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Knitting for Anarchists: The What, Why and How of Knitting
Every knitter takes a different approach, and this revolutionary guide fosters experimentation and self-expression. Author Anna Zilboorg defies the notion of a one-size-fits-all teaching method, assuring readers that the techniques most comfortable and intuitive for individual knitters are always correct. Her explorations of the construction of knitted fabrics are founded upon the understanding that there are many different ways to produce the same satisfying result.Offering advice rather than rules, Knitting for Anarchists promises to broaden the horizons of active knitters and to encourage beginners. Patterns for sweaters, pullovers, and cardigans include helpful photos, charts, and directions that serve not only as guidelines but also as springboards for unlimited variations.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2002
64 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
About the author
Anna Zilboorg
11 books17 followersBorn and reared in New York City; educated at Harvard; taught at MIT. Fled from the madding crowd's ignoble strife until I found myself in Big Stone Gap, VA. Got religion. Returned to my childhood love of knitting; became a hermit.
(From the interview Knitting Universe did with her, on the release of her book, 'Magnificient Mittens . . . ')
(From the interview Knitting Universe did with her, on the release of her book, 'Magnificient Mittens . . . ')
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 28, 2013
Recommended to me by a few knitters, my reaction to this book is kind of the opposite of what I thought it would be.
On a philosophical level, I cannot agree more with Zilborg. The basic tenet of Anarchist Knitting is to knit in a way that brings you joy, to free ourselves from the way knitting "must be done" and focus on ways in which it can be done. I'm reminded of the time I sat in on a knitting lesson to hear the instructor say "you should only knit with the yarn in your left hand, it's so much faster that way" and was then amazed by my speed with the yarn in my right hand.
The tenet of anarchist knitting being what it is, I was incredibly annoyed by the superior, elitist language throughout this book. At one point the author states that "this is the best way to do this technique is this way, but those who have not yet made the jump to enlightenment can do it this way." (Paraphrased, but the basic gist.) The author painstakingly explains what a knit stitch is, but in trying to explain certain techniques, the author assumes the reader has mastery of other skills never discussed in the book.
I completely skipped the chapters on knitting sweaters in strips because NO.
Overall this book was not as revolutionary as I was hoping.
On a philosophical level, I cannot agree more with Zilborg. The basic tenet of Anarchist Knitting is to knit in a way that brings you joy, to free ourselves from the way knitting "must be done" and focus on ways in which it can be done. I'm reminded of the time I sat in on a knitting lesson to hear the instructor say "you should only knit with the yarn in your left hand, it's so much faster that way" and was then amazed by my speed with the yarn in my right hand.
The tenet of anarchist knitting being what it is, I was incredibly annoyed by the superior, elitist language throughout this book. At one point the author states that "this is the best way to do this technique is this way, but those who have not yet made the jump to enlightenment can do it this way." (Paraphrased, but the basic gist.) The author painstakingly explains what a knit stitch is, but in trying to explain certain techniques, the author assumes the reader has mastery of other skills never discussed in the book.
I completely skipped the chapters on knitting sweaters in strips because NO.
Overall this book was not as revolutionary as I was hoping.
April 28, 2020
An interesting approach to the philosophy (and sometimes the science and math) of knitting. The reference to anarchy is not political, but rather a rejection of the need to slavishly follow a pattern made by someone else. In this Zilboorg follows in the steps of Elizabeth Zimmerman ("Knitting Without Tears") and Priscilla Gibson-Roberts ("Knitting in the Old Way".) I think these earlier writers were often better at explaining technical concepts, but Zilboorg certainly has an interesting approach to the philosophical aspects of knitting.
November 10, 2022
quick little read :)
December 1, 2023
An excellent book on how to think about knitting. I may need a physical copy of this for reference.
April 23, 2023
Short and sweet with good concepts (very affirming of the way I like to knit), but will only really set in with practice and more thinking!
June 17, 2023
This is a beautiful, revelatory book. Though I am still relatively new to knitting, I have a need to really understand things from the inside out, and so in my knitting process I have pursued learning the "inner workings" of knitting and have already come to understand several aspects - but reading this opened my understanding in even more new ways! Particularly with twisted stitches, combination knitting, and making the orientation of the stitches on the needles work for you, whatever way you want - not being locked in to one way of doing it, and having the freedom to choose what you want for different effects. I also loved how she described individual stitches as crowns with legs. :))
After the second chapter, the book wasn't so much revelatory as it was an elucidation of knitting your own way, applied to the various basic techniques of knitting - increases, decreases, casting on and binding off, color stranding, pattern reading, weaving in ends, etc. I especially appreciated the chapter dealing with reading patterns -provocatively titled "Regaining Our Illiteracy." She has a beautiful introduction that not only champions learning to read your knitting, but is also a warm invitation to do so - making it enticing, couching it in the legacy of traditions and long knowledge that predated patterns and printouts.
