Domiknitrix: Whip Your Knitting Into Shape

I was initially put off by the title and theme, but I read some great reviews and am so glad I bought it! It's one of the best new knitting books I've bought and I've bought over 6 carefully chosen ones since I picked up knitting again last December. I'm not a very GOTH person, which is the theme of this whole book, but I am a slim, trendy, typical Los Angeles dwelling intermediate knitter and this book is very well-written, has interesting illustrations and photographs and has sexy patterns (for men and women)with concise instructions (all the women's clothing patterns are designed for 5 sizes from XS to XL). The techniques section has photographs, not those hard to decipher line drawings, and the yarns used in the projects are readily available as are substitutes. The Sweetheart Sweater & Diva Halter are my next projects. I would recommend this book for any knitter, beginner to expert.

DOMIKNITRIX: WHIP YOUR KNITTING INTO SHAPE doesn't hold your usual saccharine vests and sweaters: it's a contemporary guide for the modern knitter who wants to produce something as original as a 'skull vest' or a 'widow's peak' hair piece for a Mohawk haircut, and as such will uniquely appeal to the younger generation with fresh, contemporary ideas for knitting. Step-by-step directions allow newcomers to move easily from the beginner to the advanced knitter level and offer a range of projects not to be found - even remotely - in any similar knitting guide - and there's lots on the market, so this is saying much. Any public library appealing to younger needlework artists will want this. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

I've been knitting for about six years now, but, admitedly, there are many technical knitting things I can't do (proper increases, proper stitching) and learning it from other books seemed too... home-spun and grandma-ish. This book is AMAZING. Not only does it show you many different techniques, the projects are things I actually want to create. Warning: this is not a book for beginners. It will not be a good place to start if you want to learn how to knit. If you are a girl looking for a knitting book that goes beyond the mainstream, look no further. This is the best of the best indie-knitting books out there.

My New Year's resolution for 2006 was to finally learn how to knit after years of being haunted by my aunt's extraordinary skills. My cousin & I attended a class whose instructor, Scary-Mary, was a "knit-nazi", it was her way or the highway & we were all scared. Thanks to sheer tenacity & several rough nights of "stress knitting" in my sleep I stuck it out & did learn the basics to knitting. However if I was going to continue finding any enjoyment in life I took a pass on furthering my skills with Scary-Mary in her intermediate knitting class and went to the book shelves for help. Thanks to the likes of Debbie Stoller & her "Stich & Bitch" books I was able to relax and gain some confidence and enjoyment in my knitting. I recently came across Jennifer Stafford's book while looking for new patterns that break away from conventional standards. I not only found what I was looking for but I love reading her book! The tone is conversational in explaining the technicalities of knitting so my mind didn't wander. Since she had my complete attention I am actually getting the hang of advanced techniques (mirrored decreases, shaping, lace, working with color, DPN's, etc.)which I previously wrote off as too advanced for my blood. Stafford's message is that anything worth doing is worth doing well and by using an S & M theme for her book the tone is serious and may appear intimidating. Don't be put off, Stafford is merely thourough in her explanations but no "knit-nazi". This book is designed to encourage confidence and inspire creativity!

Finally a knitting book with some truly well fitting and cleverly constructed items. Not everything in the book is awesome (ie. pillow with intarsia star - boring!), and not everything that is awesome is wearable (ie. mohawk and devil hats), but for the most part is the first knitting book in a while to come out with some modern, creative, imaginative and unique projects. The cover is a little fun and edgy - I was getting funny looks from other people as I was flipping through the book in the subway, and illustrations are pretty funny. This is definitely geared towards the younger and/or edgier crowd, but I think most knitters regardless of age and inclination can appreciate something about this book. The range of sizes offered is definitely better than most, but not specifically catering towards the plus size ladies (I think the largest size offered for a sweater is 43" bust, but there are many non-sweater projects such as hats, bag, pillows, etc). Though you'll find some of the usual chapters in the beginning of the book about knitting basics (casting on, casting off, choosing yarns, etc), I probably would not recommend this as a very first knitting book to someone who has never knitted anything before and is looking to learn. However, if you are a beginner who can knit, purl, increase and decrease, and are looking for cool-looking stuff to make and are willing to take the time to learn some new techniques, do not hesitate to give this book a chance.