Complete Knitting Skills

by Debbie Tomkies

Absolute beginners can learn to knit, and experienced knitters can expand their repertories when they take advantage of this absolutely unique approach to knitting. Complete Knitting Skills is an illustrated manual, augmented with an innovative series of accompanying online tutorials. Knitters can learn techniques from the book's photo-illustrated step-by-step instructions--or they can access the closely related online tutorials, using their smartphone with QR codes printed in the book. They can also access tutorials on their laptop via the internet. Most often, knitters will want to use both book and tutorial in tandem, taking advantage of the best that both have to offer. The tutorials present the advantage of start-and-stop instruction, so that knitters can practice new techniques at their own pace. This truly exceptional combination book-and-video knitting course presents--

Genres: Knitting

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book if you are a beginner or an experienced knitter. It starts right at the beginning and walks you through all the steps:

* Equipment and yarn - needles, accessories, gadgets and gizmos, the language of yarn, choosing and substituting yarn, and recycling and repurposing
* Getting started - reading patterns, following charts, gauge, flat and circular knitting, holding the work, casting on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch, increases, decreases, joining new yarn and binding off
* Finishing - seaming, picking up stitches, neat necklines and perfect bands, fastenings and care of knitted items
* Taking it to the next level - adapting to fit, choosing the right cast on, the best increase for the job, choosing the right bid off, steeking edgings and trims, buttons and buttonholes, pockets and felted/fulled knits
* Advanced knitting techniques - working in the round, lace and open work, cables, textured pattens, loop stitches, entrelac, fair isle and stranded colour, intarsia, duplicate stitch, bead work and embellishments
* Knitting SOS - avoiding common errors and fixes, fudges and tweaks
* The knitting community - finding other knitters, sharing and selling your work, knitting for charity, knitting terminology and abbreviations

There are many many colour pictures to show you step-by-step how to do things. Plus you can scan a code or there is a link if you want to watch a video.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2013/02...

[Sarah Uren · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative and full of photos to help guide you along.
We only know how to chain stitch, so this book will be useful on the shelves for years to come.

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fairly expert knitter but I'm always reading for tips and techniques to increase my skill and knowledge so when I saw this new book at the library I was hopeful. Unfortunately, I found much of the explanations confusing and sometimes text did not mesh with the photos. The photos are also too small and poorly lit to show the step-by-steps that the author is trying to explain. Plus, this book is so slim, it couldn't possibly have ALL the techniques I'd ever need! Such hubris! I wouldn't recommend this book to a true beginner but some newer knitters are likely to find something they didn't know before. Look to Vogue's Knitting Book or the one by June Hemmons Hiatt and then get standalone books on particular books (casting on/off, Fair Isle, alterations).

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of good techniques shared in this book. I liked that there were videos online to further my learning. I would have liked if there had been more videos though.

[Sue Klasing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good pictorial instructions.