Knitting Patterns For Dummies

by Kristi Porter

Have you always wanted to knit? Know the basics, but you’re looking to stretch your knitting skills? Knitting Patterns For Dummies is chock-full of simple instructions and easy-to-follow patterns to help you create a wide range of classic, beautiful knits for the whole family, from clothing to household items to gift ideas. This fun, friendly guide gives you scores of new ways to have fun with needles and yarn, with great projects such as basic ponchos and pullovers, felted bags and slippers, cabled sweaters, and home and baby accessories, to name a few. You get step-by-step instructions for all the patterns in the book, along with line drawings and 8 pages of full-color photos to guide you. And, with the variations added at the end of many of the patterns, you’ll have almost 100 projects to choose from! You’ll discover how You’ll also find ten things you can knit with that aren’t yarn or needles, as well as plenty of tips for caring for your knits once they’re complete. From beanies to bags to blankets, Knitting Patterns For Dummies has it all—everything you need to pick up your sticks and get creative right away!

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Kristi Porter is an author, designer, technical editor, and teacher. In addition to authoring Knitting for Dogs, her work has been featured in the Knitgrrl series, the Big Girl Knits series, No Sheep For You, and Knit Wit. She is a frequent contributor to Knitty.com and has been a part of that online magazine since its start in 2002. Kristi doesn't remember learning to knit as a child, but she captured the basics and an enthusiasm for the craft from her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother. She began her first projects as a designer and a knitter, realizing only later that not everyone designed their own patterns. Though her first attempts were boxy and oversized (thank goodness it was the '80s!), once she grasped the importance of gauge, she was on her way to creating wearable designs. She began approaching the craft in a serious way in the late '90s and learned how to read and write patterns in order to share her designs with others. As a knitting instructor, Kristi teaches students at all levels and ages. Getting feedback about what knitters want to knit, what they enjoy, and what they find difficult has given her a strong sense of what knitters need to know. She delights in helping her students create their own patterns to suit their own needs and senses of fashion.
(From the website: ebookstore.com)

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great addition to any knitter's book collection about knitting. Kristi Porter explains everything from how to read a yarn label to how to knit with circular needles and make simple cables. This has more than 50 projects, from knitting a simple beginner's scarf to advanced Fair Isle patterns. The novice knitter
can learn how to read patterns, and charts, how to choose needles, yarn weights, etc. The author discusses tools needed, different types of fibers used in yarns, how to take measurements for a better-fitting garment, gauge, and how much yarn you might need to complete a project. The author tells you how to knit stripes, short rows, how to cast on and bind off, how to knit lace, cables, ssk, double wraps, mitered squares, floats in Fair Isle, and so much more!
If you're a visual learner, I would highly recommend you get a copy of this valuable book and use it as you watch YouTube knitting videos, and keep Knitting Patterns for Dummies as a reference manual.
An exciting book, full of so MUCH information for knitters, and, a great refresher for advanced knitters.
I've been knitting for approximately 15 years, and am an advanced knitter, but I would love to add this book to my library. (I borrowed a copy from the public library) A great book to give as a gift, too!

[Grace Crandall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good information; not quite as intuitive as it could be, but it made a lot of new concepts make sense!

[Lee Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knitting Patterns for Dummies - Kristi Porter

This book has the potential to be a great resource for extreme beginners with everything from size guidance to knitting notions and how to keep notes productively. I must say that most of the information in this book I do have spread out in a lot of other books so I don’t need to keep this one.
That’s not saying this is a bad book, because it’s not it’s just that I have the info already.

I did take some notes of interest to me from “Do you measure up? Size matters” - I’ve taken notes as I am yet to try making a larger garment, it’s on my list and this part of the book has a lot of information that I will find useful.

There are some great patterns with alternative methods some for beginners and others for more advanced knitters. There was only one that I liked and that was the shawl, but I didn’t like it enough to save it. lol I already have so many beautiful shawl patterns and that’s the only reason.

Overall, in my opinion I think it’s a great reference book. It could have done with a bit more colour for my liking, but I’ve flicked through a few of these “For Dummies” books and they all lack colour.
I have a strong feeling that I will come back to this book at some point. I’m not totally disregarding it. 🤔

[Donna Siebold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some rather nice patterns in it. It does include a centerfold of color photographs but the patterns themselves are printed on newsprint style paper. This makes for a lightweight book but I don't care for the quality of the paper and deem the likelihood of it lasting a good while fairly dismal.

I do like the way the chapters are divided and like that the author instructs you to jump around and read the sections that are relevant to your needs of the moment.

This is not a book for one who has never knitted before. It does include some basic instructions but you are presumed to know them before beginning the projects. The projects do vary in level of complexity so one could develop rudimentary skills with the assistance of this book.

[Lily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overrated and mind-numbing...boring with a capital B...The kind of book that crushes the desire to knit right out of a newbie...

There are way too many other choices out there for beginning knitters. This is the kind of book that has beginners knitting garter stitch scarves for a year because they are too timid to try a real project. Forget it.

Pick up a copy of Stitch-and-Bitch, visit the knittinghelp website, join some online knitting groups, and Google the abbreviations and terms that confuse you. It is easy to teach yourself to knit using internet resources alone.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned scads of new knitting techniques in this book, as well as getting some ideas for patterns I'd like to try. My favorite pattern in this useful tome is for "muffatees", which Peter Rabbit's mother used to knit to make ends meet, but I plan to make for myself and friends. These are wristwarmers that end in all-important ruffles peeking out of jacket sleeves. Be still, my heart.

*OK, I've started my muffatees finally. The double-pointed needles are not as tricky as I feared!

[Sri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sudah baca sekilas soalnya ini jenis buku yang tidak bisa dibaca langsung habis :D. Sekilas kubandingkan dengan Crochet Patterns for Dummies, aku lebih suka buku Crochet-nya. Hasil-hasilnya lebih menarik hati untuk langsung mempraktekkannya. Sementara buku ini diawali banyak teori, nggak langsung ada contoh kasus yang menarik untuk dipraktekkan. Halah, kasus!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the "for Dummies" books have one thing in common - they make it all simple to understand, and that's what this book does. Following and understanding the abbrieviated language of knitting has really frustrated me, so this book is helping.

[sara frances · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't find this book very useful or interesting.