This is the second edition of a book that was originally published in 2005 and the author Margaret Radcliffe is very precise as to why she decided to put out another edition. The world of knitting as well as most other crafts have definitely evolved thanks to addition of several new techniques and tools. The internet and social networking have opened the door to discovering some wonderful new tricks of the trade and also made the purchase of some very clever and helpful tools easy. So this edition of THE KNITTING ANSWER BOOK has been amply revamped to include many of these up to date hints. THE KNITTING ANSWER BOOK is constructed in technique based chapters which start out with easy to follow instructions for the beginner but graduate to include those with more expertise. I have been knitting for decades and found lots of goodies in these pages.

Personally Margaret Radcliffe had me at casting on -- as I lifelong long-tail cast on user the idea of how much tail to leave has always been a challenge. Candidly I can't remember how many times I've almost got the requisite numbers of stitches cast on only to realize I am fast running out of tail. Radcliffe actually has several little tricks to help with this age old problem.

While we are discussing casting on -- Radcliffe also educates us on which method works best for several different types of garments. So very helpful. And I'm only in chapter one.

Each chapter devotes itself to teaching the knitter how to do a technique, how to avoid problems or mistakes and so important how to fix those inevitable errant stitches. In THE KNITTING ANSWER BOOK -2nd Edition Margaret Radcliffe also displays a clever sense of humor. I'm certain she inserts these random humorous moments to remind us to relax. It's a craft -- you are supposed to be enjoying it -- stop the stress.

THE KNITTING ANSWER BOOK is an absolute MUST for any beginner or serious knitter. It is just chock full of important information. The book is over 400 pages long and each page is designed to answer any issues that plague the knitter. This is a wonderful gift item for that crafter in your family or in your group of friends. THE KNITTING ANSWER BOOK is a welcome addition to my craft library -- and it will be yours as well.