In another chapter, "Creating Your Own," there is a marvelous section on choosing color. She encourages going into a yarn shop and simply choosing colors that appeal to you - not thinking about main color, contrasting color, what you want to make, or even if they will go together. Simply choose what appeals to you. She then guides with some ideas on how to choose from there, with helpful little methods for testing out combinations. But the gem is this: "At least start with the assumption that all your colors will go together because you go together." Just beautiful.
The last 1/3 of the book was mainly variations on a type of sweater pattern, "strip-knit": strips that are knit together along the way to make up the shape of the sweater. I haven't done any sweater knitting of any kind yet, so this was less interesting for me - and I have no way of knowing if it will be interesting till I see how I like traditional sweater knitting methods. However, I appreciate new and unique takes on traditions, so I look forward to coming back to this in the future when I'm ready to get creative with my sweaters. :D
The very last chapter, "The Knitting Way," is a gem all on its own. Just a very few pages, with thoughts on what makes knitting so appealing, so soothing, and why we do it. Some of the reasons we all know, but this chapter is not just another verbose, flowery ode to knitting as a meditative/spiritual/organic "antidote" to our modern world. It is more intrinsic and inhabited, with an appreciation for what we bring to knitting and what it brings out in us. I won't spoil it by describing it any further, except to say to any who may want to read it out of order, that I think it has its best effect when read at the end - when you've been able to get a sense of the author and her insight into knitting as a way of getting to know oneself. Then this chapter shines even brighter.
The whole book truly is a gem, worthy of all the raves it has received. When it comes time to teach knitting to my kids, I will teach them the anarchist way - their way. :)
After the second chapter, the book wasn't so much revelatory as it was an elucidation of knitting your own way, applied to the various basic techniques of knitting - increases, decreases, casting on and binding off, color stranding, pattern reading, weaving in ends, etc. I especially appreciated the chapter dealing with reading patterns -provocatively titled "Regaining Our Illiteracy." She has a beautiful introduction that not only champions learning to read your knitting, but is also a warm invitation to do so - making it enticing, couching it in the legacy of traditions and long knowledge that predated patterns and printouts.
In another chapter, "Creating Your Own," there is a marvelous section on choosing color. She encourages going into a yarn shop and simply choosing colors that appeal to you - not thinking about main color, contrasting color, what you want to make, or even if they will go together. Simply choose what appeals to you. She then guides with some ideas on how to choose from there, with helpful little methods for testing out combinations. But the gem is this: "At least start with the assumption that all your colors will go together because you go together." Just beautiful.
The last 1/3 of the book was mainly variations on a type of sweater pattern, "strip-knit": strips that are knit together along the way to make up the shape of the sweater. I haven't done any sweater knitting of any kind yet, so this was less interesting for me - and I have no way of knowing if it will be interesting till I see how I like traditional sweater knitting methods. However, I appreciate new and unique takes on traditions, so I look forward to coming back to this in the future when I'm ready to get creative with my sweaters. :D
The very last chapter, "The Knitting Way," is a gem all on its own. Just a very few pages, with thoughts on what makes knitting so appealing, so soothing, and why we do it. Some of the reasons we all know, but this chapter is not just another verbose, flowery ode to knitting as a meditative/spiritual/organic "antidote" to our modern world. It is more intrinsic and inhabited, with an appreciation for what we bring to knitting and what it brings out in us. I won't spoil it by describing it any further, except to say to any who may want to read it out of order, that I think it has its best effect when read at the end - when you've been able to get a sense of the author and her insight into knitting as a way of getting to know oneself. Then this chapter shines even brighter.
The whole book truly is a gem, worthy of all the raves it has received. When it comes time to teach knitting to my kids, I will teach them the anarchist way - their way. :)
May 26, 2008
I think this book would be great for knitters who are past knitting scarves and hats, but intimidated by more complex patterns. It clearly explains the dynamics of knitting, the way loops can lay next to each other, seaming and strand knitting, but it is probably best used as a companion to other knitting text. (The author even states as much) I was disappointed in this book though. I wrongfully assumed there would be unusual projects, (it is called Knitting for Anarchists) and I had hoped for lovely photos, but there few only a few, and really only one sweater pattern knitted a few different ways. But that's the point of this book I suppose, learning that there really is no "right" way to approach a project, and learning how to modify a pattern to how you knit. This would have been a valuable resource to me a few years back.
