The Art of Knitting: Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces

Francoise Tellier-Loumagne has taught textile and knit design in France for more than thirty years. Drawing on her experience as teacher and practitioner, she has assembled a creative and inventive overview of stitches and fabrics, both hand-knitted and machine-made, presenting hundreds of sumptuous ways of working with yarn, from silk thread to Shetland wool. Other books propose patterns to copy; this book uses basic patterns as points of departure, opening up endless possibilities for sophisticated knitting designs. The book is organized by fabric types: simple knits, jacquards, fine jersey knits, interlock, open-work, and many others. It covers hand knitting, domestic machine knitting, and industrial knitting, explaining the relevant techniques and notation for each.

The author encourages the reader to be innovative and to experiment with the various techniques, drawing inspiration from the natural world and one's personal surroundings: pebbles on the sand, autumn leaves, snow sparkling in the sun, weeds and grasses bending in the wind. Every type of stitch that she describes is accompanied by enlarged photos of the textiles, detailed diagrams, and written instructions. The yarns used here are highly textural and attractive, which further encourages experimentation with yarn combinations and knitting techniques.

The book will appeal to domestic knitters, professional knit designers, textile designers, and students, and will be a source of inspiration to anyone working with or interested in knitted textiles.