitting success. Have you always... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 076455395X
• ISBN13: 9780764553950
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Long form book was too much

This book may be good for the absolute beginner but only has 1 way to cast on and does not give really good instructions for left hand knitting. The projects are basic and there are only a handful, so it's not really worth the money.

MINI Knitting for dummies

Ok, I probably should have looked closer but all "Dummies" books seem to be a decent size. This is a purse size pamphlet 56 tiny pages for the same price as the book. Not happy. Got duped. Ordering the real book.

Great Reference Book!

I am enjoying this book as a beginner at knitting, has a lot of useful information and quick references! Definitely recommend!

Wonderful resource for beginner knitters

Every question you could have about knitting when you start is covered here. The explanations are straightforward and easy to grasp with lots of diagrams. I did wish there were more patterns for beginners, but the there are a variety of items to help you gain confidence.

Wow, so much positive to say!

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 project

A great beginner's reference

Using only this book, I learned to knit. Now, of course, that's the point... But I have continued to use this book as a reference as I forge on to new patterns, etc. Not only did it teach me the basics of knitting (I didn't even know how to cast on before this book), but using it I have gone on to be able to use other books, free patterns, etc. to make sweaters, mittens, hats, booties--in all shapes and sizes, in only 6-7 months since first picking up this book. Personally, as a beginner, I found many patterns initially confusing. All the abbreviations...and even after you translate the abbreviations, what on earth do they MEAN? This book will tell you. I would recommend reading the first few chapters before beginning anything (gives you the basics, saves on frustration), then reading on as needed... And I find myself looking things up in the index, etc. when I forget how to do a stitch, or when something just looks wrong. Maybe most importantly for a beginner; this book gives you tips on correcting MISTAKES. I know initially I would get frustrated when I would find a dropped stitch, or an added one... and think I had to tear everything out. This book helps. Plain english, and good pictures (even if they're just black and white) really help those of us who can't necessarily grasp concepts stated in just words. So particularly if knitting classes aren't available to you, or you don't have the time, money, etc. to take one, you can learn to knit all on your own with this book. I have surprised many of my female in-laws (all of whom have been knitting for a long time) with the things I've been able to make, and learning from a book in such a short time.

Pam Allen is my Hero!

If you've always wanted to learn how to knit or have taken a night course and want to learn more/better techniques (like me), you have got to buy this book. I first read about Pam in Melanie Falick's Book Knitting in America, and have come to be a great fan. She breaks down knitting from the types of yarn to the first cast on stitch to elaborate techniques in a simple, non-threatening way. She also shows how to correct mistakes (a given for the beginner!) and explains circular knitting and its applications in simple terms. It is by far the best knitting resource I have come across. I've tried Elizabeth Zimmerman (too advanced and too smug in tone) and Marie Rigghetti (too by-the-book) as well as others and have learned more from this book than any other. For anyone who has ever shed a tear over a dropped stitch or said, "I wish I could make that", this is the book for you! I can't recommend this book enough.

Ideal for beginners but great reference book intermediates

I skipped buying this book several times since I consider myself to be an intermediate knitter and I felt that I did not need another learn to knit book. My book shelf is already full of them since I am a book-taught knitter. It wasn't until I thumbed through it in a book store that I realized what a useful book this is.There is little chitchat, the instructions are clear and to the point. It gives little details that I wish I had known when i began knitting. (Such as what knitting through the back means and how to keep from creating unwanted stitches in ribbing, two things that caught me up) There is a great variety of projects. The book is divided into sections, basic knitting, cables, lace, color and so one. Each section has at least two beginner projects. Bags, hats and scarves. While the bags and scarves were very nice, I found the hats a bit too wild for my taste. But since there are so many projects to choose from, this really is not a problem.And, once the new knitter's confidence is up, there are three sweater patterns to try out as well as socks and from-the-top-down hat.As I said before, this book covers almsot anything a knitter will need to know to get up past intermediate including short rows and intarsia. There is no coverage for such newer techniques and entrelac and intarsia-in-the-round (some say THAT is impossible but others swear by it) but as a rule, such techniques are not used much in the first year of knitting. Also, this book certainly has the younger knitter in mind with its patterns. Just something to keep in mind.This book is a very complete knitting reference with clear instructions and good illustrations. However, when learning this or any craft from a book, I suggest buying more than one book on the subject so you can compare intructions, get a second opinion, etc. This book is a great place to start you on the road to knitting. Have fun!