July 24, 2020
This is a lovely read for any beginner/intermediate knitter ready to take their work to the next level. It's got a lot of great tips about when to ignore patterns, how to focus on the work and not the chart, and how different tools can make knitting more enjoyable.
I love the commentary in its snobbishness. Those kinds of opinions only come when someone is truly passionate about something. The author encourages you at the beginning to not take anything she says as the only way to do something, so don't get mad when she looks down on how you knit. Laugh. It's funny.
She does get a little religious at the end for my taste but... that's easy to do.
I love the commentary in its snobbishness. Those kinds of opinions only come when someone is truly passionate about something. The author encourages you at the beginning to not take anything she says as the only way to do something, so don't get mad when she looks down on how you knit. Laugh. It's funny.
She does get a little religious at the end for my taste but... that's easy to do.
October 7, 2024
bits of gold hidden in a muddled mess
The book has some wonderful tips and explains techniques that allow someone to understand *why* they are doing certain stitches. It’s a class in being able to read your knitting instead of just blindly following a pattern.
Sadly, one must wade through terrible formatting (in the kindle edition), a lack of illustrations that are much needed, and the authors religious takes to be able to sift out the nuggets of goodness.
There are also some wild gaps. For example, she simply refused to discuss binding off and any techniques related to that.
Editing to add that the kindle version of the book is a disaster. The formatting is so bad you have to actually wonder if anyone even tried.
The book has some wonderful tips and explains techniques that allow someone to understand *why* they are doing certain stitches. It’s a class in being able to read your knitting instead of just blindly following a pattern.
Sadly, one must wade through terrible formatting (in the kindle edition), a lack of illustrations that are much needed, and the authors religious takes to be able to sift out the nuggets of goodness.
There are also some wild gaps. For example, she simply refused to discuss binding off and any techniques related to that.
Editing to add that the kindle version of the book is a disaster. The formatting is so bad you have to actually wonder if anyone even tried.
April 18, 2023
This felt like I was having a conversion with someone who thinks about the intricacies of knitting as much as I do. I imagine some people (including experienced knitters) may find it very tedious, but it was my jam. Loved the first half of the book, but I've never knitted a jumper (I stick to smaller items) so I didn't go through the patterns in detail.
Not for beginners, you do need a fair amount of knowledge in order to break it down and stop following the rules like she suggests. I got my copy from the library but am planning on buying my own copy for reference.
Not for beginners, you do need a fair amount of knowledge in order to break it down and stop following the rules like she suggests. I got my copy from the library but am planning on buying my own copy for reference.
February 21, 2021
if my biggest critique of this book is that sometimes the written instructions were obscure and i had to take the time to work out through trial and error what Zilboorg was trying to say on my own needles (and thus gaining a much more solid understanding of the concept than if i’d gotten it on the first try), i think it’s safe to say that this book made its point very, very well. and it’s a beautiful point to make.
August 2, 2015
The goal of this book is to help people see and understand what they are doing when they are knitting because understanding and knowledge is power. If you can look at a pattern and understand the fundamentals of it you can modify it to suit yourself, or figure out poorly written directions, or find mistakes that have slipped by the tech editors. The style of writing is fun and breezy and it is a quick and easy read. Most of the advice I had already figured out for myself, but there were a couple of gems that I hadn't.
The book is divided into two parts with 10 chapters. An introductory chapter (Knitting for Anarchists) lays our Anna Zilbourg's knitting philosophy and provides an overview of the chapters that follow.
Part I covers the craft of knitting and Part II covers the creation of your own unique patterns and provides individual chapters on three different sweater designs - the all-purpose strip-knit anarchist sweater, a pullover and a cardigan.
She spends a fair bit of time discussing the anatomy of stitches and how basic manipulation of these basic units create such a variety of finished fabrics. In her short section on gauge I had my first "a ha" moment. Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to get both stitch and row gauge? Stitch gauge is governed primarily by the weight of the yarn, because the predominant factor is the thickness of the legs of your stitch. Row gauge is governed primarily by how tight or loose you knit. When you change needle size in your effort to get gauge you are primarily going to affect the row gauge.
