The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes and Gauges

I love to knit for people and want my sweaters to fit them as well as possible. I struggled with patterns that claimed to be for a certain size, and turned out not to be even close. This book is the solution. Everything I’ve made since using it has fit beautifully. It is thorough, easy to follow, and has a lot of variety of styles. Highly recommend!!

If you are tired of knitting from patterns and want to branch out into your own designs, this is the book you need to help you get started! It picks up where _The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns_ left off, including several different types of sweater construction, finishing ideas, necklines and collar types. Ann Budd explains the concept of ease, how to design shaping, and how to get a custom fit. The sample patterns provide a good source of inspiration for how you can use these "recipes" to make a unique garment. Highly recommended!

This book is great-there are so many different options that I did not even no where to begin! This book is also very easy to use-no "complicated" equations, just straight-forward direction. At the same time, there is a lot of room for personalizing sweaters so you really do have creative control over the designs. This book is great for someone just starting out in designing sweaters, and gives you a feel for how sweaters are put together. Using this book first and knitting up the designs made it much easier to understand the more advanced design books out there. Great for anyone who wants to add personal touches to their sweaters without doing all the designing from scratch - yet also a good first step in the process of learning sweater design. Highly recommended, even for beginning knitters. If you can read a pattern, you can use this book!!

I love Ann Budd's first book "The Handy Book of Knitting Patterns" which are small patterns such as gloves, hats, mittens, scarves and vests. Most people asked for a sweater book to follow, with basic patterns in all sizes, from kids to big adults. Here it is. You can take a raglan, a cardigan, a drop sleeve pullover or many other traditional styles like yoke-sweaters and knit either the basic pattern shown, or embellish it with your own texture, color or lace stitches. Ideas are given how to do the modifications. The book is spiral bound with hard board covers, and an elastic band to mark your place. This is the kind of book that never leaves the knitting bag, and in particular if you go shopping to add yarn to your "stash", this book could assist you in visualizing projects and more importantly, buying the right amount of yarn. That way, when you pull the yarn from storage on a cold winter day when you want to start something new, you will have pattern, yarn and ideas all handy, thanks to this book. A real winner, and absolutely a great gift if you know any new knitters.

I know many (I for one) are happy this highly anticipated book came out earlier than the stated release date and it is even more packed with so much good information than Ann Budd's first book of ...Handy Book of Knitting Patterns. Some initial good points about the book: many sweater "palettes" are presented, there's many side points within each section - like how to convert a yarn gauge of yours that isn't included in the book to one that is compatible to a gauge, there's eighteen sweaters knitted up in different yarns that are shown in clear photos, different styles of necks, sleeves, bodies are set out and explained, and! so much more! And for those familiar with the first book - there is an even nicer (deeper) inside pocket provided. The same spiral format is kept which will help in your designing/decision making of your sweater(s). Don't let the higher price point scare you away - the information in this great book more than makes up for the cost.