Review: Teach Me to Knit

I’m teaching some classes at the “summer camp” at my daughter’s school this year that will include a couple of general fiber arts courses for different age groups and a class just focused on learning to knit.

So I have been looking with special interest lately at books that aim to help get kids interested in learning to knit and that include easy projects younger people will enjoy making and using.

Teach Me to Knit from Leisure Arts is a brief booklet that covers all the basics, from yarn and needle selection to casting on (long-tail), knitting, binding off, purling,decreasing, seaming, increasing, working yarn overs to make eyelets, slipping stitches and producing the make 1 increase.

Each lesson is accompanied by a project or two that will help knitters of any age use their new skills. It starts with Garter Stitch coasters and a flower made by casting on, binding off and sewing up. There’s another coaster worked just in purl (which is still Garter Stitch), a washcloth, can cozy, dog’s ball toy, eyelet scarf, lap afghan made with the ripple stitch and a pillow worked in wedges that are seamed together.

Other projects include a fish-shaped cat toy, leg warmers, mitts and a hat, all worked flat.

There are lots of pictures and words to guide knitters who are learning new skills, and links to online video tutorials are included for anyone who needs more help. If the child knows an adult who knits, so much the better, though it’s not strictly necessary to be able to follow this bookk.

I like the variety of patterns in this book and that it manages to cover a lot of skills quickly, giving new knitters confidence to try new things and to make projects they will love to use and give as gifts.

I will definitely have this book on hand while I’m teaching this summer.

Book specifications: 64 pages, paperback, 13 patterns. Published by Leisure Arts, December, 2015. Suggested retail $14.99.

Next Pattern:

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.

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