Book Review: Japanese Stitches Unraveled

I have quite a collection of knitting stitch dictionaries, but sticking to stitch patterns that are available in English limits your possibilities. In recent years Japanese knitting books and all their fun stitch patterns have become more available in the United States and elsewhere, and publishers have sought to provide English versions of these pattern books to a wider audience.

Wendy Bernard’s Japanese Stitches Unraveled: To Knit Top Down, Bottom Up, Back and Forth, and In the Round offers 160 stitch patterns inspired by those found in Japanese knitting books, described anew for an English-speaking audience.

Japanese knitting books often use different symbols and don’t provide a lot of explanation as to what the knitter is supposed to do to execute the stitch. Bernard says in her book that even with some knowledge of Japanese, as she has, it can be difficult to decipher the instructions in these books. They’re also expensive and difficult to come by as they are not regularly exported.

Bernard provides translations of a multitude of stitch patterns as well as instructions for how to work them top down or bottom up, flat or in the round. They are also charted as well as having written instructions.

Some of these patterns will look familiar but many are unique, and she has given them fun names (Japanese stitch dictionaries use numbers rather than names). So now you can knit Charlie Brown twisted ribs (a sort of chevron rib pattern), Dragon and Cables (a wide cable with a zigzag of traveling stitches on top), Spiders (bobbles combined with tuck stitches) and Beetle Cables, to name just a few.

Each chapter — focusing on knits and purls, ribs, fancy and textured patterns, cables, and lace — includes a pattern showing how you might use one of the stitch patterns, and there are three from-scratch projects (a blanket cocoon cardigan and oversized cowl) you can knit as designed or add your favorite stitch patterns.

Japanese Stitches Unraveled is a fun addition to any knitter’s stitch pattern book collection, and it provides plenty of inspiration and tips for designing projects using these fun stitch patterns.

About the book: 288 pages, hardcover, 160 stitch patterns, 8 knitting patterns. Published by Abrams Books, suggested retail $29.99.

Looking for more knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Looking for more Cable-styled knitting patterns? Check out these Cable Knit Patterns on Etsy

Next Pattern:

Sometimes I feel like knitters get intimidated to try new things because they think they need to start with a big project. Your first time working in the round doesn’t need to be a sock, and your first colorwork doesn’t need to be a sweater, for example. You can find little projects that use the skills you want to learn to build your confidence before you move on to something that requires more time commitment.

This adorable knit bunny, for example.

The colorwork bunny from Knit Picks was designed by Amy Munson and is a kind of bowling pin shaped bunny complete with a knit hat, contrasting inner ears and a little stranded colorwork on its body. Note that the ears are attached the the hat not the bunny, but you could stitch them to the bunny if you’d rather.

It’s worked from the bottom up and also has a tiny pompom tail you can’t see in the picture but it’s a really cute touch. There are a variety of little fair isle patterns to choose from to make the best bunny for you.

The bunny comes out about 8 inches tall (or just over 20 cm) and use several colors to complete the colorwork, depending on the design you choose.

You can purchase the pattern by itself from Knit Picks, or make a kit that includes sport weight yarn in all the colors you need for your creation. There are gray and brown options for the main body of the bunny, but of course if you’re using your own yarn you can make it whatever color you like.

Once you’ve tried colorwork (maybe also working in the round and shaping if those are skills you haven’t used before) in a little project like this you’ll be ready to take on something bigger in no time.

Check out the pattern on Knit Picks.

[Photo: Knit Picks]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?