Fearless Knitting Workbook [Spiral-bound]

Jennifer Seiffert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

Designed to empower knitters with practical knowledge of how yarn becomes fabric and to boost confidence in tackling common obstacles and mistakes made during the process, this knitting how-to guides fiber artists to success in their craft by explaining each word of standard knitting instructions. This illustrated guide offers classically-designed swatch exercises—such as knit-and-purl patterns, cables, shaping, and lace—that can later be combined to create pillow covers, throws, or scarves, in addition to tutorials on how to identify stitches that are properly mounted and master basic stitch movements and math required for each exercise. Promoting a deeper understanding of knitting and its facets and encouraging a bold approach to some of the more complex and daunting knitting styles and designs, this informative manual is essential in assisting knitters of all levels in gaining crafting mastery.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"She takes some of the most intimidating aspects of learning to knit, such as understanding gauge and deciphering pattern instructions, and breaks them down in a manner that is practical and simple to understand." — Library Journal

"Organized and precise, this book is a fantastic, systematic way to beef up your knitting skills." — Knitty.com

"After working through the book knitters will have a great grounding in the basics and plenty of confidence to work through a great variety of knitting patterns." — About.com Guide to Knitting

About the Author

Jennifer E. Seiffert is a knitter, a technical writer, and a teacher. She lives in Warsaw, Indiana.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 160 pages
• Publisher: Interweave Press; Spi edition (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596681497
• ISBN-13: 978-1596681491
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars like a knitting class in a book, but better!, January 16, 2010

By 

C. Kaufman (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fearless Knitting Workbook (Spiral-bound)

This book is exactly what I was looking for, as a beginning knitter intimidated by making the leap from basic projects to those involving increases/decreases, cables, circular needles, etc. My local yarn shop seems to offer classes either for absolute beginners or for experts, but nothing in between. It seems you're supposed to "absorb" knowledge by muddling through projects and asking experts for help. For someone who likes a more systematic approach, this book is the missing link!

There's an introductory section describing things like how to test your gauge and a bit of the logic of how different stitches relate to each other. I've never seen this material (what the author calls "stitch mount") laid out anywhere before, and it's a fascinating, although very dense, read. The rest of the book consists of a series of tutorials, each of which is built around creating a small sample swatch. You can do things with the swatches like make pillow covers or continue the pattern to make scarves. The tutorials are divided into sections: knit and purl (really more about reading written patterns and charts and using stitch markers, since the book assumes you already know how to knit and purl, as well as cast on and bind off), basic shaping techniques, cables and crossed stitches, lace and openwork, and knitting in rounds. The book is designed to be worked through in order, but I imagine if you already know some of this material you can just skim those sections without doing the knitting itself.

The layout of the book is fantastic, with big photos, visually appealing text, and a nice lay-flat spiral binding. If you're a design-oriented person, I think you'll appreciate it. It feels very modern without being one of those kitschy, "knit a beer can holder with a skull and crossbones" kind of books.

I also bought "The Knitter's Handbook" by Eleanor Van Zandt. That book contains a lot of short patterns for different textures and cables. It makes a nice complement to this book, giving you additional things to practice on, as well as covering color, which this book doesn't. I find "The Knitter's Handbook" on its own a little daunting; "Fearless Knitting Workbook" is definitely more pedagogically oriented and more visually appealing.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, January 19, 2010

By 

C. Thorley "Knitter Scarlet" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fearless Knitting Workbook (Spiral-bound)

Brilliant book. Very informative and great pictures. A must for any knitter whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced. I have been knitting for over 20 years and am still enjoying working my way through this book.

I am blogging my way through this book, for more information and to see pics you can check out my blog at [...].

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this now!, February 2, 2010

By 

M. Lynn Dobbins "Furbaby" (California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fearless Knitting Workbook (Spiral-bound)

This is in my top 3 favorite knitting books ever purchased! It really does do what it says in such a quick, simple way. The pictures are so beautiful and the instructions are so easy to follow. Every new or sort-of new knitter should get this. It takes you step by step from garter stitch and ribbing to cables and a leaf-shaped potholder with increases and decreases galore. It has simplified all that hard scary-looking stuff into the simplicity it really is.