Customer Reviews

Knit It Your Way: Change the Yarn to Suit Your Style

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

What a disappointment! This is a book based on the empty promise that the author is going to show some new way to solve the age old knitter's dilemma of yarn substitutions and how to make them. There is nothing new in this book; she solves yarn substitutions the way we all do and have been doing for a million years; swatch, swatch, swatch. This information is available from magazines, books, classes and other knitters!

She does show examples of sweaters knitted in two different weights of yarn, and for the novice knitter I suppose this could be interesting, and possibly informative. However, for any knitter who has made even one successful yarn substitution, I feel this book is an expensive retelling of an old tale.

I would strongly suggest that anyone thinking about purchasing this book first seek out a copy to look through.

This is not as bad a book as some reviewers have made it out to be. Reading it, I got the sense that this author was NOT someone who gets all the yarn she wants from doing work for the yarn companies, but instead has to actually BUY her yarn, like most of us.

The styles were basic, but nice, and were shown as completed garments in both yarn choices. Many pattern books show other colorways and yarns, but only as pattern swatches. It is a much cheaper book than "Simply Beautiful Sweaters" which was totally about $$$$$ yarn.

It would have been nice to see more closeups of the yarns that were used, so it would be a little easier to substitute what you already have. I also thought her yarns, even her nicer ones, did not look all that different in photos from some of the rock-bottom discount yarns available--the cover photo really suffered in this regard. Perhaps the next printing will have some of these issues addressed. It still is a pretty good book.

Many years ago, a critic in the New Yorker wrote, "There is much in this book that is good, and much in this book that is new; but what is good is not new, and what is new is not good." Well, I won't be that harsh, (the garments herein are stylish and utterly simple) but it is hardly news that yarns and gauges can be freely substituted to arrive at a made-to-measure garment.

The KnitCalc handheld knitting calculator has been on the market for twenty years or more, though with a little planning, any regular calculator can be used to perform many of the same functions. And machine knitters have had charting devices since the 1970s, simple mechanical or battery-operated devices which enable the knitter to draw a garment outline (or even use a commercial tissue sewing pattern in the case of the Brother) to scale, and simply knit away as the garment outline clicks past. These devices make it very simple to knit any garment in any yarn, and any gauge. It makes any knitting pattern which offers a schematic fair game for the knitter's carte blanche creativity.

What is essential with all these methods is the careful preparation of a gauge swatch. It's important to buy extra yarn for swatching--perhaps as much as an extra skein--and keep sampling until you come up with the exact fabric you want your garment to be. The swatch is the key to any system. Whichever method you choose, learning to knit like this gives you complete creative freedom. You will never feel you must use the exact yarn specified in a pattern (almost always an expensive yarn), or even the stitch. You become the designer, and in taking control of your knitting in this way, you will find it brings the greatest possible satisfaction.

I am glad Ms. Wise followed the dream of so many knitters: to have one's own patterns in a book. For that I applaud her. As for the book itself, it is nice for the beginning designer, or a knitter who has never designed at all. The designs themselves are very ho-hum. It's hard to compete with the likes of such genius as Meg Swansen, Alice Starmore, Kim Hargreaves... Nothing in this book is very stylish or classic. The book serves simply as a proponent of swatching and a compilation of examples of how a sweater looks knit in two different colorways/types of yarns.

This book by Cynthia Yanok Wise is a must have for those designing or wanting to design their own knitted garments or modify a pattern by using a different yarn. The book urges creativity beyond the printed pattern and provides numerous examples detailing the changes that can be accomplished just by using a different yarn.

For years I've been trying to alter knitting patterns to accommodate different types, sizes of yarn. The only way I knew how to do this was by hours of experimental "swatch" knitting, comparing stitches, measuring, etc.

So, when I saw the book "Knit it Your Way: Change the Yarn to Suit Your Style" advertised, I became very excited - at last, I thought, charts, explanations, a Method that would eliminate all that "swatching."

When the book arrived I could hardly wait to start reading. I quickly realized the only "Method" that was mentioned was - you guessed it - "swatching." After a few pages talking about her experience with hours and hours of knitting swatches, the author then regales us with many photos of herself in self-knit clothing. It is not something that I would even pass along to a beginning knitter.

The title of this book completely misrepresents its contents.

Loved this book! Have to recommend it for knitters who want to make the leap from ho-hum to exciting!
It was wonderful to finally have a knitting designer who would give it to us straight! - In order to switch yarns on knitting patterns, you have to be willing to do some exploratory prep work, and CW explains what to do, how to have the patience to do it, and serves it all up with a sparkling wit! Extremely informative,it's an empowering book wisely advising that the effort put in will produce success in spades. Works for me!