Amy Herzog's Ultimate Sweater Book: The Essential Guide for Adventurous Knitters

by Amy Herzog

A full-color comprehensive guide to knitting sweaters and designing and modifying sweater patterns, by Amy Herzog, the author of You Can Knit That , Knit to Flatter , and Knit Wear Love .

Yarn and fiber enthusiasts everywhere will celebrate this fully illustrated guide to knitting sweaters, starting with instructions for four basic sweater yoke, raglan, drop shoulder, and set-in sleeve. Patterns are offered in multiple sizes and yarn gauges for broad appeal. Following the basics for each of the four sweater types are a diverse range of customizing how to add a hood, cowl neck, turtleneck, pockets, and zip or cardigan front, just to name a few. This is the sweater book that every knitter has been waiting for. Designs Amy writes, “Once you’ve fully embraced the sweater, you need a reference guide. One that is written in clear terms, with an index, so you can quickly look up this month’s burning sweater question and get knitting. My Ultimate Sweater Book is that reference guide. My goal is the same as ever—to help you create garments that are the best clothes you’ve ever worn.”

Amy’s clear instruction and expert tips expand the many knitting possibilities, creating the essential knitting resource for knitters everywhere. If you want to knit the perfect sweater for yourself, a friend, or a family member, Amy’s book is one you should have at your fingertips, next to your needles and yarn.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction, Reference

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2018

Reviews

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is between two stars 'it's ok' and three stars 'I like it'. My expectations for and the reality of this book led to my disappointment. The book has sections for basic sweater types, body shape, neck shape, sleeve shape, buttons and pockets, but the amount of detail is uneven. Basic concepts, such as tapering, are over-explained and more advanced concepts, like darts to shape the front and back differently, are assumed knowledge. Books like this one are so important, and I really appreciate the breadth of coverage in this book. Compared to Ann Budd's Top-Down Sweaters, there are more visual of silhouettes of the basic types and how the arm holes are shaped to explain the basic sweater construction and similar basic templates for the yoke, raglan, drop-shoulder, and set-in sleeve. Amy Herzog's patterns are all bottom-up. Also, since Amy Herzog focuses on shaping of the torso, she prefers knitting in pieces to get the right structure.

Things I learned and found useful
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Superwash yarns should be knit a bit tighter. Amy describes a "poke-test" to see if you can poke part of your finger through the swatch.

Using darts and moving the location of shaping for front and back can help with fit if a person's front and back are fairly different, for example a very rounded upper back.

I understand the most basic types of sweaters well: yoke, raglan, drop-shoulder, and set-in sleeve. I can maybe search and find sentences about how one type morphs into say a dolman sleeve.

Frustrations
------------

The organization does not really allow the book to be used as a reference because it breaks up concepts between multiple sections. It seems that the reader is supposed to pick one of the basic templates and then read it through. Because the writing is presented in a more fluid-way and dispersed across sections and sample patterns, it's hard to just go in and say, hey, I want to adjust the sleeve in this pattern and then find all the information you might need. You would need to refer to multiple sections just to learn about sleeves.

There are not enough images. At one point, Amy refers the reader to go online to see what she means about button holes. There are no images.

Some very basic concepts are over-explained and more advanced are not well-explained, making it unclear for whom the book is written. For example: The calculation for the slope of a line, which we learned in high school, is referred to repeatedly and described in paragraphs. The placing and calculation of darts for shaping is not explained at all. It's referenced and shown in a figure of silhouettes conceptually but without proportion or scaling information. I'm not saying the slope of a line isn't important, but it's so basic that I bet it's not a primary concern for anyone making great use of the concepts in this book... The seeming omissions of parts of explanation of shaping and fit made it seem like we are supposed to collect all of Amy Herzog's books. (I haven't read her others). Darts are one example.

The explanation of adding pockets doesn't have enough pictures. Again, I can calculate decreases, but how to use the waste yarn to attach a pocket is new and a lot to figure out on one's own.

What about movement? Ease is introduced and discussed at a few points, and I would like to know more about other tricks. For example, Gansey sweaters have gussets for movement. Scoping the book to not include all of these variations is not my biggest frustration, but shows the kinds of things I hoped to learn about from the book.

The neck section has no photos. It just generally describes basic shapes. Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over The Edge has many collar and cuff types.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reference for sweater knitters. Appropriate for intermediate (have knit sweaters before) or the adventurous beginner, though I do recommend making at least a tiny practice sweater before taking on this book.

I'll be adding to my craft library.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but not ultimate, and in some parts, unnecessarily confusing. This book would greatly benefit from more and stronger graphics, which would easily show ideas that are very wordy to explain. Some of the lightly colored graphic sweater shapes practically disappear from the page, and much of the san serif type in the sweater instructions is simply too small for reading comfort. Most of the patterns have only one accompanying photograph which isn't enough to see how details and shape actually look. That said, the author really stresses the importance of structure matched with the correct fabric to get a successful sweater - something that is often ignored in other sweater books. One must know knitting to understand this book.

[Gin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be full of valuable information on how to make a sweater that will fit and look good on me. That being said, the buyer should be aware that this is not a book of straight up knitting patterns. It is a book for those that want to understand how sweater construction works. There is information on designing a sweater with options on how to make it the way you want. It is a treasure trove of information that is timeless.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not as readable as Sweater Design in Plain English, and there's not as much information. However, it's probably the best one out there currently. I don't know that I'd call it Ultimate, but it is pretty good.

