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Book Review: Add One Stitch Knitting

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Most of us, when we learn to knit, start with Garter Stitch, because just learning the knit stitch is any easy way to enter the craft and you can make lots of projects just using Garter Stitch.

But adding one more stitch — the purl — makes it possible to do so much more with our knits without significantly increasing the skills involved.

Alina Schneider walks knitters through a variety of knit and purl combinations and 15 simple projects in her book Add One Stitch Knitting.

The book covers the basics of getting started knitting including the long tail cast on, knitting and purling, working with circular needles, slipping stitches, decreasing (but not increasing as that’s not a skill needed in these patterns) and finishing projects.

The 15 projects cover a variety of simple stitch patterns, including:

  • Garter Stitch
  • Stockinette
  • 1×1 rib
  • 2×2 rib
  • Seed Stitch
  • Moss Stitch
  • Broken Rib
  • Waffle Stitch
  • Basketweave
  • Slip stich
  • Andalusian Stitch
  • Oblique Rib
  • Hurdle Rib
  • Garter Rib
  • Seed Rib

Projects include hats, blankets, a scarf, headband, cowls, a tote bag, leg warmers, a top, mitts, a phone case and a pot holder set. Each new stitch pattern is introduced with a description of how to work the stitch and offers a chance to do a practice swatch before moving on to the project. All of the projects are great for beginners, and most of them are straight pieces with no shaping.

I checked and the patterns aren’t on Ravelry, but you can see a couple of them on the book’s Amazon page.

This is a fun book for people who like easy projects and simple stitch patterns that bring a lot of texture without a lot of effort.

About the book: 128 pages, 15 projects, paperback. Published in 2017 by Barron’s Educational Series. Suggested retail $18.99.

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Knits for the Table for Thanksgiving and Beyond

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long. 

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders. 

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well. 

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn. 

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions. 

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table. 

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter. 

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.