The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics

I had been knitting scarves and simple hats, and wanted a bit of a challenge, but not an extremely complicated book. This book has the best cable knit hat pattern I could have found. (believe me I looked at so many cable knit hat patterns, and this one was straight forward, and turned out beautiful). I have made several more cable knit hats since then, and hardly need to look at the pattern now, because it is so well designed. Of course there are other things besides hats. I am thrilled to find some cute tank top patterns in the book too, as well as sweaters and scarves. They are modern and stylish, yet not so difficult for the newbie knitter. If you know the basic knitting and purling, (or even if you don't, there is instruction) this would be a great "...guide to beyond the basics" as the title clearly states. No regrets about buying this knitting book. I refer back to it often.

In response to the April 13th review titled Beginners Beware--As one of the authors of the book, I respect all opinions. However, I want to clarify that measurements are provided for each project in the book. There are schematics and we list the finished measurements at the beginning of each pattern.

I bought this book and I love it. And I had to put my 2 cents in here after seeing the April 13th review. The patterns are wearable, fun to knit, yet not too fussy. Also they are very easy to seam and wonderful instructions for doing so are provided in the comprehensive how to section. I have knit several of the sweater patterns so far and they fit perfectly! There are knitted measurements as well as specs for each sweater pattern - which are extremely helpful when deciding what size to knit. I would recommend this book to beginners and veterans alike.

Knitting is supposedly very "in" right now (there is a report of some renegade gangsta "knittas" who knit strange items such as tree warmers and leave their knitted attacks on objects at random in the city. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.) The Yarn Girls books provide patterns that are geared to the young, hip knitter. In "Beyond the Basics", there are still patterns of basics for scarves, vests and pullovers. But there is also an a-line coat edged with furry yarn, which looks fantastic to me, very stylish and not particularly hard to knit, though you'd want to make sure you fit the coat well. There are some ponchos, one with a hood, and best of all, a beautiful cabled mohair throw. It's done in a fluffy golden olive color in the model and is strangely like a throw I knit in moth green in college. I used that cabled throw for years and I think this one is the pick of the litter in this book. If you knit this in any decorator color, you'll have a house gift worthy of design catalogs like West Elm or Pottery Barn. My only criticism is that many of the models are knit in a bulky, varigated yarn I find rather unlovely (however I will admit it is in style just at the moment.) You, however, don't have to use that kind of yarn. Just match the gauge and use what yarn you choose. Plenty of good instruction and drawings to illustrate techniques. Recommended for beginning and intermediate knitters, especially the young.

This book follows where the original left off. The only change is the omission of sweater patterns for men. Sweaters, tanks and cardigans as well as jackets kmean patterns for all seasons. This book would give the courage to a beginning knitter to try intarsia and cables. The only omission of things knit is socks. The introduction of shaping in this book makes for some sweaters a bit more fitted than the oversized standards of the first book. If you liked the original you will love the sequel!