The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics [Hardcover]

Julie Carles (Author), Jordana Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 29, 2005

The yarn girls are upping the ante on quick-to-knit, sassy looks in beyond the basics. With the same friendly encouragement and big-sister know-how found in their previous books, The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Simple Knits and The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Kid Knits, Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs are taking new knitters to the next level of stitch wizardry. But new knitters aren’t the only ones having fun — intermediate and experienced knitters won’t be able to resist the ingenious patterns that deliver nearly instant gratification.

Without abandoning their straightforward instructions and fast-working chunky yarns, the Yarn Girls present thirty-four of their freshest patterns to introduce clever techniques such as cabling, color work, and shaping to turn a simple sweater into a smart number. Try a little intarsia to make a plain sweater a work of color sophistication. Knit up a cabled tank top for stunning warm-weather wear. The projects in this book cover a range of apparel and accessories — hip tees, cozy sweaters, chic hats, delicate scarves, stunning ponchos, and even blankets — enough to take you through all sorts of styles and seasons, with the investment of a little time and a few clever stitches.

The yarn girls return to the scene with an exciting line of thirty-four brand-new stylish patterns that will wow experienced knitters while taking beginners to the next level.

Inside, you’ll find easy-to-understand techniques for:

• knitted cables
• intarsia
• slipped stitches

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Inveterate knitters since college, Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs left their respective careers in the medical and legal worlds to assume ownership of the Yarn Company, New York City’s landmark knitting store, in 1997. The store has become a destination for celebrities and locals alike, who come for the quickly sold-out classes, unrivaled yarn selection, customized knitting patterns — and friendly conversation. Visit the Yarn Company at theyarnco.com. Julie and Jordana live in New York City. They are the authors of The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Simple Knits and The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Kid Knits.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft (November 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400097983
• ISBN-13: 978-1400097982
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.7 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great follow up to the original, December 7, 2005

By 

flyheatherfly (between Germany and Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics (Hardcover)

This book follows where the original left off. The only change is the omission of sweater patterns for men. Sweaters, tanks and cardigans as well as jackets kmean patterns for all seasons. This book would give the courage to a beginning knitter to try intarsia and cables. The only omission of things knit is socks. The introduction of shaping in this book makes for some sweaters a bit more fitted than the oversized standards of the first book. If you liked the original you will love the sequel!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basics and beyond--some very useful, stylish patterns, January 7, 2006

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics (Hardcover)

Knitting is supposedly very "in" right now (there is a report of some renegade gangsta "knittas" who knit strange items such as tree warmers and leave their knitted attacks on objects at random in the city. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.) The Yarn Girls books provide patterns that are geared to the young, hip knitter.

In "Beyond the Basics", there are still patterns of basics for scarves, vests and pullovers. But there is also an a-line coat edged with furry yarn, which looks fantastic to me, very stylish and not particularly hard to knit, though you'd want to make sure you fit the coat well.

There are some ponchos, one with a hood, and best of all, a beautiful cabled mohair throw. It's done in a fluffy golden olive color in the model and is strangely like a throw I knit in moth green in college. I used that cabled throw for years and I think this one is the pick of the litter in this book. If you knit this in any decorator color, you'll have a house gift worthy of design catalogs like West Elm or Pottery Barn.

My only criticism is that many of the models are knit in a bulky, varigated yarn I find rather unlovely (however I will admit it is in style just at the moment.) You, however, don't have to use that kind of yarn. Just match the gauge and use what yarn you choose. Plenty of good instruction and drawings to illustrate techniques. Recommended for beginning and intermediate knitters, especially the young.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THERE ARE MEASUREMENTS PROVIDED, April 23, 2006

By 

J. Carles "yarn girl" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics (Hardcover)

In response to the April 13th review titled Beginners Beware--As one of the authors of the book, I respect all opinions. However, I want to clarify that measurements are provided for each project in the book. There are schematics and we list the finished measurements at the beginning of each pattern.