Customer Reviews

Knitting Tips & Trade Secrets: Clever Solutions for Better Hand Knitting, Machine Knitting, and Crocheting (Threads On)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I find that I refer to this book rather often. It's hard to classify the tips and secrets in here; this is mainly a compilation of good knitting information that just doesn't fit into a single subject. For example, there is a pattern for a baby bootie that doesn't slip. I must have made dozens of these and every time the grateful parent comes back and says "Wow! Those were the only baby socks that didn't fly off Junior's feet when he kicked."

There's plenty of information on finishing, always a sore subject. These tips were gathered by Taunton Press, the publishers of Threads Magazine. Threads used to print articles about knitting, but in the mid-90's they switched the magazine to a (very excellent) all-sewing format. They preserved their knitting articles and these tips in a series of books on knitting, which was a great idea. These knitting articles were each unique and very useful.

I have several of the Taunton books, but by far this is the one I use the most. This is a very handy reference for "stuff" you'd like to know about knitting. And I would give it 5 stars just for the bootie pattern alone!

I really like this little gem. I first sat down and read it straight through and have found myself referring to it often. Lots of tried and true hints and little shortcuts for all levels of knitters.

I don't belong to a knitting circle, but I would assume having this little book loaded with "secrets" is a bit like being in one; hearing all sorts of bits and pieces of what works!

This book provides useful hints for knitters. It is far more than just a collection of ways to cast on and cast off but includes many submissions worked out by knitters themselves. Some of my favorites were a quick bootie pattern, hints for finishing garments, and suggestions on how to properly wind yarn into balls. ( I never knew I shouldn't wind too tight that I could inadvertently stretch the yarn). Its a book to pick up as a text to solve specific problems and also the kind of book that ends up next to the knitting chair or in the bathroom for reading snippets on knitting

I learned some good tips from this book, but find I wish I had spent my money elsewhere. I look forward to matching the slants of my increases to the slants of my decreases, but do I really need to know 5 different ways to wind a ball of yarn? Or all and sundry's ideas for handy yarn containers (from diaper-wipe canisters to plastic baggies)? This is mostly a compendium of readers' helpful hints, and has no center of gravity to it. I probably won't use 90 percent of it.

This book is really not worth it for machine knitters. (I hand knit, too, and I'm still not convinced it's worth owning a copy!) There are only a few machine knitting tips in the entire book, and most of them are either basics covered in any knitting machine's owner's manual or tips for highly specialized items that wouldn't be useful unless you had the pattern in front of you.

I can't tell you how often I have reached for this little book either for myself, or to clarify an explanation to my knitting students. Some items are a review of skills already known, some give a new perspective, and some are just little nuggets of delight- new tricks and techniques. I find myself saying over and over "ah, now I understand how that goes" or "mmmmm, that looks like a much better method". I have notes written all over the margins of my copy if that is any indication of it's constant use. Highly recommended!

I was a little disappointed in the fact that I typed in the words "Machine Knit" in the search and this is the first book that came up. After receiving the book, most of the information is for hand knitters..the machine knitting information is very limited.

The tips and "trade secrets" in this book were nothing I had not read before in other basic knitting books. These are tips sent in by readers, so there is a lot of redundancy and lack of flow in the book. And some typos. I guess you get what you pay for. Probably would be good if you are a new knitter and only have $10 or so to spend.

I wanted to rate this 3 and a half stars. There could have been more tips for the price, and it did not need the machine knitting section--I'm sure there are enough tips (for machine knitters) out there to make a book on its own merits.

The tips that are in it are pretty useful though, so while not a "buy now", it is certainly a "buy later".

I'm a kinetic learner, so many books of instructions leave me more puzzled than informed. This one's an exception--the excellent line drawings illustrate techniques so that even I get it.

Lots of great ideas in here.