Customer Reviews

Knitting School: A Complete Course

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

 

 

After buying "Knitting School" through a web merchant, I wondered if I should have bothered since I already own a number of knitting reference books (like the Vogue Ultimate Knitting Book). Unfortunately, it does seem to cover most of what other books in my collection do. However, for those who like heavy illustrations, then this book may be for you. I didn't spot one page that had more text than illustrations. Every page has pictures on it (almost always more than one). There are no photographs in the book (except of yarn in the beginning), and even examples of finished garments are hand drawn. But, the illustrations are very clear and well drawn. If you are a beginner, and looking for a nice book to start your collection, this may be a good choice. Especially if you learn best from pictures rather than text. Most pictures are accompanied by text as well. There are even basic "patterns" in the back for help on making and assembling items like booties, aran sweaters, gloves, socks, etc. There is also information of things such as: embroidery (including motifs for zodiac signs and fancy letters), quilted knits, knitted patchwork, beading, shoulder pads, hems, sewing, pleats, darts, fixing mistakes, circular knitting, and much more.

I am rating this book zero stars. A totally useless book. But the rating forces you to give 1 star minimum.

It is supposed to be for intermediate to advanced knitters. At that level you know 99% of what is in this book. One or two new things that might be in there are not worth the shelf space this takes up, nor the trouble to find them because of the chaos of presentation.

Commonly known techinques are renamed so there is no way to look up a common term such as "make 1." But there is no way to look up anything the skimpy index. I tried to find "adding yarn/ joining new yarn/ joining yarn" etc. Nothing. Now there are at least three good ways I know for joining yarn, one of which makes an invisible join in mid row. In a book for "designers," this should be described for sure.

The book is mostly hand drawn instructions for techniques with a brief paragraph of explanation next to the picture. The cast on section is sadly limited to three methods, (one if which is using two yarns held together as a separate technique) totally inadequate for designers. No one could learn continental knitting from these drawings which are missing the right hand. It looks like a "one-hand clapping" explanation of knitting. Laughable.

Pages on double knitting which has been renamed "tubular knitting" have a limited audience. The section on entrelac has been renamed Knitted Patchwork of all things. Why rename common terms so that the novice cannot even look them up in a real knitting book? I can do entrelac in my sleep, and I could not figure it out from the lame instructions in this "School." it looks like they are using 6 double edged needles (text says holders) instead of the intelligent way of picking up stitches and moving across. Amazing.

Similarly, quilted knitting is not about the quilted knitting stitches described in Barbara Walker's books, but actually quilting knitting on a backing. I guess you do this to get rid of the advantages of stretchiness in a knited garment and make it into something that looks like the Michelin tire man's jacket?

In all, buy any other knitting book, even the beginning books from Leisure Arts with names like "I can't Believe I am knitting" and you will be farther ahead. At least you will learn the common names of stitches so you can use written instructions that use these standard terminology. And the illustrations are better.

I can't believe this book got published in today's market with its wealth of wonderful knitting books. Obviously, anything can get published if it has Knitting in its title these days.

If you already know the basics of knitting, you might like this as a reference book to advance your knowledge. It has some topics, techniques, and tips that aren't in my other reference books ("Vogue Knitting", Katherina Buss's "Big Book of Knitting"), some that I've found useful (one of the seaming methods, the topic on mending worn-out holes, the overview of baby booties). The illustrations are very clear. I check this book, along with my others, before tackling something new.

If you're a rank beginner, do not choose this book for your course of study. The order of topics is highly inappropriate. An egregious example is the very first topic, titled "before getting started". Half of that first topic is on how to design your own sweater, before you've even learned how to knit! You'll be mired in advanced techniques before learning the basics. The casting-on method looks different than what all my other books teach, so you'll be non-standard, for better or worse. And a couple of basic topics are missing - how to read project instructions (although you might figure it out from the list of abbreviations used for the book) and how to knit horizontal stripes. The topics on cables and knitting with multiple colors are weak.

Despite the title, this book isn't appropriate as a knitting course at any level. That's because the order of topics is inane. It often tells you to do something that it doesn't teach until later. Thank goodness for the index. It is good as a reference book to pop around in, in whatever order interests you.

The book has generic instructions for knitting baby booties, mittens, gloves, socks, and an Aran Isle sweater. It does not have any detailed, specific project instructions. The overview of baby booties was very helpful for understanding my first baby bootie project (from another book). The Aran Isle sweater is an intriguing method of knitting a sweater as one piece with no seams to sew.

This book is not bad at all. A comprehensive guide to many techniques which I hadn't ever even heard of. Though the lack of photographs is slightly..offputting, the drawn images somehow seem clearer and add neatness to the book. This is a book that I would reccomend to new and and slightly more advanced knitters, though nothing more. The patterns involving the skills you've learnt from reading the book are simple and mostly for children. Buy this book if you like clean, streamlined things, easy to read and understand tutorials and how-to's and aren't really looking for a pattern book.
Simply put, this is an exellent book for beginners, though the pattenrs are slightly plain.

Large illustrations make all techniques very clear. This is the basics and more. I've been knitting for years and learned new techniques.

As a beginning knitter, I am fine as long as I don't get distracted and make a single mistake. The illustrations in this book allow you to really see what the stitch is like. I think I finally will be able to "read" my knitting when I set it down. I am very pleased with this purchase, and I own all the "greats" in terms of knitting instruction. This one definitely will be well used...brilliant in terms of clarity. I agree this isn't a "How to complete your first project" but for sure it provides a fast and clear look up for when you encounter something foreign in a pattern instruction. Some unusual stitches, too.

The book was a gift to my friend, she knits all the time and reallly enjoyed learning some new things.....and liked the book. I will send it to my other knitting friend.......maybe, just maybe I will get a pair of knitted socks........Enjoy!

Perfect transaction and this book is very helpful to me, as a fairly new knitter. The explanations and pictures are very well done.

Very informative. However, I bought the Crochet School and it was photographs. I had read a review that this was too. It isn't. Not my favorite book.