Both a celebration of the craft and a sourcebook for practical information, Knitting Rules! is a collection of useful advice and emotional support for the avid knitter. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee unravels the mysteries of tangled yarn, confusing patterns, and stubbornly unfinished projects. Daring to question long-standing rules and encouraging crafters to knit in the way that works best for them, this illuminating, liberating, and hilarious look at the world of knitting is full of surprises and delightfully inspiring ideas.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the celebrated blogger and humorist of the knitting world, is back, continuing her running dialogue with her knitting compatriots. Both a celebration of knitting and a sourcebook for practical information, this book is a collection of useful advice and emotional support for the knitter. Pearl-McPhee examines essential truisms of knitting, side by side with tongue in-cheek warnings, realities, and fantasies about the act of knitting and the people who do it. She unravels the mysteries of what it is that makes knitting click, and dares to question longstanding rules and uncover the true essence of what makes a hat a hat, a sock a sock, and so on. Insights into why certain techniques work encourage knitters to take control and knit in the way that works best for them.--From publisher description.

“Thiessen has done her research, and talked to people who truly have insight into the process of making both yarn and clothing.” —Modern Daily Knitting Like the “slow food” movement, Slow Knitting encourages knitters to step back, pare down, and celebrate the craftsmanship of their work. In five chapters centered around the tenets of slow knitting—sourcing carefully, making thoughtfully, thinking environmentally, experimenting fearlessly, and exploring openly—Hannah Thiessen challenges knitters of all skill levels to view their practice in a new way. Each chapter contains explorations of fiber types; profiles of well-known yarn types, makers, and yarn suppliers; and garment patterns inspired by the featured fibers. With contributions from knitting superstars Norah Gaughan, Bristol Ivy, and many others, Slow Knitting proposes an approach to knitting that is both minimalist and all-encompassing, and emphasizes what makes knitting a meditation, a passion, and a unique necessity. “Promotes the concept of ‘slow knitting’ which discards the pressure to produce prolifically and instead, revolves around the idea that thoughtfully produced yarn will result in better projects for you-the crafter.” —MarthaStewart.com

The tangled life of the knitter is the subject of inspired nuttiness in 300 tongue-in-cheek meditations from the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. At Knit’s End captures the wickedly funny musings of someone who doesn’t believe it’s possible to knit too much and who willingly sacrifices sleep, family, work, and sanity in order to keep doing it. Covering everything from the deadly “second sock syndrome” to a pile of yarn so big it can hide a washing machine, this hilarious collection will have knitters in stitches!

No matter how cute the design, or how breathtaking the yarn, it doesn t matter if the finished garment doesn't fit. In this book, knitters will find a solid resource on shaping (and wearing) knitwear to advantage as well as 24 patterns designed to deliver a satisfying fit. Every knitter has experienced that moment when she finishes a sweater, casts off and smiles only to pull it over her head, look in the mirror and frown. In Knits that Fit, knitters will find the information to help them achieve knitting success by breaking free from the bad habit of blindly following a pattern. From the basics of proper length and width to advice based on body type, there are tonnes of useful instructions and tips inside. Organised by type of garment (short sleeved, pullover and cardigans) the patterns featured all look at attention to fit in some way. The basic, unshaped square will be a thing of the past.

This “super useful book” includes step-by-step instructions for using each of the 150 patterns four different ways (Knitty). In the Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary, designer Wendy Bernard presents an innovative reference guide for knitters of all skill levels. This hefty collection, ranging from lace and cables to colorwork and fancy edgings, is loaded with beautifully photographed swatches of each pattern, plus charted and text instructions. Bernard also demonstrates how to work each of the 150 popular stitch patterns four different ways: top down, bottom up, back and forth, and in the round. And to showcase the stitch patterns in action, she includes instructions for eight garments as well as her famous formulas for knitting garments without a pattern.

From making stripes to making shapes, from tension swatches to avoiding tension headaches, from creating fringes to dealing with frogging, you’ll find all the handy, easy-to-follow advice you need in The Knitting Pocket Bible to ease your woolly worries. There’s also valuable advice on what items to make for friends and family, tips on what to do if you drop stitches or it all goes wrong and a handy guide to deciphering knitting patterns. Wondering how to set up a knitting group? Not sure which wools and colours to use? Find tips on all the rules and regulations or running a knitting group, make sure you’ve got all the right knitting needles and knitting equipment you need to make your knitting project go as smoothly as possible. Knitting doesn't even need to be woolly - find out all the alternative types of yarn to knit with, from eco-friendly hemp to baby soft bamboo. Small and durable, and perfectly designed to be dipped into again and again (just like your wool stash!), The Knitting Pocket Bible is sure to be a trusty companion in your knitting bag whatever your knitting project. This beautiful hardback edition has both dust-cover and gold embossing on the spine making it the perfect gift. Every Pocket Bible is lovingly crafted to give you a unique mix of useful references, handy tips and fascinating trivia that will enlighten and entertain you at every page. There is a Pocket Bible for everyone... Other titles in the series: The Baking Pocket Bible, The Cat Lover's Pocket Bible, The Jane Austen Pocket Bible, The London Pocket Bible and The Wedding Pocket Bible.

The essential guide to using simple twisted stitches to add interest and beauty to handknits Master the simple and addictive art of the twisted stitch. The basics are easy to learn, and the design possibilities (and twist combinations that come to light once you begin) are almost endless. The book starts with a treasure trove of twisted stitch variations, starting with patterns made from diagonals and building from there—adding horizontal and vertical elements, combining twisted stitches with lace or polygon knitting, and pushing boundaries with patterns that twist stitches in every row for more advanced textures. The book offers 125-plus stitch patterns, along with guidance on how the twists are engineered and how knitters can create designs of their own. Norah’s always-clear instructions are presented in a conversational, easy-to-understand voice that proceeds naturally as one twisted stitch leads to the next. Readers can test their newfound skills with the 15 garment patterns included—irresistible designs for hats, wraps, sweaters, and more.

"Originally published by Unicorn Books, Petaluma, California, in 2002."