Posted by Amanda E.
I
learned to knit about five years ago.
I’m self taught, and by that I mean I learned mostly from the books that
were available to me at the library, with a few helpful Youtube videos thrown
in. The Edwardsville Public Library has cultivated a great
collection of knitting/fiber arts books.
If knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, dyeing or any combination of
the above are up your alley, I recommend you browse the 746.4s in our
non-fiction section. It should keep you
occupied for awhile!
The following is a
list of some of my favorite knitting books:
I knit
my first hat from a pattern in this book. In fact, Simple Knitting is where I
got the patterns for quite a few of my first projects. It has well written instructions that are
aimed at the beginning knitter and her designs are things that I still wear and
use to this day.
Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman [746.43 ZIM]
A
classic. Knitting’s current revival owes
much to Elizabeth Zimmerman and her teachings.
She helps the beginner learn to knit and also how to understand
knitting, how to not just follow a pattern but know why it is written a certain
way and how to tweak the pattern for your own ends.
The Principles of Knitting: Methods and Techniques ofHand Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt [746.432 HIA]
The
ultimate dictionary of knitting.
Seriously. I ended up buying a
copy of this one for myself because I had it checked out so often. Anytime I’m hung up on something I look it up
in here. Bring a strong bag if you’re
going to check this one out.
Men’s Knits by Erika Knight [746.432 KNI]
I’ve
never knit anything in this book for a man.
They are all for me! Knight’s
yarn choices and patterns are clean and crisp and classic. She is one of my top five favorite designers. Her patterns are very well written.
Weekend Hats: 25 knitted caps, berets, cloches, and more by Cecily Glowik Macdonald and Melissa Labbare [746.432 MAC]
I think
I’ve knit about 20 of the 25 hats in this book.
A few, like the Pebbled Beanie and the Brier Toque, I’ve knit more than
once. An interesting variety of very
wearable hats. I learned quite a few new
techniques from this book at the start of my knitting life.
2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes [746.43 MOR]
Morgan-Oakes
teaches the magic loop technique in this book, which is not nearly as mystical
as it sounds. Magic Loop allows two
socks to be knitted at one time which effectively quells ‘Second Sock
Syndrome’. Great sock patterns here but
learning magic loop is what makes this book awesome. You can use the technique for anything that
comes in pairs. So, socks and gloves
basically.
I’ve
turned to this one for last minute gifts on a few occasions. It also has patterns that are great for that
gorgeous yarn that you only thought to buy one skein of and have no idea what
to do with.
Knitting the Perfect Fit by Melissa Leapman [746.43
LEA]
I’ve
never knitted one of the patterns in this book but I’ve referred to it several
times. It has great information about
shaping. It illustrates a variety of
decreases and increases. I’ve
incorporated the information from this book into patterns that I worried would
look too baggy or boxy on my, with great success.
Wendy Knits Lace by Wendy D. Johnson [746.2 JOH]
Lace
knitting is my jam right now and it all started with this book (and is fueled
by a healthy Ravelry obsession). I
absolutely love making triangle shawls with sock weight yarn. This book has quite a few gorgeous shawl
patterns and some lovely stoles and gloves and a great guide, in the beginning,
for how to read a lace chart and the different methods of beginning a triangle
shawl. I recommend Elizabeth’s Cowl for
a repetitive beginner’s lace pattern.
Knit Your Own Boyfriend by Carol Meldrum [746.43 MEL]
This
book cracks me up. It is basically what
it sounds like from the title, a few basic patterns for a knitted doll and a
full wardrobe for him. The tiny sweater
patterns are what make this book for me.
I want to wear the doll sized cardigan.
Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece: Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting,Tie-Dyeing, and Other Creative Techniques by Gail Callahan. [746.13 CAL]
Half of
the reason I love to knit is because of my love for yarn and fibers. This book is a great guide for learning to
dye your own yarns. There are tutorials
for dyeing with Kool-Aid and with Acid Dyes.
Most of the tutorials use tools that you probably already have around
your house. Kool-Aid dyeing in a
crock-pot? Yea, it was totally fun. This one is another that I’ve had checked out
so much that I had to buy my own copy.
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