25 Gorgeous Sweaters for the Brand-New Knitter: Sophisticated Sweaters For Novice Knitters (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Her first knitted sweater having earned her a Brownie badge, Scottish-born Ham debuts with a charming book intended for novices as well as the jaded amateur. The emphasis here is on make-it-your-own, with basic shapes and variations explained in detail. The cardigans and jackets chapter, for instance, includes ideas for turning a short sweater into a coat or embellishing pockets by different placement of buttons, stitches, beads, and tassels. Each pattern features drawn schematics and a broad enough range of materials to allow customization. She winds up by focusing on adornment and showing a variety of ways to decorate a purchased knit or repair a much-loved sweater. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

If you can knit and purl, these 25 garments are within your reach. A Shawl Collar Jacket goes almost anywhere and looks great. Slip on the Cozy Cardigan for weekend relaxation. For on-the-go knitting, nothing beats the Patchwork Jacket. “All basics are covered in an encouraging and easy-to-follow manner.”—Detroit Free Press.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books; illustrated edition edition (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579901727
• ISBN-13: 978-1579901721
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #778,655 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About TIME!!, February 2, 2001

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

I get asked a lot for book recommendations for beginning knitters who want to make SWEATERS and not scarves, potholders and simpler projects. Nothing is more exciting in knitting than making a successful, wearable fashion piece. So this book is very very welcome.

The best part of this book is the instructions for yarn substitutions. Many commercial patterns use yarns that are not available in every part of the world, or may be a bit expensive. Learning how to substitute yarn successfully expands your knitting options and allows you to make a special knitted masterpiece all your own (and maybe at a budget price, too.)

I can't recommend this book enough to people who want to extend their knitting skills. It's really great.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For not-so-new as well as new knitters...., March 6, 2001

By A Customer

Despite being a more experienced knitter, I just had to have this book....! Catherine Ham's patterns are truly gorgeous; through the use of simple shapes, she encourages knitters to be really creative with some of the beautiful yarns that are now on the market. Along with the advice on yarn substitution, I really enjoyed the sections on embellishments and the suggestions of variations for some of the designs. Whether you are a beginning or more experienced knitter (and especially if you have some interesting yarns in your stash "just in case"-- you know who you are), I HIGHLY recommend that you get this book; it could provide the inspiration for a beautiful and truly unique garment....

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Book for the "Brand New Knitter", December 10, 2000

By A Customer

This is the perfect book for someone who has just learned to knit. The directions are clearly written, the schematics detailed and the photographs lovely and uncluttered. Catherine Ham also includes how to substitute yarns if one is unable to purchase the yarns used for the models. She also shows variations and embellishments. This is one of the best books for beginning knitters because it has fashion flare and the sweaters don't look like the typical beginners' projects. I highly recommend this and will be using it when I teach knitting.