One-Skein Wonders [Paperback]

Judith Durant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2006

There are lonely, single skeins of yarn in every knitter’s closet — casualties of projects discarded in mid-row, single balls of alpaca or cashmere because you can't afford more than one, the leftovers from long-completed projects. They really should be used, but for what?

Here are 101 original and charming solutions to the perpetual one-skein problem. Contributed by yarn shops across the United States, these patterns include hats, mittens, scarves, bags, socks, baby sweaters, belts, headbands, a cell phone carrier, and even a tea cozy and a set of coasters, each using just a single skein of yarn.

With patterns arranged by yarn weight, you'll easily find broad ranges of possibilities for your particular yarn orphans. Each pattern includes the names of the contributing yarn shop and the designer and an image of the completed project.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“If the cold weather has you excited to stay inside, this is the book for you.”

-Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK

 

“Reads like an atlas of quirky yarn shops from all across the land.”

-Associated Press, Syndicated Article

 

“Start something and finish it immediately. Judith Durant put 101 quick patterns in her book [One-Skein Wonders].” –Metro West Daily News, Framingham, Mass.

 

“Divided by fiber weight, the chapters tell you exactly what local yarn shop owners around the country think you should do when you have just one ball to knit.”

-- Yarn Market News

 

From the Back Cover

101 Possibilities

 

Every knitter has at least a few single skeins -- those oddball orphans that clutter up your yarn stash. They're too beautiful to toss, but what can you do with them? Yarn shops across America come to the rescue with this creative collection of all the patterns you could ever want. One hundred and one sweet, addictive single-skein solutions: hats, mittens, and scarves; napkin rings, coasters, and wine bags; hairclips, belts, and bags -- stylish, fun-to-knit projects that demand little yarn but deliver big results. Leftover skeins never had it so good!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (October 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580176453
• ISBN-13: 978-1580176453
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Needlecrafts & Textile Crafts > Fashion

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 95 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice book but contains errors! January 22, 2008

By NJ Consumer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book for myself recently because I've been wanting to make myself a new scarf. I was shopping for gifts at a local store and noticed it on the shelf and it appealed to me in several ways which I will describe here.

I was attracted to the book because of its title. Having created a stash of yarns over the years, I thought it might be a fun way to use up leftovers as well as work up some fast projects.

It turns out there are a lot of things I like about this book but there are also several things I don't like.

Things I like
There are a lot of items to make.
The projects include a sketch of the item and the pattern.
The projects are creative.
The stitches are creative.
There are color photos of each project.
Most of the projects are knitted. A few use crochet.

Things I don't like
Most of the recommended yarns are specialty yarns that are not available in the big box craft stores.
You need to know a bit about substituting to be able to use a different yarn and have the project turn out right.
Each yarn has different weight and yardage. The patterns call for one skein of a particular yarn but you may need more than that if you substitute.

Two major warnings:
1. There are errors in this book! The first pattern I tried has a typo and it took me 3 days to figure out what was wrong. Since the pattern was complex, at first I thought I was making some kind of mistake. This was stressful for sure. I did find an errata sheet on the publishers web site but it does not include the pattern that gave me trouble (Honey Tangerine Scarf): [...] Many of these changes are already in my book but some errors are still there, plus the one I found in the first project I tried.... So I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling about the instructions.

2. This book is not for the beginner. The stitches that I've tried are not simple and I think a beginner would have a hard time. I don't think you have to be an expert, but don't buy it if you are just starting to learn to knit.

Getting back to the contents of the book, there are 101 projects. The projects are grouped by type of yarn. Color photos are in the middle of the book.

Each pattern is contributed by a yarn shop and these are listed at the back. When I was having trouble I emailed the shop that contributed my pattern and they answered and said there was a typo. They invited me to come by for help but they are across the country from me. They also gave me a phone number.

