Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting (Leisure Arts #15914)

Recently, I inherited two knitting projects that weren't working very well for the "friends & relatives" who's started them. Well, this was beyond my "off the top of my head" knowledge and I needed to look some stuff up that I hadn't tried for years (taking off bindings and cuffs from the bottom and replacing them - various buttonhole choices to fit a certain design - augh!). I needed a good "encyclopedia." My mother snagged my old Vogue one and wasn't giving it up! Not even to borrow! (A good encyclopedia is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find.) I ran across this one at the library. It had everything in it that I needed and written in clear instructions with good illustrations. After using it, I decided I would be sorry not to own a copy. I will share the title and give it a good review but I am going to hide my copy!

It is kind of hard not to sit for a solid hour just reading. I love the format and the type. At first I thumbed thru it and looked at all the illustrations. Then, I picked a chapter at random and got informed!! I will not be lending this one out any time soon...

I don't know if I would recommend this book hands down for a beginning knitter, but the patterns included are good. I especially like the "Illumination Lace Scarf" and the "Reversible Wrap." Being 21 and in college, some of the apparel patterns are a little dated for me, but I didn't buy this book solely for them. The list of tips, instructions, and the stitch gallery are pretty exhaustive, though you might be able to find more complete books dedicated solely to one of the aforementioned topics. Nevertheless, Kooler's inclusion of all these things, and her coverage of each one, makes this a really good reference book to have on your shelf. I definitely recommend this book as something every single knitter should have in their stash of patterns and reference books. If you need instructions on how to learn to knit, I recommend the first "Stitch 'N Bitch" by Debbie Stoller or The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting. Kooler's covers a bit more advanced techniques but is a great review - just may not be what you're looking for if you're jumping into knitting for the first time. This book is more than worth what you'll pay for it.

Last year, I purchased Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crocheting, and fell in love with the beautiful design, clear instructions, neat projects, and stitch library. I started knitting again recently, and when I found out there was an Encyclopdia of Knitting coming out, I got it without looking at a single page or reading a review, and I'm not disappointed.Like the crochet version, the design is very nice and clear. It's not too big (240 pages); it's colorful and nice to handle. There is a history of knitting, and from there it goes into instruction, techniques, projects, and a stitch library. Some of the projects that have caught my eye are the "Take it from the Top Pullover", "Elegant Beaded Scarf", "Sweet Baby of Mine" (easy and pretty cotton baby blanket), and especially, "Kaleidoscope", a gorgeous wrap done in Entrelac squares and Noro's Silk Garden yarn. I think "Kaleidoscope" will be my introduction to Entrelac. I also want to get into knitting with beads and colorwork, and the book has nice instructions and projects for those techniques.This book has something for knitters of all levels--I straddle somewhere betweeen advanced beginner and intermediate. I already know that it will be one of my favorite knitting books and assist me in improving my knitting skills and knowledge for years to come.