The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques (Spiral-bound)

~ Nancie M. Wiseman (Author) "YOU HAVE to start your knitting in some way, and casting on is the way to get stitches on your knitting needle..." (more)
Key Phrases: seam one stitch, purl bar, selvage stitch, Ribbing Bene, Drawbacks Can, Drawbacks Takes (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Knitted one too many sweaters that scream "homemade"? Help is here! Finishing techniques are the key to turning out professional-looking projects. This comprehensive reference gives you the know-how you need to get gorgeous, polished results every time.

o More than 50 expert techniques cover increases, decreases, seams, blocking, decorative finishes, and more

o Master each method with step-by-step illustrations, easy-to-read text, and dozens of color photos

o Bring along this handy guide wherever you go; the spiral-bound design lies flat for trouble-free knitting

About the Author

Home: Whidbey Island, Washington

Nancie M. Wiseman has written articles and designed patterns for Martha Stewart Living, Knitters, Interweave Knits, and many other national knitting publications. Along with seven videos and six books to her credit, Nancie owns a wholesale business called Nancie Knits.

Also by Nancie M. Wiseman:
Knitted Sweaters for Every Season
Knitted Shawls, Stoles, and Scarves

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 128 pages
• Publisher: Martingale and Company (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156477452X
• ISBN-13: 978-1564774521
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,290 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #38 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Fashion
  #77 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Knitting
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

194 of 197 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one goes in the knitting bag, not on the shelf, February 25, 2003

By	Designer (Center of the United States) - See all my reviews

First, my copy doesn't look anything like the photo here. It has a wonderful covered spiral that is very appropriate for use while you're actually knitting. I've been carying this one around with me ever since I got it. Since I've forgotten what my GM and Aunties tried to teach me when I was little, and I just recently picked up this obsession again, I consider myself to be self-taught, or book-taught. I just never learned advanced techniques, and I really need the pictures to show me what to do. There are no classes available in my little out of the way town. The lovely little church-lady expert that helps me out, well, I just don't want to bug her at 1 AM! In no time, I was doing more professional looking garments, and making items that my family will actually wear in public. They're "custom made and designed" now, not just home-made.
The book includes Cast-ons and Bind offs as well as all kinds of increases, decreases, seams, picking up stitches, borders and bands. It even has about 8 different kinds of buttonholes. Then there's the techniques that I had never heard of before: I-cord, and knitted shoulder pads, and a very unbiased discussion on the different uses of flat knitting versus circular knitting. And finally, the worksheets help get you on the right path to keeping track of what you plan on doing. An index is the only thing missing from this book.

69 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From "knitting" to "finished garment.", March 26, 2003

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

If you have a closet full of bags with knitted pieces and you are stumped as to the steps to get to a SWEATER, this book can help.

I have a simple pamphlet about knitting finishing which has been my standby for years. But this book is much nicer, as it has a lot of color illustrations that really show how the finish should look. The photography and choice of yarn colors lets you see clearly how to pick up stitches for a band, how the sewing should look, how to insert a zipper. The spiral binding is hand for laying down flat as you work a finish as a swatch or for real on your sweater. The book is small enough to fit in a normal tote bag, but not so small as to be hard to read.

If someone is a knitter in your family, this would make a good gift--even though I've been knitting for years, this is a very handy thing to pop into the knitting bag and carry along. I really like it.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Basic for some; just right for others, December 13, 2003

By	abt1950 "abt1950" (usa) - See all my reviews

The way a garment is finished is often what distinguishes a professional-looking product from one that looks "hand made" in the bad sense of the term. You can find information on finishing techniques in most knitting references, but you have to wade through lots of other material to find it. This book focuses only on finishing and provides multiple options for many of the basic aspects of construction--from casting on to binding off and beyond. The illustrations are clear and the author let you know the pluses and minuses of each technique. Much of this information may seem basic to expert knitters, but it's knowledge that many knitters acquire through trial and error (with the emphasis on error). It's nice to have the options listed in one place, even if the pros & cons lists get repetitive. I wish that Wiseman had included some material on blocking as well, but that information is available elsewhere. Even so, this is a nice little book, small enough to be carried around with your projects, but big enough to be easily read.