Book Review – Knit To Amaze

I recently had the opportunity to flip through the pages of “Knit to Amaze: A Visual Guide to Knitting Amazing Fingerless Mittens, Knee Warmers, Kitchen Cloths & Coasters” and was impressed with what I saw. The author presents a comprehensive guide on how to knit beautiful fingerless mittens, knee warmers, kitchen cloths, and coasters. The guide is aimed at advanced knitters who have a basic understanding of knitting techniques like knit, purl, cast on, and cast off.

One of the things that stood out to me was the clear and sharp images that accompany each step of the process. The author has knitted each piece and taken detailed photographs, making it easy to follow along and replicate the patterns. The guide also includes a list of supplies you will need and a glossary of knitting terms used in the book.

I appreciate that the author takes the reader to an advanced level of knitting, teaching them steps like how to cast on stitches in the middle of a row, making it a valuable resource for experienced knitters looking to improve their skills. Additionally, the author mentions that the finished products could be great as gifts or even sold on online platforms like Etsy, eBay, or Amazon, which is a great idea for knitters who want to turn their hobby into a source of income.

Overall, I believe that “Knit to Amaze” would be a valuable addition to any knitter’s library. The guide is well-written, the patterns are easy to follow, and the final results are beautiful, stylish and comfortable, a perfect combination for knits. The bonus of having a digital version of the book when purchasing the paperback version is also an added advantage.

A few years ago I wrote a post that was full of patterns for knit mushrooms, but I don’t think I ever did a post that was knitting patterns with mushrooms on them, so today’s the day.

I love the Fungi Beanie from Jacki Bean, which calls for worsted weight yarn and uses duplicate stitch to add the mushrooms and other details. I think the colors she used for the design are tonal/multicolor so it doesn’t use as many colors as it looks like, but you can use whatever red, green, brown and white yarn you have in your stash for those details.

How about some mushroom socks? The Magic Toadstool sock form Stone Knits includes a ring of mushrooms around the leg, contrasting heel and toe and a little more colorwork at the toe for extra cuteness. As shown it uses four colors and comes in three sizes.

Or there’s the Fairy Ring Socks from Katie Green, which have mushrooms of two sizes on the legs, plus a bit of wavy grass. They have a contrasting cuff, heel and toe and some colorwork flecks in the body of the sock as well. This one is available in eight sizes to fit everyone from a baby to an XL adult.

This trippy cowl from Hunt Hand Knits looks like a lot of fun to knit. The Fungus Among Us Cowl is shown using four colors of DK weight yarn, though you can do it with as few as two if you’d rather.

Stitch some mushroom mittens with this cute pattern from Holly C Watson. This design uses three colors, and it’s shown with a self-striping yarn on the mushroom caps, which makes the colors change without you having to do any work. The pattern is charted but it’s a pretty easy repeat. The mittens are one size.

If you don’t feel like knitting mushrooms but still want to give your project a touch of the forest, the Toadstools Cardigan from Julie Taylor may be what you’re looking for. It’s stitched as a plain cardigan worked in DK weight yarn and sized for newborns up to 4 years old. The mushrooms are added with embroidery and the pattern includes the design, which you can trace onto water soluble stabilizer to stitch the mushrooms onto your sweater. Or anything else you want. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Have you read?