Knits Men Want: The 10 Rules Every Woman Should Know Before Knitting for a Man Plus the Only 10 Patterns She'll Ever Need

I love this book and will be using it constantly. It is next to impossible to find good, basic, attractive sweater patterns for men in large sizes. This book does it. The patterns are versatile and come in a variety of sizes. I really like the fact that each pattern includes a chart so that you can choose from different gauges of yarn and not have to try to figure out the equivalents yourself. The main loved one I knit for is my husband. He is a big guy and in the past I have had to try to adapt patterns for 2XL and 3XL sizing. I'm never that confident that it will work and that the armholes and shoulders will still fit when I have adjusted a pattern for a much smaller man. It is such a relief to finally find patterns written with real men in mind. These are sweaters my husband will actually wear and appreciate. Thank you, Bruce!

There are several "best things" about this book....although I love to do complicated knitting, as this book points out, "men like to blend in with the crowd" and I have found that overly complicated sweater patterns tend to stay in the back of the closet. The writing in this book is humorous, conversational and provides good advice about the style, types of yarns, etc., that men (actually all people) prefer in a sweater. The patterns themseles allow for a variety of kntting gauges so that (unlike most men's patterns), one can knit a sweater with smaller gauge yarn than the often used bulky yarn that makes thin men look like they are drowning in wool and adds pounds to heavier men. With this book, I have been able to choose the yarn that I love. These are well-designed basic patterns that allow the yarn (and the knitter's skill) to determine the end result. What more would a knitter (or a sweater recipient) want?

I admit that I have yet to make an actual sweater. I've made numerous hats, cowls, socks, mittens, etc. Something about dealing with gauge and spending hours and hours on a sweater that might come out the wrong size is slightly nerve wracking. I've spent at least 4 months trying to figure out what my first sweater is going to be. Do I want cables? Lace? Cardigan? Pullover? Wool? etc and so forth. I'm a girl, the sweater needs to be flattering, and in the perfect color, and less boring than plain stockinette. The biggest problem for me is that I'm not a tiny person, so anything I make (once I do the gauge swatching and such) still needs to be altered with short rows for the bust and waist shaping. After 4 months of indecision I decided instead to make my first sweater for my brother, who is one of the only men in my life I believe would appreciate it. I brought "Knits Men Want" to dinner last night so he could pick out what he wanted. I would've thought he'd want the henley (it's my favorite), but he prefers the cardigan (although he's still undecided on buttons vs. zipper). My favorite part about this whole process is that I can pick a yarn that I want to work with (and that he likes) and figure out which gauge suits the yarn so that I get a fabric I like (not too holey and not too stiff) and all the math for the pattern is already done for me. Assuming I end up making sweaters for more men in my life during my life (I'm only 25...I have plenty of knitting time left), there are a lot of shapes and sizes to clothe, and that's accounted for in this book. I also love the bit of humor that is included in the book. I think it might help me get through the cursing and frogging that I'm sure will happen at some point in this process, and it's good to have the reassurance that I am learning from other people's sweater "mistakes." (And the unfortunate incident of wiping up cat puke with a cashmere hat, that was funny and sad. Rule #5 "Not All Men Are Worthy Of Cashmere.") It's a good book. It covers the basics, which is really all a guy's gonna wear anyway (except for some funky colored socks...maybe) and will be a part of my knitting arsenal for a while. P.S. An aside on socks...most sock patterns are written for a woman, at the largest we're looking at a 9" circumference...this book goes up to 11".

The title of this book sums it up nicely. The vast majority of men wear simple lines and timeless classics. If you are looking for spicy cables, or complex knitting patterns this is the wrong book. If you want to make things that guys will actually love to wear (I am a guy so I can speak to this) this is the right book. The gauge charts and extended sizing made the cake for me on this book. I can use the yarns I love with the patterns that appeal the most to me. Huge WIN. Anyone that complains about the book being plain or simple is missing the point.

If you are looking for a project to knit for the man (or men) in your life, this may be the perfect book. All the patterns are appealing and they are provided in various charted sized from 40" to 60". The patterns are given in different gauges and they all list the amount of yarn needed for completion. All of them are practical and attractive. The patterns are easy to follow and I especially like the feature of varied gauges for each project. The book starts out with a comparison of what men want vs. what women want. For instance, men like to blend in while women may want to stand out in a crowd. A women will dress up for any occasion but a man will dress up for his wedding and a funeral. Women will skip lunch to afford a new outfit. Men will wear an old outfit to take a woman to lunch. Sound familiar?! My favorite patterns are The Basic Pullover and Vest, The Raglan-Sleeved Henley, The Thick and Warm Socks, and the Watch Cap. All of these patterns are 'guy patterns'. I find this book a great resource. It has projects that I want to make and the instructions are easy to follow. I give it 5 stars. Bonnie Brody 3/25/2010