Customer Reviews

The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I know many (I for one) are happy this highly anticipated book came out earlier than the stated release date and it is even more packed with so much good information than Ann Budd's first book of ...Handy Book of Knitting Patterns. Some initial good points about the book: many sweater "palettes" are presented, there's many side points within each section - like how to convert a yarn gauge of yours that isn't included in the book to one that is compatible to a gauge, there's eighteen sweaters knitted up in different yarns that are shown in clear photos, different styles of necks, sleeves, bodies are set out and explained, and! so much more! And for those familiar with the first book - there is an even nicer (deeper) inside pocket provided. The same spiral format is kept which will help in your designing/decision making of your sweater(s). Don't let the higher price point scare you away - the information in this great book more than makes up for the cost.

I love Ann Budd's first book "The Handy Book of Knitting Patterns" which are small patterns such as gloves, hats, mittens, scarves and vests. Most people asked for a sweater book to follow, with basic patterns in all sizes, from kids to big adults. Here it is.

You can take a raglan, a cardigan, a drop sleeve pullover or many other traditional styles like yoke-sweaters and knit either the basic pattern shown, or embellish it with your own texture, color or lace stitches. Ideas are given how to do the modifications.

The book is spiral bound with hard board covers, and an elastic band to mark your place. This is the kind of book that never leaves the knitting bag, and in particular if you go shopping to add yarn to your "stash", this book could assist you in visualizing projects and more importantly, buying the right amount of yarn. That way, when you pull the yarn from storage on a cold winter day when you want to start something new, you will have pattern, yarn and ideas all handy, thanks to this book. A real winner, and absolutely a great gift if you know any new knitters.

If you are tired of knitting from patterns and want to branch out into your own designs, this is the book you need to help you get started! It picks up where _The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns_ left off, including several different types of sweater construction, finishing ideas, necklines and collar types. Ann Budd explains the concept of ease, how to design shaping, and how to get a custom fit. The sample patterns provide a good source of inspiration for how you can use these "recipes" to make a unique garment. Highly recommended!

I was excited to get this book because I already own and love Ann Budd's previous book, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I was dismayed to find shaping absent from all the patterns in this volume, which is the trickiest part of sweater design. I like fitted sweaters, but these instructions are only for basic, unshaped sweaters.

I've a;ways been the type of knitter who has felt that if it is going to look like something I got at TJ MAXX then why go through the trouble and expense of handknitting it. I want my sweaters to be unique one of a kind creations full of my personal touches. My close friend on the other hand wants her handknits to look like she got them from Lands End (of Land of Conservative I'd say). We both love this book! I think she is ordering her own copy right now after keeping mine for three weeks. Using this book we can both end up with sweaters that fit, but with our own personal touches. You need to have this book in your knitting library, whether you already have 100 books or you only have one.

This book is great-there are so many different options that I did not even no where to begin! This book is also very easy to use-no "complicated" equations, just straight-forward direction. At the same time, there is a lot of room for personalizing sweaters so you really do have creative control over the designs. This book is great for someone just starting out in designing sweaters, and gives you a feel for how sweaters are put together. Using this book first and knitting up the designs made it much easier to understand the more advanced design books out there. Great for anyone who wants to add personal touches to their sweaters without doing all the designing from scratch - yet also a good first step in the process of learning sweater design. Highly recommended, even for beginning knitters. If you can read a pattern, you can use this book!!

It is a great book. I already have her previous book which was a broader based group of patterns. Here, she hones her skills with sweater patterns in a number of common styles, for a number of sizes in a number of gauges. Little work is needed to work the pattern. This is great for basic sweaters, but can be used as a base for more creative design elements.
I used this on my knitting machine to knit a basic sweater in a fabulous yarn. I see a lot of use for this book. The patterns include pullovers and cardigans for adults and children.
The spiral format is user friendly: it stays open, props up easily, and has a place in the back to keep swatches and notes.

There's nothing more tiresome than patterns that either dictate the yarn right down to the exact manufacturer, style, and color you have to use, or patterns that offer 3 sizes -- extra small, smaller, and smallest.

This book is the antidote to that kind of lock-step knitting.

In this book, you pick your style (usually based on neck and/or sleeve), decide cardigan or pullover, choose from the wide range of sizes (from child sizes to XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL and larger adults), pick the guage of the yarn you are using, and voila!

What's more, the charts that tell you how much yarn you will need for each size/guage are so regular that extrapolating an even smaller or larger size is as simple as 3rd grade arithmatic.

I carry mine with me when I go yarn shopping to have a reference in case I find some must-have sweater yarn. With this in hand, I'll always be sure to get the right amount.

If I could write a book of knitting patterns, it would be this one. I get very frustrated with having to buy a whole pattern book for just one pattern, and it's always hard for me to find that perfect sweater pattern...there always seems to be something I want to change. Since I'm not good enough yet to design my own patterns, I just love the idea of taking a basic pattern and mix/matching different design elements. Want this sweater body with that type of sleeve and another type of neckline? Want to add a cable down the front? Want to make 3 of them from toddler size to large adult? You can with the easy to understand system of this book. I also appreciate that it tells you how to adjust the directions to any weight yarn. An absolutely perfect idea with lots of varied options.
Thank you, Ann!

I needed a hobby, and so began to knit again. I remember being drawn towards the lovely yarn that was sold, only to find out that the pattern matching the yarn that my yarn-shop owner was offering was NOT what I wanted. So I decided to learn how to design my own (sweater) patterns. I have purchased many books, but there are three that I am using now. The first is Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book
by Vogue Knitting Magazine Editors, a must have. The second is Knitting from the Top by Barbara G. Walter. The third is this book. These 3 books give me complete freedom to make whatever beautiful sweaters I like in the yarn I like. This book gives me precise measurements, so I can proceed with confidence, and also has nice knitting hints (like crochet chain provisional cast on, especially useful when knitting top down) at the back of the book. One reviewer writes how ugly the sweaters in this book are, and I tend to agree ... I would have chosen a different color or yarn. But that's not the point to this book. The point is, with this book (and the other two books) you don't have to use these patterns, you make your own.