Book Review: Everyday Knitting

If you want a brief introduction to most of the things you might want to learn about when learning to knit, Everyday Knitting by Megan Goodacre has you covered.

It talks about everything from yarn weights and needle types to casting on, knitting, purling and binding off. You’ll find tutorials for basic increases and decreases, colorwork, cables and lace, tips for reading patterns and charts and plenty of patterns to practice your new skills.

The biggest part of the book is these tutorials, with a couple of beginner practice patterns (a garter stitch washcloth and a knit and purl chevron coaster) found toward the beginning of the book, another chapter with four more patterns is in the middle, and the rest of the patterns are at the back of the book.

Skill ratings are on a scale of one to five, which don’t correspond to the standard skill levels (which is a scale of four). For example, a pair of Fair Isle style fingerless mitts worked in the round is a skill level five on her scale, but would probably be a two on a standard project level chart. Three of the patterns (aside from the ones scattered through the book) don’t have skill ratings listed.

Of those that do, two are rated one, three each are levels two, three and four, and two are level five. The other five rating goes to a woman’s sized raglan sweater with a textured panel on the front but that’s mostly stockinette stitch. I think the three patterns that aren’t rated would be level two, but I can’t understand the thinking that went into the rating system.

In addition to the patterns there’s a gallery of knitting stitches you can add to your projects.

Lots of photos illustrate the tutorials, but there are only one or two pictures each of the finished projects in the pattern section.

There are definitely things about this book that annoyed me (not teaching about holding the yarn in your left hand until 37 pages after holding yarn in the right hand is introduced, saying seed stitch and moss stitch are the same thing, etc.) but for basic, general information on how to knit all in one place, it’s a pretty good guide.

About the book: 272 pages, paperback, 22 patterns. Published 2024 by DK Publishing. Suggested retail price $24.99.

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

Have you read?