Book Review: We Are Knitters

Most knitters who have been around the Internet for very long have probably heard of We Are Knitters, a Spanish company that sells yarn, knitting needles and kits (and now some crochet patterns as well).

Company founders Alberto Bravo and Pepita Marín published a book including 15 of their patterns and information about six of their favorite cities (as well as knitting instructions) called We Are Knitters: Knitspiration to Take Anywhere and Everywhere.

While the travel angle somehow feels dated in coronatimes, the pages of pictures and tips on where to knit in different cities might help with your wanderlust. It’s not enough so that it feels like a travel book exactly but it might inspire you to add some destinations to your “whenever this is over” list.

The patterns are some of the classic WAK designs and are mostly pretty simple straight pieces largely worked in Stockinette, Garter Stitch and other easy stitch patterns. Some of my favorites are the Tuareg Sweater, which is all rectangles but worked in a fun three-color Linen Stitch pattern; the Encina Scarf, which is really a big triangular shawl with alternating Stockinette and purl ridges; and the Olmo Headband, made of braided I-cord.

You can find a full list of the patterns in the book on their website.

The garments offer four sizes, so there’s not a huge range (one tank top ranges from 35 to 44 inches, for example, while a boxy cardigan is 42 to 50 inches) but if you fit in that range and like the We Are Knitters style you’ll probably enjoy this book.

In addition, the book includes a lengthy section on their yarn, care instructions, tools and knitting basics including casting on, knitting, purling, binding off, slip stitches, increases, decreases and working with two strands of yarn held together. Techniques are illustrated with photographs that are sometimes a little hard to make out what is going on, but could serve as a good refresher for someone who already knows how to knit.

If you like big, boxy garments, simple designs, and working with large yarn and needles, that is most of what you will find in this book. It would be good for beginners wanting to build their confidence, knit their first simple garments and finish some fun projects quickly. The accessories here would be fun to knit as gifts or for yourself.

About the book: 176 pages, hardcover, 15 patterns. Published 2019 Abrams Books. Suggested retail $24.99.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to instructional books about knitting. Either focus in one particular technique or kind of knitting (stranded knitting, say, or brioche) or try to cover a little bit of everything in a reference book that knitters will use throughout their careers.

The Knitting Book by Frederica Patmore and Dr. Vikki Haffenden aims to be the second kind. The subtitle is: a step-by-step guide to creating imaginative projects for the home and to wear. I’m not sure it does that, exactly, but it does include a quick look at a lot of different techniques and stitch patterns you might use in your projects.

A “guide to creating imaginative projects” sounds to me like it’s about design, but this book is not. There’s 1/3 of a page about altering patterns that only talks about how to add length to a sleeve and adjust where the increases go.

There’s nothing about measuring your body (the section on choosing a size in a pattern only suggests measuring a garment you already own), general garment construction, ease or stitch pattern multiples. The section on gauge (which is the last third of the page with choosing a garment size and altering patterns, discussed above) just says to knit a swatch, block and measure it to compare to a pattern, with no discussion on how you might use your swatch to design your own project or alter a pattern to meet your gauge.

If you ignore the subtitle, what you will find is a lot of information about different kinds of knitting and various techniques you might want to try on your projects. There are 20 cast ons and 15 bind off options, for instance, all discussed before you learn how to knit or purl. (Another quibble I have with this book is the order in which things are presented, but that’s relatively minor.)

You’ll find quick hits on increases and decreases, twists and cables, lace, colorwork, textured effects like fisherman’s rib and brioche, loops, mosaic knitting, double knitting, decorative stitches, shadow knitting, bias knitting, mitered squares, entrelac and more. There are tips for selvedge stitches, knitting with beads, adding buttonholes, picking up stitches and more.

A few patterns at the back give knitters a taste of some of the techniques included, but they’re not rated by skill level and the first one is a bias knit gradient scarf worked in six different colors of mohair, which isn’t a thing I’d wish on any beginner.

And I guess that’s maybe what my issue with the book is. I don’t know if it’s meant for beginners and it doesn’t seem to, either. I feel like this book would be overwhelming to new knitters and doesn’t really give you a place to start or all the information you might need to do projects well.

The variety of techniques included is fun, and there are also stitch patterns in the back you can use on your own projects, but again it doesn’t really provide any guidance for how to design your own projects so I don’t know how helpful all of that is.

I want to like books like this because having one reference that helps you with a lot of different things is great, I’m just not sure this is the one. If you can find it at your library or local book store and flip through it before buying, I think that would be a great idea to see if it’s a book that would be helpful for you.

And if you have this book and love it please let me know! I’m sure it’s good for someone I’m just not sure who.

About the book: 336 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by DK. Suggested retail price $40.

Have you read?