In her section on casting on she has some great tips for ways of using crochet chains (which, after all, is only a single knit stitch run up over multiple rows), including using them in dolman sleeves and for knitting a sleeve from the shoulder to cuff, but not as part of a top-down set-in sleeve, where you pick up stitches around the arm hole (my favorite method). I'm not sure why I would want to knit a sleeve from the top down separate from the body, but it is nice to know the technique is out there.
She also details a wonderful way of knitting buttonholes. I found the explanation a bit hard to follow (actually I found all of the explanations a little hard to follow, but I am a visual person and there are pictures) but once I got what she was doing I was blown away by the brilliance. You can only do this if you're making a faced button hole band. When you come to where you want the button hole you knit however many stitches you need to make the button hole with some scrap yarn, not the yarn you're using for the band itself. But how do you get to the other side? Well, you put those stitches you just knit with the scrap yarn back onto your left hand needle and now knit them with your working yarn. So now you have a "button hole" in waiting defined by the stitches made with the scrap yarn. Do this for the rest of the button holes. Now, when you're working the facing, when you get to where that button hole should be you pull out the scrap yarn graft the stitches from the facing with the "bottom" stitches (those closest to the body) and then put the "top" stitches onto your needle to make up for the stitches you just used in the graft. The result is a very neat, elegant, couture button hole.
There is also a nice section on knitting and designing cables and playing with color. I still use a cable needle when knitting cables (even though I knit lace without lifelines), but I'm going to try her technique of knitting without a cable needle next time I work some.
There are two principals that she espouses that I wholeheartedly agree with: 1) Only knit things you enjoy and 2) Learn to read your knitting.
There are so many wonderful things to knit out there, and wonderful yarns to knit with that you shouldn't knit anything that you don't enjoy. Now, sometimes a pattern may not be fun to knit simply because of the way it is written up or constructed. In that case, if you really want to make it, think about a better way of doing it. If you understand the fundamentals of knitting you can decompose designs and put the pieces back together in a way that may make it more fun for you to knit.
If you want to take your knitting to a level beyond faithfully following pattern directions, if you want to master lace knitting, or stranded knitting, or cables, one of the things you should do is learn how to read your knitting. When I first started knitting lace I immediately went to the charts and taught myself how to read them, from there it wasn't too long before I was able to correlate what I was seeing in the chart with what I was seeing in my knitting. I found looking at the written directions for lace knitting excruciatingly painful. Test knitting and tech editing has since taught me to use the written directions as well as the charts as some things are easier to explain in the written directions (and I have to proof the written directions against the chart as part of my tech editing), but I still rely mostly on charts.
There are more detailed books on knitting technique and knitting design out there, but if you want a book that might make you look at your knitting (and the world) a little differently and may give you a couple of "a ha" moments, pick this one up and give it a read.
The book is divided into two parts with 10 chapters. An introductory chapter (Knitting for Anarchists) lays our Anna Zilbourg's knitting philosophy and provides an overview of the chapters that follow.
Part I covers the craft of knitting and Part II covers the creation of your own unique patterns and provides individual chapters on three different sweater designs - the all-purpose strip-knit anarchist sweater, a pullover and a cardigan.
She spends a fair bit of time discussing the anatomy of stitches and how basic manipulation of these basic units create such a variety of finished fabrics. In her short section on gauge I had my first "a ha" moment. Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to get both stitch and row gauge? Stitch gauge is governed primarily by the weight of the yarn, because the predominant factor is the thickness of the legs of your stitch. Row gauge is governed primarily by how tight or loose you knit. When you change needle size in your effort to get gauge you are primarily going to affect the row gauge.
In her section on casting on she has some great tips for ways of using crochet chains (which, after all, is only a single knit stitch run up over multiple rows), including using them in dolman sleeves and for knitting a sleeve from the shoulder to cuff, but not as part of a top-down set-in sleeve, where you pick up stitches around the arm hole (my favorite method). I'm not sure why I would want to knit a sleeve from the top down separate from the body, but it is nice to know the technique is out there.
She also details a wonderful way of knitting buttonholes. I found the explanation a bit hard to follow (actually I found all of the explanations a little hard to follow, but I am a visual person and there are pictures) but once I got what she was doing I was blown away by the brilliance. You can only do this if you're making a faced button hole band. When you come to where you want the button hole you knit however many stitches you need to make the button hole with some scrap yarn, not the yarn you're using for the band itself. But how do you get to the other side? Well, you put those stitches you just knit with the scrap yarn back onto your left hand needle and now knit them with your working yarn. So now you have a "button hole" in waiting defined by the stitches made with the scrap yarn. Do this for the rest of the button holes. Now, when you're working the facing, when you get to where that button hole should be you pull out the scrap yarn graft the stitches from the facing with the "bottom" stitches (those closest to the body) and then put the "top" stitches onto your needle to make up for the stitches you just used in the graft. The result is a very neat, elegant, couture button hole.
