The Opinionated Knitter (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Many knitters consider the designs in Elizabeth Zimmermann's 'Newsletters' to be timeless, from her first Fair Isle issue in 1958 to the now classic Baby Surprise Jacket in 1968. Long time fans will welcome these old friends and new knitters may discover the freedom and creativity that Elizabeth's patterns encourage." 35 designs for hats, coats, sweaters, stockings, tights and more. Over 75 clor photos plus heretofore unpublished excerpts from Elizabeth's journals. The woman was a genius, there's no other word for it, and this is destined to become another Zimmermann classic, a must-have addition to any knitter's library.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Schoolhouse Press; 1st edition (January 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0942018265
• ISBN-13: 978-0942018264
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,813 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #37 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Knitting
  #69 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Needlecrafts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Surprise Jacket Revealed, February 28, 2006

By	Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Good things about "The Opinionated Knitter"

1. The "lost manuscripts" are assembled for fans of Mrs. Zimmermann's excellent writings on knitting
2. There are patterns you've probably not seen before unless you were a long-time subscriber to the Woolgathering Newsletter, such as a baby blanket, a saddle shoulder sweater knit in the round and some hats and mittens.
3. There is the full set of baby and adult surprise jackets, kimono-style garter stitch jackets knit as an ungainly object that magically assembles itself into an attractive and utilitarian garment.
4. The equally good children's "Tomten" or hooded jacket is in here.
5. There are a few more snippets of Elizabeth's autobiographical musings, not much but a bit more to add to the successful "Knitting Around."

Bad things
1. Lots of photos, but not professional looking. (minor quib)
2. Some of the quaintly typed newsletters reproduced as is, so the text is somewhat mixed.
3. The patterns were done in the pre-charting age, so they are written out in some cases and not charted. This bothers some knitters.
4. The patterns are a bit homespun-looking. Personally, I love the rustic style. But this is not gourmet, fashion knitting. Some people find that is not their cup of tea. This is for the ski-sweater, manly utilitarian and baby knitter.

Enjoy!

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just when I thought I had all her books...., April 22, 2006

By	Janet Dwyer (Hastings, NE United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are new to knitting and don't know EZ, this book is not the place to start. However, I strongly urge you to start buying all her books, read them cover-to-cover (knitting all the while) and when you know her better, then buy this book and get to know her a little more. In other books, she refers back to these "early years" of her first newsletters/wool gatherings. I had often wished that I had started knitting back then and could see the old newsletters. I even bid on some on ebay!! No need now, because they are here, in all their homespun, original typed glory. Seeing her pencilled-in corrections makes me feel like the recipient of a personal letter, like hearing from a grandmother or aunt who helps with my knitting. Thanks, Meg, for putting all this together, and yes, I'm sure she loves the title.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must-have for the serious knitter! Love it!!, June 30, 2006

By	Juliette Hannan "i love books" (Jamaica Plain, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I absolutely love this book. I collect knitting books, and have always admired Elizabeth Zimmerman. She is such an icon in the knitting world. She was (obviously) an incredibly gifted knitter and knitwear designer, but from her writing you can tell that she was also witty, funny, and a person of many interests. This book has all of her knitting newsletters from the 60s in it, but it also has ramblings from her journals (I love the entries from her camping journals) and her biography, and photos of her and her family. This book goes a long way towards making me feel like I know more of what she was like as a person. I would have loved to have known her! I will treasure this book.