Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Giveaway: Knitting Know-How

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Knitting know-how giveaway

Congratulations, Heidi!

It seems like people are always interested in general knowledge books about knitting. Whether we are new knitters (or knitting hopefuls!) or people who have a lot of knitting skills but want to know if there’s a better way to do something, I think most knitters have a few reference books on their shelves. The Internet can tell us a lot, but sometimes it’s nice to have a book close when you need to know how to make a short row or turn a cable.

The book Knitting Know-How: Techniques, Lessons and Projects for Every Knitter’s Library by Dorothy T. Ratigan and Judith Durant is a good reference for knitters of a variety of skill levels. It’s a big book, but at 270 pages it isn’t so big that it’s overwhelming. It also includes a lot of large pictures, which make it easy to see what’s going on in tutorials and swatches.

And it covers a wide variety of things a knitter would want to know, from the basics of yarn and needles to reading patterns, forming stitches, casting on, binding off, shaping, working flat and in the round. It also looks at a variety of color knitting, cable and lace techniques, knitting with beads and how to plan and design garments. There are also eight project lessons that help you use your new skills as you read.

I’m giving away a copy of this book this week. If you’d like a chance to win, leave a comment on this post by the end of the day Sunday, June 19. I’d love to know what skill level you consider yourself, whether complete beginner or truly advanced. (I’m pretty advanced, but I still mess up when I try to knit lace, pretty much every time.)

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  3. I would love that book. I have been wanting to learn since forever, my mom tried to teach me once, but she is left handed and it didn’t went very well.

  4. I have been knitting for 52 years, so I consider myself an advanced knitter, but like you I still do make those mistakes. I think we all do.

  5. I am a complete beginner so this book would help me a great deal! Thanks for the chance.

  7. Would love to win this book, I consider myself somewhere between intermediate and advanced (depending on the technique)

  8. I’m somewhere between a beginner and an intermediate. Your review of the book is great so I’d love to add it to my craft book library. Thanks for another wonderful giveaway.

  10. I consider myself an advanced beginner when it comes to knitting. Would love to add this book to my library of craft books. Good Luck to all

  12. I have the barest of basics. I would love to increase my knitting skills. Y’all are so generous to off up this opportunity! Thanks!

  13. I think I’m an intermediate knitter. I can do certain things but not everything yet!

  16. Awesome book! I think i am a confident beginner, but this book may tip me over to advanced beginner!

  17. I would love to win this book to extend my skills. I am probably someplace between a beginner and intermediate level.

  18. I’m probably an advanced beginner, thanks for the chance to win this awesome book!
    Kim R.

  19. Me gustaría ganar el sorteo del libro, hoy es mi cumpleaños y es un buen regalo para aprender filas cortas y encaje.Soy principiante.Gracias.

  20. I’m a beginner to intermediate crocheter but I’m not a knitter. I have however held a couple of needles before (way before I started crocheting) and I tried making an earwarmer, which wasn’t going anywhere good so I frogged it. This would be a much needed help and boost to pick the needles up again

  21. I would to have this in my knitting library, i consider myself an beginner but with a little bit of knitting knowledge lol

  22. I would really love this book. I’m advanced at lace & cables but feel like I’m barely beyond beginner at garments.

  23. I’ve been knitting for a long time but nothing very elaborate. I love seeing and trying new ideas so would enjoy this book.

  24. I’m totally a beginner, but I know how to make simple cables!! 🙂
    I’d like to know to make lace.
    Thank you for the giveaway.

  26. I consider myself an advanced knitter, but there are always new things to learn!

  29. I am an intermediate knitter. I have 3 WIP/UFO’s. ???? It really brings me joy to see someone wearing what I made for then.

  30. I am a learner and Wish to learn fast with good skills….I want to be the best knittwe
    With awesome practise but it will require time. This book will giveaid to my aim.

  31. I consider myself an intermediate knitter. I’m sure I could learn a lot of good tips from the book.

  32. I’m an intermediate, I guess. My ‘issues’ include not being able to tell what exactly went wrong in a mistake (other than a dropped stitch), usually. I just rip and start over. Thanks for the opportunity.

  34. I am a beginner, I’m still working on my first real project. I have knitted stuff but it was just practice and I unravelled it afterwards.

  36. I think that I am either an advanced beginner or intermediate. There are so many things that I do not know how to do.

  37. I’d say I’m intermediate. I am comfortable with some techniques, but still have challenges with a couple others

  38. I am a newbie,I would love this book to advance my skills! Always looking to become better at my crafts!

  41. I would say I was an intermediate knitter. I will have a go at anything. You can never have too many knitting reference books. New patterns coming out all the time.

  42. I am an intermediate knitter, I do some advanced but it takes a few tries (ripping out stitches)

  43. I’m an intermediate knitter, but sometimes I still mess up with basic stitches or counting and have to rip out several rows… but I always try to notice why or where I failed to be aware next time! (although the reason is usually that I’m not paying enough attention)

  45. This sounds just like the sort of book I need! I’m a beginner these days (did knit a little many many years ago) as can be seen by the square I’ve re-knitted at least three times as there were slipped stitches, holes or raggedy sides ….!! so it sounds as though this book would be wonderfully useful!

Have you read?

Knit a Great Button Down Shirt

Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting. 

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of. 

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams. 

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs. 

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty. 

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this). 

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry. 

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

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