Saturday, February 04, 2012

Book Review: WhenBad Things Happen to Good Knitters

Some time ago, (no, I won't say how long, it's too embarrassing) the Taunton Press sent me an exam copy of this book to review. I think it was because I had posted about knitting, and how much I respect the old crafts, knitting, crochet, quilting, embroidery.

Somehow, the book disappeared under a pile of other books, and just recently came to light again. In my house, this is a common occurence, since books are to be found in every room, on shelves, in stacks, or open face down in a chair.

The complete title is When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters: An Emergency Survival Guide, by Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore.

It's a handy little volume filled with all kinds of rescue advice, beginning with a chapter on emergency prevention.

It is well organized, with clear illustrations for how to retrieve dropped stitches, various methods of finishing, and all kinds of other knitting emergencies.

The one thing I did not like was the choice of pale green for Section headings. They are difficult to read for me.

This is not a book for beginning knitters. The authors assume some basic knowledge of knitting. So if you are just learning how to knit, there are better instructive books out there. But if you have basic knitting skills, this book can tell you how to overcome almost any error you might make.

I am barely above beginner knitter, and have only made things shaped like squares (for an afghan) or rectangles (baby blankets). I taught myself to knit from a book while pregnant with our first child. With this book as a companion, maybe I will spread my wings and try something a little more complex.

Even for an experienced knitter, this book has advice to offer, especially for someone who does not have a companion knitter to help resolve issues such as (mis)reading a pattern, or what to do if the sleeve of the sweater has somehow sprouted from the chest instead of the shoulder.

I recommend this book for knitters of any level.

Note: I do not receive any remuneration for this review, or for subsequent purchases of the product.

4 comments:

Linda said...

Somehow knitting with a baby on the way sounds like a very good match. Very sweet.

A help guide for fixing sweaters where the arms come out of the chest... no kidding? That would intimidate me.

Did you ever read "The Inner Game of Tennis" back in the 80's? It was a how-to book about life, not tennis. Same with "The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." I admire writers who are so creative! Hugs to you Jan... another interesting post... : )

MotherT said...

I play around at knitting periodically, but I'm so slow at it that I get frustrated and stop.

I think I'll stick to sewing and crocheting. Much faster results.

This was a good review for the book, though. You should do more.

Geekwif said...

I just finished my first knitted scarf and could have used a book like that. I found great info in online for knitting basics, but little regarding fixing problems. My worst problem was that I would see a stitch 5 rows down that might be wrong because it didn't quite look right, but I wasn't sure why. It could have just been a bit stretched but I didn't know how to tell for sure.

Over all, I like crocheting better – probably because it's familiar – but if I ever do pick up another knitting project (I have the needles now after all) this book sounds like it could be handy. Thanks for the review!

Linda said...

Just checking you out... hope things are okay. : )