A Treasury Of Knitting Patterns

Contains 500 different knitting patterns.

The author guides the novice and the experienced knitters in short-cuts and construction tricks and offers twenty original designs

Not all yarns are alike. Some make our hearts and hands sing, some get the job done without much fanfare, and some cause nothing but frustration and disappointment. The gorgeous pair of socks that emerged from their first bath twice as long as when they went in. The delicate baby sweater that started pilling before it even came off the needles. The stunning colorwork scarf that you can’t wear because the yarn feels like sandpaper against your neck. If only there were a way to read a skein and know how it would behave and what it wanted to become before you invested your time, energy, and money in it. Now there is! With The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, you’ll learn how to unleash your inner yarn whisperer. In these pages, Clara Parkes provides in-depth insight into a vast selection of yarns, giving you the inside stories behind the most common fiber types, preparations, spins, and ply combinations used by large-scale manufacturers and importers, medium-sized companies, boutique dye shops, community spinneries, and old-fashioned sheep farms. And, because we learn best by doing, Parkes went to some of the most creative and inquisitive design minds of the knitting world to provide a wide assortment of patterns created to highlight the qualities (and minimize the drawbacks) of specific types of yarns. The Knitter’s Book of Yarn will teach you everything you need to know about yarn: How it’s made, who makes it, how it gets to you, and what it longs to become. The next time you pick up a skein, you won’t have to wonder what to do with it. You’ll just know–the way any yarn whisperer would.

Created for knitters who want standard sweater patterns in a variety of sizes and gauges, as well as those who want a template from which to develop their own designs, this book provides easy-to-follow charted instructions for 18 sweaters, three in each of the six most popular sweaters constructions. Each style is then provided in 15 sizes ranging from toddler to large adult, then further divided into six possible gauges: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 stitches per inch combining for 90 options for each of the six styles, or 540 patterns in all. The cardigan and neckline variations make for more than 1,000 patterns. Detailed schematics for finished dimensions are included, along with a glossary of techniques and a chapter on design considerations. This is a definitive resource for the passionate sweater knitter.

Over 150 full color photos throughout textCoffee table quality softcover book

"Expect regular stitchers to embrace Kl�pper's compendium of 250-plus choices."--Booklist With the more than 250 old and new knitting patterns displayed in 300 colorful photos, knitters can make their creative fashion dreams come true. Of course, the collection includes a selection of remarkably simple, yet stunningly beautiful, knit and purl stitches. But there's much more: Brioche stitch patterns that result in a voluminous and very soft knit; Cable patterns for decorating rustic sweaters and jackets; Openwork and See-Through variations; traditional multi-colored and single knit Jacquard or Norwegian style; Aran and British fisherman patterns; and Rib, Lace, and Patchwork designs. Each one comes with easy to follow knitting charts, patterns, and descriptions for effortless success, and advice on needles and combining stitches.