Customer Reviews

Speed Knitting: 24 Quick and Easy Projects

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

 

 

I have only been knitting a year or less - I taught myself using a few good books. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that it's not always easy to find simple to use and understand patterns that actually work the way their intended (i.e., without having to adapt the pattern). This book is a dream to use!!! Very clear instructions with notes on how you can adapt them for various needs.

I made the hooded scarf/mittens for my sister for Christmas. I consider myself an amateur since I'm self-taught and have only been knitting 8 months or so. And that's while running a business and raising little kids - so I haven't had a lot of time to practice. But I made the hooded scarf in less than a week! Considering I switched yarn twice (didn't like the first two choices), that amazed me. Had I trusted the yarn recommendations in the first place (i.e., to use a super-bulky weight for the project), I wouldn't have had a problem! Even my 7-year old said, "Mom, I can't believe how fast you're knitting that!" I couldn't believe it myself! The instructions were perfect. The only mistake I made was in not trusting them completely. I thought the hood was coming out too short so I added a few rows. That made the neck & shoulder area a bit long. It still worked out fine, but it would have been more perfect if I'd followed the instructions exactly (including the notes on adapting it).

Now I am knitting the baby afghan from Ms. Percival's & Ms. Stratton's book and it is going just as smoothly. My only complaint is with the yarn I selected - it is too fluffy to show off the pattern as much as I'd like (and because I try to knit while walking my dogs which often leads to mistakes!).

In a nutshell, if you're a knitter like me - love to knit but want to do it all with only a little time to do it - this is the perfect book for you! It will make you feel like you're actually a decent knitter. And being able to actually finish a few projects makes knitting much more fun! The patterns and instructions are well-layed out and worry free. Just trust them and it will work out better than you could have imagined!

This book is great for those who have mastered the basics of knit and purl and are looking to take on a new challege, but still intimidated by more complex patterns. All of the projects call for a chunkier yarn, so the projects move quickly and keep you motivated, and the directions are clear and easy to follow. For more experienced knitters this book is full of quick projects that you can put together last-minute for gifts.

If I could give this 4.5 stars, I would. It's not perfect, but it is a great book. One of the problems I have with it is that some of the yarns are difficult to find. Unfortunately, there are no yarn stores near me, so I rely on the knitting section at the craft store. It is difficult to find natural fibers, and a lot of the projects require quite a bit of yarn. I've also had trouble finding the correct size circular needles at the craft store, but can usually get by on something "close". Also, I am an advanced-beginner to intermediate knitter, and I could use more description/illustration of some of the more difficult techniques presented in the book.

That said, I think most intermediate knitters would find most of these projects within their ability to complete. There is a wide variety of items, beyond your simple scarves and baby hats (shrugs, capelets, things for the home, pets, kids, etc). The large, full-color photos of completed items are inspirational and very much appreciated. For the most part, the instructions are clear and accurate and the items can be completed pretty quickly. I've had fun creating them and look forward to more when I get a chance to go to a yarn store. Several of the items from this book will be showing up in holiday gifts :) All in all, a GREAT book.

The patterns are cute in this book. The problem that I found is that some of the patterns are not well-written. The writer seems to be trying to save time or space because the patterns are written with brief instructions and the knitter needs to do a little planning before they start knitting the object. I don't recommend this to brand new knitters, as you need to plan ahead and understand somewhat vague directions.

I am primarily a self-taught knitter. This was one of my first books. It is nice to have a quickie pattern or two that work well and look good (scarves get old really fast). I learned to knit in the round making the "Ribby Wrist Warmer" pattern. It is certainly fun and worth the investment.

I am a new knitter and was hoping to find a few quick, fun projects to try. Although the book is well laid out and contains beautiful pictures, there are no projects in this book I find appealing. Every project has a very chunky, unsophisticated look. I also purchased "The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting". I recommend it as a better alternative.

I am a beginner knitter with FIVE kids and I love this book the patterns are beautiful and work up fast because of the use of chunky and bulky yarns but they dont look or feel bulky except the sweater which of course is what sweaters are bulky. Sure there are scarf patterns but dont all knitting books have then. My favorite pattern is the SUMMER Shift Tunic which is great and easy to make so is the tank top which are worth the price of the book alone. Love this book. Plus it has the basic knitting skills included.

This book is great for a knitter like me, I want to finish my project yesterday and I want it to be easy. Clean explanations, a glossary of terms. It's just perfect.

Full of quick projects to know. It starts with the basics and has easy instructions. The instructions are not crowded together so they are easy to read and come with illustrations to help the beginning knitter see just what to do at all stages. Each pattern comes with sidebars for extra information and points you to techniques that you may need to brush up on.

book of patterns using one skein or less. great gift idea that can be made quickly.