Reviews

I learned so much working out of this book

I was just a knit-and-purl kind of girl before I got this book. I wasn't even that -- I was just a stockinette/garter girl. My idea of a crazy knitting adventure was a basket weave pot holder, and even that made me nervous.

But that in some crazy moment, I told my sister I was gonna make this afghan for her yet-to-be-born son. That child is now 5, and I still haven't finished the afghan -- but what I have of it looks gorgeous! I have done 11 blocks, and I have learned so much! I can do tarn overs and make stitches and knit-front-knit-back! I can do increases and decreases! I can do lace, cables, and increases! And it wasn't scary! I would just pick a square for which I would need to learn one new skill, and then I would Google it and find a video or ask a knitting friend or go to my local yarn store...and then by the time I had finished that square, I had mastered a new skill. So rewarding!

And I love that you never get bored. I have aborted would-be afghans to be really, really, really long scarves because I just got bored of the pattern (which was really not a pattern, because I was just alternating stockinet and garter, remember?). But with these squares, you are never bored.

Also, the design pattern you use can be transferred to other projects -- like I can take a lace pattern I got from this book and use it to spice up an other-wise vanilla shawl. Or use one of the funky basket weaves to make (another) dishcloth!

So this book is more than a pattern for an afghan. It's a great course on knitting to help you become bolder and more creative.

But I love the way the afghan is turning out. I just need to do one more square and then...learn how to crochet. You are supposed to crochet the edges of each square, and then after some mathematical wizardry that has me more intimidated than a Fair Isle sweater, stitch the blocks together.

But right now I 'm taking a break to work on a shawl and some hats. But I promise you, because I promised my sister, that this afghan will be done in time for my nephew to present it to his first child before its college graduation.
-A. Jae Lee

Great Pattern Book for the Adventurous Beginner

This book is perfect for new knitters and experienced knitters alike. The range of stitch combinations is a great way to learn new stitches and add some interest to your knitting. Whether you're looking to knit an afghan from the sampler squares, or to use this as more of a stitch dictionary, it's a great addition to your library.

The book begins with a short description of the yarn over and specialty stitches used in the patterns. It assumes you know the basic knit and purl stitches. It goes on to explain how to combine the squares and add a border. There are 12 cabled squares, 18 lace squares, and 30 textured or motif squares, which include patterns like hearts, trees or anchors. The patterns are written out, not charted, and there are occasional drawn diagrams for difficult stitches or concepts. Each page contains between 2 and 5 patterns, depending on difficulty. The text is large and easy to read.

This book differs from a traditional stitch dictionary because it tells you exactly how many stitches to cast on to get the correct size. There's no need for a gauge swatch! The combinations you can make with this pattern book are endless. You can make a cabled afghan, a lace afghan, a textured afghan, or a combination of any of them.

Absolutely great book!
-HeatherY