Types of projects in the book:
Scarfs
Hats
Bags
Accessories
Socks
Shawls
Doll accessories
Baby sweater
Baby booties

The projects are fun and should work up quickly and make great gifts as long as you don't run into an error that takes you three days to figure out.

There's a glossary in the book that explains some of the stitches.

In summary, I like the projects and hope to make many of the items. I do wish the publisher had been more careful before printing it. Read more ›

91 of 91 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent variety! of mini-bits March 18, 2007

By Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Format:Paperback

There are about a dozen of these books out right now, all about small bits -- bits of time, bits of yarn, bits of color....

Most of them have 1-2 dozen little things to make with a little yarn in a little while, or a lot of fat yarn in a weekend. Some are cute-- but some not. Some really original-- and some like bad Xerox copies of things we've all seen before.

This book, however, is different. Different in that there are many many many (101) abreviated projects to choose from, and most are original and quite different from everything else in the book! Beat that!

I have already made the lovely "filigree" lace collar on p187 and am very pleased with the ease following such simple and straightforward directions. There are a couple more collars and neck bits I can try next -- maybe after the hair ornaments, or the gauntlets, or one of the interesting flower decorations....

I also like the lay-out of the book with the center color photo index of projects (easy to re-find ideas that have flipped shut) AND the nifty table of contents that breaks down the projects by yarn size! This is a "knit up your scraps" book designed by real knitters!

So, bravo and well done! I counted up those projects that I would either want to knit for myself, or would knit for friend/family, and came up with 42 out of 101. I don't know about you, but that's a high hit rate for me.

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I have it November 27, 2006

By Kathy VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is different from any other knitting book I have. First of all the patterns are arranged by yarn weight which is really nice. The next thing is that the patterns are in the book one right after the other with a sketch near the pattern and all of the color photos in the middle of the book. At first I thought that was strange, but I really like just going through all of the color prints at one time to pick out what I want to make. All of the stories about the yarn shops are together in the back of the book.

I've made 2 things (Felted Coasters and Cozy House Socks) so far and they've turned out really nicely. I'm going to start a scarf that looks like a ruffle around the neck next. I'm also interested in the knitted wine bottle gift bag. I would think this book would be a great addition to anyone's knitting library - especially because it will be fun to buy just one skein of a really nice yarn knowing you'll be able to find something to make with it.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Projects - LOTS of Errors April 13, 2007

By CableCarBelle

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Like other reviewers, I love the layout, organization, and variety of projects. HOWEVER, be aware that this book is full of pattern errors. For that reason, I would not recommend this book to beginners, or to those who rely on patterns for exact directions.

Here are a sampling of errors I found. I haven't written out details of the corrections; that's Storey Publishing responsibility.

The Gossamer Shell Scarf (p. 55) tells you to cast on 20, and then knit according to the pattern. However, the pattern stitch requires more than 20 stitches.

The Twisted Knee-High Sock (p. 44) contains incorrect instructions about arranging stitches before the heel flap. It has has incorrect directions for turning the heel.

There are others - be sure to read the other reviews!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A way to move through your yarn stash... March 22, 2007

By RASheffield

Format:Paperback

I have (as I am sure most knitters have) a yarn stash!! I purchased this book to help me get through it! There are some nice patterns and all have pictures. The book's chapters go by weight of yarn, so you need to know what you have on hand prior to picking out a pattern. I have only knitted up one pattern so far and I already found a mistake in it, so I hope the rest of the book isn't the same way. It was for the Quick & Classy Cabled Clutch on pg. 23 -- the pattern is all fine and good until you get to your increase rows. Row 3 should read: P5, C4f, K4, P3, K3, P3, C4f, K4, p5 and Row 7: P5, K4, C4b, P3, K3, P3, K4, C4b, P5. Same mistake in the decrease rows, you will need to make sure and K4 either before or after your cables. I was hoping for more patterns of other "stuff" besides a bunch of hats and scarves, but what can you expect with one skein. Plus I don't crochet and there are a few patterns in this book, however most are for knitting.