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

One of my favorite things to make on a circular knitting machine is scarves, because they’re a great way to use leftover yarn and certainly faster than knitting by hand.

But if you pay attention to the colors you’re using and how you are using them, you can make fun knitting machine scarves that look like something different when you roll them up.

One of the first versions of this I saw was the sushi scarf, are there are a lot of variations on this one. For example this one from Flower and Anchor that uses five colors of yarn, or this one from Three Threads NE that uses four. These generally are made to look like California rolls, but you could change up the colors to make them different things if you like. Just make sure the outside of the “roll” is black or green to indicate the nori. I found another version on Pinterest if you’re looking for a free pattern, but there’s no image of it rolled up.

Another popular variation is making a scarf that rolls up to look like a mug with coffee, tea or another fun beverage inside. This collection of three mug scarf circular knitting machine patterns from Idaho Cottage Creation includes green tea, a pumpkin spice latte with whipped cream and a candy cane colored confection (which honestly reminds me of the Grinch since it has a green mug!). Again you can change the colors of the mug part and the drink part. The little handle looks like it’s crocheted on these, and it doubles as a loop you can thread the scarf end through when you wear it.

Again there’s a version of the green tea scarf on Pinterest with crocheted elements. I also found a latte done with a striped yarn and a red mug that’s pretty cute and gives you an idea what a different beverage would look like.

I also love this pumpkin pie scarf designed by Jodi Favish Saunier. It has a bit of crocheted edging to give it a fancy crust but you can omit that if you don’t crochet. These are all on Facebook but she also has a watermelon and lemonade pattern that are super cute.

Have you read?