Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Giveaway: The Knitting All Around Stitch Dictionary

by 56 Comments

knitting all around stitch dictionary giveaway

Martha is the winner!

My love of stitch dictionaries is well documented. They’re so fun to look through, play with and get inspired by.

One of the potential problems with using stitch patterns in projects, though, is that they can look quite different when worked in different ways, such as flat versus in the round or from the top down versus bottom up. And you might want to work different parts of the same garment in different ways (such as bottom up, flat pieces for a cardigan but working the sleeves top down in the round).

Wendy Bernard has devoted a lot of time to thinking about, swatching, twisting and turning stitch patterns so they can be worked in all directions. She’s written two books on the subject: The Up, Down, All Around Stitch Dictionary and her latest, The Knitting All Around Stitch Dictionary.

Both books contain 150 stitch patterns and have instructions — written and charted — for how to work them flat and in the round, top down and bottom up. They are great references whether you want to change the stitch pattern used in a knitting pattern you already have or you want to design something for yourself.

What’s even better about this book is that you can see more of each stitch. When a swatch is reversible, the back of the swatch is shown along with the front side. When a top-down version looks slightly different than the bottom-up version, both versions are now shown. The pictures are large and detailed so you can really see what the patterns look like.

There are also six projects in the book you can knit as they are or change up the stitch patterns, as well as some plain vanilla projects just waiting for you to thrown on a stitch pattern, which is great design practice.

This week I’m giving away a copy of the latest book as well as some Blue Sky Alpaca yarn like what was used in the swatches seen in the book. Thanks to STC Craft for the generous prize!

If you live in the United States and are interested in winning this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, May 29. I’d love to know if you have any stitch dictionaries and, if you do, if you have a favorite. I have to say volume one of Barbara Walker’s Treasuries of Knitting Patterns is almost never on my shelf because I use it so much!

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

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. I tried knitting in the round. Gave up and used a pattern that gays stitched together.

  2. Hi! this book looks so fun and interesting! I do have 750 Knitting Stitches: The Ultimate Knit Stitch Bible and it’s pretty good, but I am always looking for more inspiration. Thanks for having this giveaway!

  3. I have looked at a few but I currently do not have one. I have checked them out of the library before.

  5. Looking at a book of stitches is so encouraging when I want to try something new. The only problem though is being sure about counting those stitches when doing a lace stitch pattern. Love the challenge though.

  6. Thank you so much for this giveaway. I hope I am the selected recipient. I have recently retired due to illness and now have time to knit.

  7. I’very started a knit and crochet group at our library and I need to have great visualservice for my knitters. This sounds like an answer to my prayers.

  9. I’m a big fan of stitch dictionaries! Among my faves are the Barbara Walker series and Vogue. I LOVE that the stitches in Wendy’s book are multi-directional!

  10. I don’t have any stitch dictionaries… yet! I love getting inspired by new (to me) stitches, so get many, many newsletters, but no compendiums yet. Thank you for considering!

  11. I have “Up, Down, All Around” and I’m kind of obsessed with it. I can’t wait to check out her new one!

  12. I have the 1977 edition of The Encyclopedia of Knitting & Crochet Stitch Patterns. I haven’t done much with different stitches yet, but I’d like to!

  14. I do not have any stitch patterns books but I love that it shows the difference from all angles and also front and back.

  15. I own the Knitter’s Companion, if that counts, but as soon as I saw the cover to this book, I was in love!! When I saw that Wendy wrote this book, I was practically screaming in my chair!! This is definitely a book that I have to have in my library!! What a useful book- especially due to the fact that I plan on doing some designing soon. Thank you so much for the terrific giveaway, and thank you, STC Craft for making it possible, too!!

  16. I have one, and I think I need a better one. I hear so much about Barbara Walker’s … I really should take a look at it.

  18. What a fantastic book and give away!!!!! Have always wanted a book of patterns, as it would make my knitting life so much easier than spending hours on the internet looking for new stitch patterns.

  19. I would love this book. I love knitting dictionaries but shortly after I learned to knit and was even aware there were these kinds of books I became a ‘gypsy’ moving around in a travel trailer and had no room for extra things. Now that I am in a permanent place again I need to start building my supplies and reference books. Good luck everyone!!!

  20. I usually get my stitch information off the internet. I never really thought of a book that would cover this. I just have collected some stitch info. in knitting magazines and off knitting sites. I am a fairly new knitter and this would be very handy to own. thank you for giving us knitters a chance to win this book!!

  22. I do not have a stitch dictionary, but it would be wonderful to win one. I’m sure it has tons of information I could really use. Thank you.

  24. What a great resource! I work at a Council on Aging and I’m sure the folks here would appreciate the addition to our resource library!

  25. I only have a crochet stitch dictionary and it’s an old one. Just learning to knit, I would love to lean other stitches. Thank you for this give away.

  27. I do have Two favorite go-to books, Nicky Epstein’s -Knitting On The Edge & Knitting Beyond The Edge- both just wonderful!

  29. I do not have a stitch dictionary – I do look up a lot on line! Thank you for the review and awesome giveaway!

  30. I have a bunch of stitch dictionaries on my wishlist, but none on my bookshelf yet. Would love to have one!

  31. I’m new to knitting and would love to have a stitch dictionary. Right now I hit up the ladies at the local yarn store for help. They are awesome!

  32. I have loads of stitch dictionaries, including the 4 Barbara Walker’s. I love how she personally did every single stitch. I have a McCall’s one from the 70’s I found online and a series of them by the British publisher Collins that are probably my favorites (they are republished here under another name) but that’s this month.

  34. I would like to win. I only have one stitch dictionary for Tunisian crochet. I would love to increase my knitting repertoire. Thanks

  37. Thank you for the chance to enter this contest. I do not have a stitch dictionary. I am learning, or rather teaching myself, to knit. I variety of stitches would be fun to learn!

  39. I love to knit although I do not live in the US. But fortuntaly if I win the book, I have several friends in the US you can send it to and they will take care of sending it to me! 😉

  41. I love and collect knitting books! The only stitch dictionary I have is one free e-book I downloaded and always forget I have. This book would be a great tool while I am trying to design my own patterns. ooooh, hope I win!

  42. I don’t have any stitch dictionaries. I feel like I’ve finally honed my skills enough to try to shake things up a bit and stray from written patterns. I’ve long admired Wendy’s work and own many of her patterns. She’s one writer I totally understand. 🙂

  43. I do not have one but have checked them out of the library. I knit in the round a lot and so I love Wendy’s first one. I would be so excited to win it and yarn!

  45. I have a Mon Tricot stitch dictionary, a Tunisian Crochet stitch dictionary and Up, Down, All-Around. I would love to have Knitting All Around.

  48. I am always looking for new stitches and techniques. Would be great to have an up to date version.

  49. I always say I’m going to try a new stich, and then I chicken out and do something tried and true. I’d love to win this stich dictionary and branch out!

Have you read?

Book Review: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four. 

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *