General Knitting Books – Every Knitter should have
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With everyone’s focus on the internet these days for searching patterns, techniques, and tutorials, I feel like Knitting Books are sometimes getting forgotten, but there are soooo many good books on knitting out there! I feel like it’s worth keeping at least a small knitting library, even if just for occasional reference.
You just never know when you might need a book! (the internet does goes down from time to time, cell service isn’t always available, phones and computers get misplaced or broken… ok so generally in my house if I loose my computer or my phone it’s probably just hiding under the biggest pile of yarn and half finished projects, but still 🙂 )…
Books Every Knitter should have on their shelves (in my opinion!):
These are just a few of the books which I personally find extremely helpful
(these are for General Knitting Techniques, I will do future posts on some neat pattern books, and books on specific techniques down the road :)).
Ultimate Knitting Bible : A Complete Reference with Step-by-Step Techniques (By: Sharon Brant)
This is a great book which covers so many of the things that come up when trying to work a pattern! Sharon gives great diagrams, and full color photos along with her descriptions which I find extremely helpful being a visual learner.
This book not only gives you lots of information and instruction for the basics (everything from basic knit and purl stitches, and how to cast on/off etc). They also delve into more advanced techniques (garment shaping, colourwork, knitting with beads, how to work from a chart, and even some information on installing zippers and lining jackets!).
This is definitely a handy reference book to have on hand!
Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques (By: Nancie M. Wiseman)
This is another one of my favorites for reference. This little book has all kinds of Cast On and Bind Off options, as well as Selvage Edgings, how to do seams, and lots more!
Nancie uses a mixture of photos and diagrams to show how to do each technique, and I find her explanations and instructions to be very easy to follow.
I think every knitter should have a copy of this book!
*This book is also the perfect size to make fringes (I used it when making my Snuggle Scarf pattern!)
350+ Knitting Tips, Techniques, and Trade Secrets (By: Betty Barnden)
This is another great reference book. Again it has information from beginner to more advanced, and this little book has a lot of information squeezed into it. They even talk briefly about yarn dying.
Another good one to have on hand!
Knit Stitch Dictionary : 250 Essential Stitches (By: Debbie Tomkies)
No Knitting book collection would be complete without at least one stitch reference book (I have 5… most of which I have picked up at used book sales over the years, but they are great when searching for inspiration for new patterns!)…
Personally this one is my favorites, I like that is has both written instructions as well as graph views. This makes it easier to follow.
The New Knitting Stitch Library (By: Lesley Stanfield)
This is another Stitch Reference book, with a good variety of stitches. I like the photographs and the fact that it shows each pattern clearly along with a diagram. However be aware that this stitch library does not have written instructions, they rely on the grid diagrams to demonstrate each stitch pattern which may not be ideal for some people, although I actually like it.
There are so many more general reference books out there, but I can’t list them all! These are the few which I feel every knitter should have in their collection for general reference, but if you know of any other good General Reference books which I haven’t listed please post in the comments below!)
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That’s my weekly musing for this week!
Go out and see if you can inspire someone to take up knitting!
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