26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
It Can't Just Be Me...Can It: Disappointing DVD at Best, October 4, 2005
This review is from: Learn To Knit with Laura-Jean (DVD)
I am surprised at all the four-star ratings on this instructional knitting DVD. For almost $25 I am disappointed in it. I am a new knitter, having taught myself the basic stitches at stitchguide.com and elsewhere on the internet. I wanted to learn more and am a bit challenged when it comes to learning strictly by reading, especially when it comes to something spacially related, like making one long piece of yarn into a garment using two needles.
I found I had to go to extreme slow stop-motion when watching Laura demonstrating the knit and pearl stitches, almost as if she was a magician performing slight of hand. It should've been very clear, I felt. Also, I still don't know how to knit on circular needles. At no time does Laura bother to tell me in which hand to hold which needle, so that I was stumped until I did again, slooooow stop-motion using my player's remote and to my surprise saw her switch the needles in her hands almost imperceptibly. This is bad when teaching a new knitter...Again, I expected this to be more clear. If I wanted magic, I would've bought something else.
I also expected to learn what to do when I drop a stitch, and this valuable piece of information is hidden somewhere in the tape, surely. I'm sure I'll find it eventually. In general, I find my basic questions unanswered.
A pleasant personality for sure, but for truly new knitters I cannot recommend this instructional video, and certainly not for the price, new. I learned as much for free online.
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for beginners, May 24, 2005
This review is from: Learn To Knit with Laura-Jean (DVD)
I initially purchased Learn to Knit with Laura-Jean so I can make sweaters for my 3 year old son. I was skeptical about the information I was going to receive from the video and how interesting it would be. I found the video to be very informative and explained in an easy to understand manner. Specifically the demonstrations provided allowed me to translate the information I was reading in my patterns. I could not do that before. I like the sections that demonstrated how to purchase yarn and accessories. Many beginners books leave that type of information out. I would have to disagree with the one negative review, as it sounds like she's actually knit before. Otherwise, how would she know that the techniques were unusual? I found Laura-Jean's approach to be refreshing and a new look at an old hobby.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not good for beginners, March 19, 2007
This review is from: Learn To Knit with Laura-Jean (DVD)
Like most Gen-Xers, I have been sucked into believing that knitting is cool again. So I went to my local library and got a few books on knitting along with this DVD. I was very disappointed with this DVD and glad that I rented it from the library rather than buying it. Laura-Jean seems to be a superb knitter but a horrible teacher. I know NOTHING about knitting. One of her first instructions is to make a slipknot. Since I'm a white collar worker, no longer in the Girl Scouts, and never worked on a pirate ship, I have no idea what a slipknot is. Unfortunately, Laura-Dean did not explain or show what one was either. Her speed is annoyingly fast. I constantly was stopping, rewinding and putting my DVD in slo-mo just to keep up. I did better reading "Teach Yourself Visually Knitting" than watching Laura. I give it 2 stars because it might be good if you are refreshing or have some knitting experience already, plus Laura Jean seems like a nice enough person and I would hate to just poo poo a nice person and all. If you have no idea how to knit and are truly a beginner, don't get this. Beginners will simply leave feeling frustrated and discouraged.
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