Customer Reviews

Machine Knitting

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is for beginners only, and there are other books that go farther. However, for its audience, it is very well done, especially if the instructions that came with your knitting machine are minimal and you don't have a good instructor nearby (it goes way beyond the manual that comes with a Silver-Reed LK-150, for example). Everything is illustrated with large clear b&w photos. The copy I looked at was a paperback printed on thin high quality paper, so the book is not bulky, and it is easy on the eyes (the index was on page 171, so I don't know why the listing says the book has 192 pages).

However, this book contains only a fraction of the information in Susan Guagliumi's most excellent book Hand-Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters. In comparing the two, it seems like the topics of this book (not counting the projects) correspond pretty closely to just the first 50+ introductory pages of Guagliumi's book, which contains 230 pages of skills and machine knitting stitches, not counting glossary, index, etc. So if you have to pick only one book, go for Hand-Manipulated Stitches instead.

One very thing nice about this book is that it includes a DVD. If you don't have someone to show you in person how to do certain moves or techniques, a dvd can be very helpful. (There is a DVD or video that goes along with Hand-Manipulated Stitches, but you have to track it down separately.)

Lots of pictures, which are all in black and white.

Close to 90 percent of this book is identical to the manuals that come with the machines - very basic. The DVD does show the casting on, knitting, intarsia, transfering stitches and binding off taking place, but no sound.? I finally got to see a linker in action. There is a chapter on blocking and assembling a sweater. The final chapter has a couple projects . . . a scarf, hat, sweater and slippers. I actually made 2 sets of slippers - which uses the 'short-rowing' technique.

Not a very creative book, I was expecting to learn to do some fancy stitches on my machine. But, if you've lost your manual(s), this is your book.

Both of the authors are instructors at the University of Cincinnati in the Fashion Design Program. This is a textbook designed for students to use who have no prior background in machine knitting and are required to produce several graments by the end of the quarter. I believe the authors expect the students/reader to provide the creativity and authors provide the technical knowledge needed to produce what the students have designed. I found the book to be an excellent beginning to understanding and being able to use a knitting machine.

As a complete amateur to machine knitting (or even hand knitting) I found this book to be a very useful. I do not have access to classes of any form for machine knitting in my area and the book/DVD format helped clear up some of the frustrating areas that occur with the learning curve. I expect to continue to use this book/DVD as I learn more & more in this interesting craft.

I am so glad I picked this book up. I am impressed with all the information in it. It goes over the basic things like what each part is, that people who have been using knitting machines for sometime would probably not get much use out of. For a new person to knitting machines it is great. It would be great for someone thinking about a knitting machine.
Okay, then it goes into techniques in different stitches, fixing jams, using a punchcard feature on machines with punchcards, different hems, ribbing, different edgings (scalloped edge, rolled edge, twisted cord edge and more). Some other things included encasing a clsed edge band, incasing a cut edge band, welt pocket, finishing techniques. It shows how a linker works (not one on the machine, a seperate one) and then goes into projects. On top of all this there is a included DVD showing this information. Not everything is on DVD, but alot. There is lots of pictures. I really recommend this book.

I found this book to be essential in learning to use my Brother knitting machine. There are no local dealers in my area so I bought one from a dealer quite aways away. She recommended this book to help expand the information presented in the manual. I could not have taught myself to knit with the Brother manual alone. There is some very useful additional information in this book that help clarify what is presented in the Brother manual.

This is a thin book with 174 pages including an index and the pages are less than 7 X 9.5 inches. The DVD is basic and it just shows a demonstrator performing the techniques. Machine Knitting is not the greatest value for the money but I don't think there is anything as useful especially if you need to teach yourself how to use a knitting machine. This is not the book for those who already know how to use their knitting machine.

Another book that I found helpful was The Basic Book of Machine Knitting by David Holbourne from 1978. It is good for filling in the details but it is a bit dated and written from a British point of view. There usually are copies of it available used her at Amazon and I found an old library copy. The illustrations are great. It helped my understand how the knitting machine forms the loops and does the actual knitting. I had never seen it so well explained else where.

An excellent book, clearly illustrated with b/w photos, easy to understand instructions and very well presented. Oh yes, the video was handy also.

If you want to learn to machine knit, this is a good textbook. I have a lot of other books but I like this one because most of what you need to know is in one book here. I thought the price was a little steep for a paperbound book though.

This is an excellent book with the opportunity to learn at least something for either skillful or absolutely inexperienced knitter. It provides very important techniques and methods for all types of Japanese knitting machine. The material presented in a proper quantity to let the new inexperienced knitter to learn pretty quickly. The book is greatly organized with easy to follow steps. Abandoned picture illustrations and accompanied DVD complimented the book and give to the knitter the filling that he or she has a personal instructor for learning.

Book is great, it gives valuable information for a person who is just learning the machine knitting.