Son of Stitch 'n Bitch: 45 Projects to Knit and Crochet for Men (Paperback)

by Debbie Stoller (Author)
Key Phrases: neck shaping, front lps, front ips, Directions Note, Fair Isle, Garter Slip Stitch (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The newest from bestseller Stoller (Stitch 'n Bitch) gives men their first chance to snuggle up with her fuzzy, fashion-forward knitting projects. While the book is aimed largely at the women who knit for them, men will be happy to know that Stoller's first concern is for their particular tastes: many interesting elements—fancy stitches, unusual yarn, unique designs—are anathema to most males, who prefer simple pieces in a darker palate. Part two includes a wide array of (not too) colorful, occasionally edgy projects. Though there are designs which any man would be proud to wear (scarves, caps, tube socks and sweaters), many projects are geared toward younger men; among funky fashions, two standouts are the well-proportioned biker jacket (with long, slim arms and body for full coverage) and a felted DJ Bag with a retro cassette tape pattern (though some designs—such as the beer bottle–shaped throw pillows—are just plain juvenile). As expected, Stoller's directions are clear, terms are well explained, illustrations are easy-to-follow and accompanying photos are stylish and sexy, though projects are not rated for difficulty. Those unafraid to venture beyond their comfort zone will find something suitable for most any man on their holiday gift list. (Dec.)
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Review
"The newest from bestseller Stoller (Stitch 'n Bitch) gives men their first chance to snuggle up with her fuzzy, fashion-forward knitting projects. While the book is aimed largely at the women who knit for them, men will be happy to know that Stoller's first concern is for their particular tastes: many interesting elements—fancy stitches, unusual yarn, unique designs—are anathema to most males, who prefer simple pieces in a darker palate. Part two includes a wide array of (not too) colorful, occasionally edgy projects. Though there are designs which any man would be proud to wear (scarves, caps, tube socks and sweaters), many projects are geared toward younger men; among funky fashions, two standouts are the well-proportioned biker jacket (with long, slim arms and body for full coverage) and a felted DJ Bag with a retro cassette tape pattern (though some designs—such as the beer bottle-shaped throw pillows—are just plain juvenile). As expected, Stoller's directions are clear, terms are well explained, illustrations are easy-to-follow and accompanying photos are stylish and sexy, though projects are not rated for difficulty. Those unafraid to venture beyond their comfort zone will find something suitable for most any man on their holiday gift list."
— Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly )

The newest from bestseller Stoller (Stitch 'n Bitch) gives men their first chance to snuggle up with her fuzzy, fashion-forward knitting projects. While the book is aimed largely at the women who knit for them, men will be happy to know that Stoller's first concern is for their particular tastes: many interesting elementsfancy stitches, unusual yarn, unique designsare anathema to most males, who prefer simple pieces in a darker palate. Part two includes a wide array of (not too) colorful, occasionally edgy projects. Though there are designs which any man would be proud to wear (scarves, caps, tube socks and sweaters), many projects are geared toward younger men; among funky fashions, two standouts are the well-proportioned biker jacket (with long, slim arms and body for full coverage) and a felted DJ Bag with a retro cassette tape pattern (though some designssuch as the beer bottle-shaped throw pillowsare just plain juvenile). As expected, Stoller's directions are clear, terms are well explained, illustrations are easy-to-follow and accompanying photos are stylish and sexy, though projects are not rated for difficulty. Those unafraid to venture beyond their comfort zone will find something suitable for most any man on their holiday gift list. Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; illustrated edition edition (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761146172
• ISBN-13: 978-0761146179
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,508 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good, some bad, November 7, 2007

By	E. Braun - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The patterns are about the same difficulty as previous Stitch 'N Bitch books. I like the review of 'the curse of boyfriend knitting' and a bit of an overview on how to select yarns for boyfriend projects and the like.

My issue with that info is just it's all really basic, and doesn't offer much beyond common sense. If you're just learning, maybe it would help. I know i've tried knitting for male friends before with less-than-excellent results, since I clearly look at things from a woman's perspective.

As for the patterns, some are good some are eyesores. I've had a few male friends look through it and they've hated everything but three or four patterns. Knit ties? Knit beer pillows? Not so sure they'd be happy with that, but some of the hats and scarves are nice. Sweaters i'm always wary of- it takes a lot of effort and there's no guarantee they'll like it (and for the record, the men in my life laughed when they saw some of these sweaters.)

Might be fun to flip through, some can be used as a girls pattern, but let the intended recipient flip through it before venturing forth on anything time-consuming.

...Unless you're a guy and it's your call, isn't it?

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Knitting!, November 19, 2007

By	Legal Knitter - See all my reviews

I am SO pleased with this book. While some of the projects are downright silly (the dead teddy bear springs to mind!) that is in keeping with the spirit of the Stitch 'n' Bitch empire and there's nothing wrong with goofy knitting. The majority, however, are spot on in terms of what the men in my family would actually wear. My teenage son, in particular, glanced over my shoulder and said "will you knit me that" on almost every other project. The section on choosing colors for men's sweaters, although very common sense, is advice I wish I had been given years (and many sweaters) ago. Live and learn.

Although I would probably go back to more traditional pattern options when knitting for my husband, those aren't the kind of sweaters my sons are willing to wear. If you like the Stitch n Bitch style, and have "hip" guys to knit for, this book is a must.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A very mixed bag, January 3, 2008

By	Deepa Nirmal (St. Paul, MN, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had looked forward to this book with great expectations. If you are a woman who has knit for men, you know how difficult it is! This book disappoints. It is very much in the same vein as the previous SnB books, which renders it quite useless for men over 30- because we all know men are way more conservative dressers than women. Most of the projects scream "hipster", or they are just plain silly. The sushi and happy face scarves? Why not just knit sushi (there are free patterns online) and a little happy face keychain instead of knitting scarves that look terrible when worn. And everybody ought to know that knit ties are a truly bad idea.

There are a few nice, classic patterns that will not look dated very quickly. All 3 of the sock patterns are good- but honestly, there are 30 million sock patterns on the internet, you don't need this book.

If you have little boys in your life, or teenagers, perhaps you will get some mileage out of "Son of SnB". If all the men in your life are 30+, just put the book back on the (virtual) shelf, and keep looking!