About the Book
This is a creative guide to the 300 knitting stitches you really need to know, including contemporary stitches and timeless classics.
An invaluable resource of original stitch patterns, this collection is suitable for newcomers, designers and knitters of all abilities. Instead of being merely a round-up of familiar stitches, this is a visual feast of new material put together by expert author-designers Lesley Stanfield and Melody Griffiths, with a wide experience of hand knitting. It is a must-have addition to existing reference books on the subject.
The stitches are organized into knit and purl, textures and ribs, twist stitches, cables, lace, bobbles and bells, colour and intarsia designs, and unusual techniques including rarities like entrelac, double-sided fabric and mosaic effects. Clear and simple charts are provided with each pattern throughout the book.
This is a reissue of the previously published book.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 6, About this book 8, The Stitch Collection 10, Knit and purl 12, Twists 26, Cables 48, Lace 80, Bobbles and leaves 104, Stranded and intarsia 130, Unusual stitches 152, Letters/Numbers 168, Knit Know-how 184, Using the stitches 186, Gallery of ideas 192, Essential techniques 194, Reading the charts 200, Abbreviations and symbols 204, Index 206
About the Author :
Lesley Stanfield is a freelance knitting and crochet designer who has worked on and for several women's magazines. She lives and works in Whitstable, UK. She has written many best-selling books for Search Press including 75 Birds, Butterflies & Beautiful Beasties to Knit & Crochet, 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet, 200 Fun Things to Crochet, 200 Fun Things to Knit, 75 Knitted Floral Blocks and The Encyclopedia of Knitting Techniques.
Melody Griffiths commissioned and designed garments and accessories for women's magazines and worldwide yarn manufacturers for over 20 years. As well as designing, she worked as a knitting editor and is the author of 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas, Crochet in No Time, and Knitting in No Time. Sadly, Melody passed away in 2009.
Together Lesley and Melody collaborated on The Essential Stitch Collection and The Encyclopedia of Knitting.
Review :
This is a creative guide to the 300 knitting stitches and timeless classics for newcomers, designers and knitters of all abilities. It's a feast of new material and a must-have addition to existing reference books on the subject.
Stanfield's classic receives a facelift in The Knitter's Stitch Collection. Originally called The Essential Stitch Collection for Knitters, the fundamental framework of the book is relatively unchanged. Divided into eight categories, from knit and purl to letters and numbers, every section first displays all the stitches in color swatches (called the stitch selector), then singles out the stitch, featuring a bit of description along with charts and, usually, written directions. Dominated by cable and lace variations, the stitch names are fairly evocative: Celtic knot, kilim star, polka dot, allium. Symbols run as a bottom-of-the-page banner and are more thoroughly explained in the last chapter along with inserts on using the stitches, a gallery of ideas, instructions on essential techniques, and abbreviations and symbols. Still a vital reference for any category of knitter.
This book has something for every knitter from the starter wishing to develop their skills to the more advanced who would like greater challenges. I like the way that the ideas are graded and the fact that the book does not focus on one technique. A book like this is akin to a recipe book where you will delve in and out for inspiration.
The book would be great for creating the knitter’s first designs whether it be a scarf or a blanket using different stitches for squares.
All instructions are clear and different methods are explained fully. The diagrams and charts are a good size so that the user can easily see the finished results and follow the graphics. If one prefers written instructions one would need to use an alternative book. I would have no hesitation in recommending this book.
It is difficult to find much to say about a stitch dictionary: if you know the Harmony Guides you will be familiar with many of these stitches. However, the authors have also added new, more complex cables and some unusual stitches. Something that I have not seen before is a chapter on knitting letters in a eyelet stitches, which might be useful to incorporate into a gift for someone.