[Nanasbug · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for someone who is not a true beginner knitter. I have knit for several years and make several sweaters, some that worked out great and others not so much. That said, after reading this book I learned a lot about how to choose the right type of yarn for a project, how to change neck style and several other things. My one issue is that, for good reasons, Amy prefers knitting in pieces and then seaming them up. That is something most knitters want to avoid for reasons of time and matching things up. More of the patterns need to be written as top down one piece. This is where her discussion of gauge, how firm the fabric is and what yarn works best. I have all her custom fit books too and she is really helpful in how to adjust a pattern, get the right measurements and pick your size.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book might be most helpful for someone who is just starting to dabble in sweater knitting or wants to start, but doesn’t know how. I mistakenly thought it was a book filled with patterns/inspiration, but it mostly contains descriptions of the different types of sweaters and their construction techniques.

It is a good guide to knitting sweaters, but I am probably not the target audience for it as I have knit many sweaters and know the difference between yoke, raglan, and seamed sweater styles.

[Rebecca Youker · Rating 5 out of 5]

detailed instruction

The author has included very detailed mathematical instructions to create a sleeve cap that will fit the required measurements, which is exactly what I needed. My arms are not average in size so patterns rarely fit me. I am not an expert at math equations but the author has provided work sheets on her website. I would recommend this book for any knitter that wants to tailor fit their sweaters. This is the second book I’ve bought by this author and am always impressed with the amount of detail and other options she includes. I may need to purchase the hardback cover to add to my reference collection.

[Eva Hambruch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far from ultimate

Not a real Kindle book, just photos of the pages of the print book. Navigation is a nightmare! Even on my 10 in. screen, the print is too small to read without magnification, and each time you turn a page, it goes back to the normal size. The index does not link to pages. No way to look up text because, hey, it's just pictures. The frustration might be worth it if the patterns were great, but they're just okay.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well thought out, but some of the designs left a little more to be desired. Only a couple of the sweater patterns could I see myself wanting to knit. And every pattern was knit bottom up with set-in sleeves, which is not my style. Some of the techniques needed more photos for some of the steps. It was difficult to understand if you were following. (i.e. different pocket constructions.)

[OneDayI'll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for those looking to make a sweater, but not for beginners. I'd say experienced to advanced would be more comfortable with the layout. Each style includes a template for yarn weights and finished sizes. They are written out more as shorthand guidelines than actual patterns. Hence me saying that this is more appropriate, and easier to navigate, for experienced knitters.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent reference book for constructing your own sweater patterns, including accessible explanations of the math required for creating a custom fit. I've gone back to this book with every sweater I've drafted myself. The included patterns are a bonus, in case you want to get right to construction without the planning!

[Karima · Rating 5 out of 5]

BULL'S EYE!
What a score. So much valuable information, clearly explained and illustrated.
Found Chapter 10 (Fabric: Yarns, Fibers, and Stitch Patterning) especially helpful. She fully explains yarn choice, stitch definition and even speaks of a yarn's "halo" and "bloom".
Thank you Amy!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like going from a lifetime of lap-swimming to deep-sea swimming, it's at turns freeing and frightening to read this book. Be warned: this book may take you from beginner to self-assured adventure knitter.

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for beginners. Full of jargon and put together/ organized in a not terribly comprehensive way. Some experience is absolutely required.
Nice patterns in varying sizes, mea t to help you design a sweater to your liking.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really thorough, basic styles with all the stitch count guides, reminds me of Knits Men Want by Bruce Weinstein but for women. Note I haven't made any patterns from this book yet. An Amazon review I just saw says to beware of errata.

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately a disappointment. Not enough photographs, quite wordy and over-explained. My dislike of this book is probably reading the e-book version, and the formatting was horrible. I wish publishers would figure out how to make these crafting books more reader friendly in electronic format.

[Virginia D. Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Open sesamie

I think I will like the book of I can get it to open on my kindle. It's rather hard to enjoy the book of i can't get it open!!

[Naj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid book, but not my favorite of Herzog's.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to give this a four star but it may change when I actually start using the book. It looks good, but the proof is in the actual usage.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like a copy for the next time I knit a sweater (especially if not using a specific pattern).

[rama/dawn lakamsani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource book for knitters.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice. Loved the tutorial nature of this book.

[Aimee]

DNF, it wouldn't load properly on my ipad.

Hoopla library e-book.

[Tam G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good intro/intermediate sweater design book which broke down each sweater (by sleeve type). That by itself is useful, and the tips would be valuable to anyone in that skill range. Herzog is clear and has everything broken down well.

However, I ask myself, does this need a whole new book? How different is this from Herzog's previous books on the same subject? I personally find it easier to digest in this one because it looks at creating a sweater new, from scratch, instead of focusing on taking a pattern and modifying it like Herzog's other books (a useful skill, but it forces you must like the patterns from the book and want to figure how to make them work for you).

But I come back around to...is this enough new information? I'm not sure. I'd like to come back around to this one some day and reevaluate. Until then I recommend this as a library borrow for knitters interested in designing their own sweaters from scratch. Much of the information on construction is similar to that of her previous books on modifying patterns, but the tips for individual sweater types are valuable to those creating their first sweater from scratch.

[Karlene Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

ultimate sweater book

Excellent pattern book for knitting a variety of sweaters. Easy to read directions and charts. Which is a plus for anyone.

[Angie]

I look forward to trying this out—I have knit a few sweaters but with very mixed results as to whether or not the end product was wearable. I’m excited about the thought of being able to design a sweater that fits me!