There is also a nice section on knitting and designing cables and playing with color. I still use a cable needle when knitting cables (even though I knit lace without lifelines), but I'm going to try her technique of knitting without a cable needle next time I work some.
There are two principals that she espouses that I wholeheartedly agree with: 1) Only knit things you enjoy and 2) Learn to read your knitting.
There are so many wonderful things to knit out there, and wonderful yarns to knit with that you shouldn't knit anything that you don't enjoy. Now, sometimes a pattern may not be fun to knit simply because of the way it is written up or constructed. In that case, if you really want to make it, think about a better way of doing it. If you understand the fundamentals of knitting you can decompose designs and put the pieces back together in a way that may make it more fun for you to knit.
If you want to take your knitting to a level beyond faithfully following pattern directions, if you want to master lace knitting, or stranded knitting, or cables, one of the things you should do is learn how to read your knitting. When I first started knitting lace I immediately went to the charts and taught myself how to read them, from there it wasn't too long before I was able to correlate what I was seeing in the chart with what I was seeing in my knitting. I found looking at the written directions for lace knitting excruciatingly painful. Test knitting and tech editing has since taught me to use the written directions as well as the charts as some things are easier to explain in the written directions (and I have to proof the written directions against the chart as part of my tech editing), but I still rely mostly on charts.
There are more detailed books on knitting technique and knitting design out there, but if you want a book that might make you look at your knitting (and the world) a little differently and may give you a couple of "a ha" moments, pick this one up and give it a read.
June 2, 2020
Some parts of this are very basic -- teaches how to knit. later the book has more advanced techniques. I will probably use the cardi pattern with all my bits and pieces of handspinning when I have enough of them. Handspun yarn requires a certain amount of free thinking when you knit. The ideas in this book will be great for that.
December 13, 2020
The ideas are really good plus I like the tone of the book. I am struggling though with some of the diagrams (for example the pick up chain for a Dolman sleeve) and have had to refer to other sources to understand a technique. Anna also refers to some knitting terms without explanation for example short rows. Good to read with other sources of information
September 13, 2017
Must read for knitters who are beyond buying kits and want to do more. Her philosophy applies to many other things in living.
December 28, 2017
was not so into this book. perhaps I am not an anarchist at heart and want more direction and clear planning.
March 27, 2018
A classic
Good game, thanks for making anarchists feel at home. Knit like no one is Looking and smile baby smile a mile.
Good game, thanks for making anarchists feel at home. Knit like no one is Looking and smile baby smile a mile.
November 5, 2020
This book, along with Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman, put me on the road to being able to read my knitting and improving my technique.
July 23, 2021
Basics in black and white illustrations, lots of text.
February 9, 2022
I found it helpful. I'm a semi-casual knitter and it had some interesting insights on the rules and how to break them.
January 30, 2023
Made a breakthrough in understanding cabling
Fave chapter is called reclaiming our illiteracy
Fave chapter is called reclaiming our illiteracy
October 16, 2024
Ugh, I don't know that I will ever read this again
July 18, 2017
This was an entertaining read (for those who may be entertained by knitting books), and I've not seen a better explanation of the loop structure of hand-knitted fabrics in any other book. Apart from that, I see much that compares with everyone's favorite opinionated knitter, Elizabeth Zimmermann. Once we understand how to make a fabric with our needles, then the sky's the limit. Zilboorg gives a brief description of Horst Schultz's method of improvisational knitting, and then walks us through various garments. I suppose that I was born before my time, because this book would've opened up worlds to me 35-years ago, but alas...
June 9, 2007
An awesome Christmas present from the BFF!
March 5, 2016
This is a really cool book. It talks about how to create your own patterns and enplanes knitting in a very clear and awesome way. Smash the state! Stop buying things! Knit/make your own clothes!
October 25, 2009
How to ignore all the stifling rules that make knitting harder than it needs to be. I've found my people!
January 15, 2010
if you like the result of your knitting, it is correct; supports you in being creative
June 1, 2015
It did not take me 4 days to read this book. I read it in 1.5, using only 3 commutes to do it (40-50min 2x a day).
November 23, 2016
Seriously helped me rethink how I think of knitting.
Want to read
August 6, 2009Gee I didn't know Anarchists knitted...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews