Non-Fiction Knit Lit

Gustave Caillebotte, Portraits a la Campagne, 1876

Posted by Staff

Many of us on staff are avid knitters or crocheters.  As much as we like to work with yarn, we also appreciate great books about working with yarn.  Following are some of our favorites:

Amanda E.:
Knitting Without Tears by E. Zimmerman.  Very laidback comforting approach to knitting.
Treasury of Knitting Patterns by B. Walker.  Classic stitch dictionary and great ideas for when you're in a rut or want to tap into traditional aspects of knitting.

Mary M.:
Stich 'n Bitch : The Knitter's Handbook by D. Stoller  Incredibly helpful book with great tips and clear instructions.
Weekend Hats: 25 Knitted Caps, Berets, Cloches and More by C. G. MacDonald.  Great variety of different hats with easy to follow patterns.

Susan C.:
Hip Knit Hats: 40 Fabulous Designs by C. Carron.  I used the basic watchcap pattern; so classic!  There are a lot of others I'd like to try.

Dani G.: 
The Happy Hooker: Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet by D. Stoller.  Puts a great spin on crochet with easy to follow instructions.
Knitting Without Tears (see link above).  I will have to second this one.  You just gotta love this woman!
Knitting Rules! by S. Pearl-McPhee.  If you want a good laugh (and I mean out loud) along with some good tips, direct yourself to the yarn harlot.
The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by C. Ekarius.  If you are geeked out about this book, you might be in a little too deep.  No worries!  I never tiere of looking at this one.

Mason S.:
Hat Heads by T. Anfinnsen.  50 sock hat patterns.  I'm certain you'll find one to love.
KnitKnit: Profiles + Projects by Knitting's New Wave by S. Gschwandtner.  Interviews with knitting's avanat-garde.  If you would like to knit a 10 foot teddy bear out of fiberglass insulation, the pattern is here.
Simple Kniting by E. Knight.  It can be difficult to find good men's knitting patterns.  Ive found more useable patterns in this book than in any 'for guys' book.

Alana T.:
Loop-d-Loop Crochet by T. Durham.  A great re-evaluation of crochet for modern designs; nothing 70's-esque.  The catherine wheel wedding dress is a stunner!  (The knitting book is great, too).
300 Crochet Stitches and 220 More Crochet Stitches.  Good stitch dictionaries to help the design process.  The only downside is these books don't use international stitch diagrams (darn!).
More Sensational Knitted Socks by S. Schurch. I am an avid sock knitter.  This book (and the original) are the best about the topic I've found.  No matter if you want to knit toe-up, cuff-down, multi-stranded or one color, lace, with short row heels or someother, you will find out how to knit the socks you want to make.