"extraordinary helpful knitters handbook"
Reviewed by Sandra Wurman
Posted January 2, 2015
Non-Fiction
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.
SUMMARY
Margaret Radcliffe's classic Q&A guide is better than ever! This thoroughly revised and updated new edition gives expert answers to scores of new questions that knitters have asked since the first edition was published. You'll find more than a dozen new cast ons and bind offs; new techniques for beading and knitting backwards; tips for making smooth stripes when knitting in the round and for measuring gauge on tricky fabrics, such as ribbing and lace; fresh information on interpreting patterns and adjusting patterns to fit; and much more!
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