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.

Knitting and travel are two hobbies that are highly compatible. Travel often involves waiting or time spent on planes, trains, boats, etc., time that can easily be filled by knitting, a portable and productive craft you can do most anywhere (and yes, you can take your knitting on a plane most of the time).

Krista Ann combines knitting and traveling regularly and ended up visiting every continent in 2022 with her knitting needles along for the ride. The Wandering Knitter explores travel, knitting and learning new knitting skills no matter where you are.

This isn’t a book for beginners, but if you’ve wanted to learn techniques like brioche, cables, lace, colorwork, mitered squares and short rows, there’s a set of more beginner level patterns followed by ones that are bigger, more detailed or required a little more skill. For example a brioche washcloth is the beginner pattern, while a brioche sweater (with unexplained exceptionally long sleeves) is the stepped up project. A basic mesh lace scarf becomes a more complex lace kerchief. A giant mitered square cowl graduates to a mitered square tote bag.

Interspersed among the patterns are essays about traveling to different continents and what she saw there. There are also tips for traveling with your knitting and tips for reading charts, but no tutorials for knitting skills (other than a written explanation of how mosaic knitting works).

Some of the projects would be useful to have when traveling, such as fingerless gloves, a warm headband or a colorwork hat. The travel angle is an interesting hook for a book, but I would have enjoyed essays more about specific incidents or shopping for yarn in a different country or something more than the general essays about things she’s liked and places she’d like to go back to.

Still, if you’re looking for a skill building book that doesn’t focus on the basics but gives you some wearable, attractive accessories, this book is a good one to check out. Just maybe make the sleeves shorter if you knit the sweater.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 20 patterns. Published 2026 by Quarry Books. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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