Customer Reviews

Family Circle: Easy Sweaters

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love several of the patterns in this book. I would describe myself as a knitting novice but still found myself very comfortable with most of the patterns.

The book actually breaks down the sweater into categories such as "beginner" or "intermediate" which I've found very useful. I've limited myself to beginner sweaters so far. The other nice thing about this book is that it gives the complete information for the yarn that is used. This makes substituting very easy since the yarns used tend to be on the pricey side. I am making a sweater from this book right now and it would have cost me $$$ to use the yarn listed but I was able to substitue for only a quarter of the cost...

One thing to note, most of the patterns are for knitters. If you are looking for a book of crocheted sweaters I would recomend that you keep looking. I found only four crochet patterns and only two of them were at the beginner level.

There are patterns for women, men and kids. I actually found a pattern that my DH likes as well. The patterns are very stylish and as a 20-something I liked almost all of them.

The only thing that kept me from giving this book five stars is the small number of crocheted patterns. I find the title to be a bit deceptive.

Thankfully I got this from the library (I try not to buy a book unless I've checked it out a few times first).

I'm giving this book 3 stars because even though the knitting patterns might be great (I don't know, I don't knit) they really should just make it a knitting book and get it over with. The subtitle states "50 Knit and Crochet Projects" but what they really meant to say is "46 Knit Projects and 4 Crochet Ones Thrown In There So We Could Get Crocheters To Buy The Book". I'm not kidding, there were a total of FOUR crochet sweaters in the entire book (I counted). Of the four crochet projects, two are very similar in look (big, open holes, simple sweaters). Another is a granny square sweater that's nice looking and the fourth is a really nice sweater I might try to make so I might get something out of it after all. Still, if I had paid for this book I'd be mighty ticked off.

I also think that if you are having a book with knitting and crochet, you should have an easy way to find one or the other. An index would be nice, or have the crochet in one section, knit in another. Instead, all the sweaters are listed under their themes (Easy Does It, Tropical Coolers, etc) with knit on one page, crochet on the next, knit on the next 20, etc.

I'm sure it's a lovely book for beginning knitters, I just think they should take out the four token crochet patterns and focus on knitting instead of trying to play both fields.

There are only a handful of crochet patterns in this book. The bulk of the patterns are for knitters. However, there are some very nice things in here.

I was disappointed in this book. Even though it says knit and crochet, I was hoping for more crochet patterns. Most of it is knitting. The book is not misrepresented, but hard to tell just by looking at the cover what is inside.

Agree completely with prior review that says they should have just stuck to knitting. Putting 4 out of 50 patterns in the book for crochet is silly. Either make it more even (say 20 out of 50?) or drop the few crochet projects and just call it a knitting book. The reason I give it two stars is that the patterns are nice, and I might do one. But 1 out of 50 isn't super.

Whether a design strikes you as interesting is a matter of taste, so it's hard to pass judgement, but I was disappointed when the book arrived. I bought it because I have some old issues of the Family Circle Easy Knitting magazine and liked the patterns, but I thought this book contained the dullest ones. The majority seem to have an oversized fit, dropped shoulders, and/or knit with bulky yarn, three features that I don't like. They also use colors I don't care for, but that's easy to change.

I was set to send it back when I took a second look and decided there were a few things I could see myself wearing, and there were a few things I could see other people wearing. The shaping is simple. There are patterns for children and men as well as women.

Overall a good beginner/unchallenging intermediate book, just not exciting or innovative. Vogue's Very Easy Knits is more interesting, but also a notch more difficult.

Good variety of patterns and styles for whole the family. Directions are clear for those of us,who are not advanced knitters.

Great book! Many wonderful patterns in this book. I still would have a instructual manual with it. That is just me...

I love the cover sweater and will probably make it. There are a couple more in the book that I will try, but it is not the best written book out there.