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The
Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns: Basic Designs in
Multiple Sizes & Gauges (Interweave)
by
Ann Budd
Amazingly, this book was published in 2002
and I've only recently discovered it. While I've been
knitting for almost 3 decades (gasp!), the one thing that
has always given me the most trouble is “gauge”. It's
not that I can't do it, I just don't trust myself.
Since “swatching” has never been my favorite thing, when
I'm trying to re-do a favorite pattern with a different
yarn I end up in endless tester pieces, trying to make sure
that my “math” was correct; and as I knit up the pattern,
I become obsessed with measuring to see if I somehow calculated
wrong.
Fortunately, I've always been a relatively
true-to-gauge knitter, so if the yarn is 5 stitches per
inch on size 8 needles, I'm usually right there; but the
obsession with calculating my own gauge frequently takes
some of the joy out of the knitting.
This book has been invaluable! It has
basic patterns for almost every article of clothing
and has them done for multiple gauges and sizes – all in
simple, easy-to-read charts.
Ann Budd has also put in some tips and suggestions
for putting your own spin on the items. So the gloves
have been painlessly converted into fingerless gloves using
the yarn that a friend picked out. Even adding my
own color patterns or cables are less daunting because the
“hard” part (math !) has already been done!
I think this book is going to help me work
through my seemingly endless stash of yarn much
quicker – because I no longer have to fuss about finding
a pattern to match the yarn or spend hours & hours re-working
a favorite pattern so that I can use some fluffy mohair
that the pattern didn't call for….
-Review
by Kristi Hill
Buy
this book on Amazon
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