Knitting Patterns For Dummies

by Porter, Kristi

• ISBN13: 9780470045565
• ISBN10: 0470045566
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-08
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Have you always wanted to knit? Know the basics, but you're looking to stretch your knitting skills? Knitting Patterns For Dummies is chock-full of simple instructions and easy-to-follow patterns to help you create a wide range of classic, beautiful knits for the whole family, from clothing to household items to gift ideas. This fun, friendly guide gives you scores of new ways to have fun with needles and yarn, with great projects such as basic ponchos and pullovers, felted bags and slippers, cabled sweaters, and home and baby accessories, to name a few. You get step-by-step instructions for all the patterns in the book, along with line drawings and 8 pages of full-color photos to guide you. And, with the variations added at the end of many of the patterns, you'll have almost 100 projects to choose from! You'll discover how to: Select the right yarn and needles Decipher knitting lingo Measure your gauge, read a pattern, and understand garment sizing Work with common stitches, such as the stockinette, garter seed, box, and half linen Handle ribbing, cabling, and knitting lace Work with patterns with rectangles, circles, and triangles Use colorful stitches such as the Stripes, Fair Isle, and Mosaic Join shapes together in your design Create different textures and add color throughout a piece or just as accents You'll also find ten things you can knit with that aren't yarn or needles, as well as plenty of tips for caring for your knits once they're complete. From beanies to bags to blankets, Knitting Patterns For Dummies has it all-everything you need to pick up your sticks and get creative right away!

Author Biography

Kristi Porter is an author, designer, technical editor, and teacher. In addition to authoring Knitting for Dogs, her work has been featured in the Knitgrrl series, the Big Girl Knits series, No Sheep For You, and Knit Wit. She is a frequent contributor to Knitty.com and has been a part of that online magazine since its start in 2002.
Kristi doesn’t remember learning to knit as a child, but she captured the basics and an enthusiasm for the craft from her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother. She began her first projects as a designer and a knitter, realizing only later that not everyone designed their own patterns. Though her first attempts were boxy and oversized (thank goodness it was the ’80s!), once she grasped the importance of gauge, she was on her way to creating wearable designs. She began approaching the craft in a serious way in the late ’90s and learned how to read and write patterns in order to share her designs with others.
As a knitting instructor, Kristi teaches students at all levels and ages. Getting feedback about what knitters want to knit, what they enjoy, and what they find difficult has given her a strong sense of what knitters need to know. She delights in helping her students create their own patterns to suit their own needs and senses of fashion.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Nuts and Bolts (or Sticks and String) of Knitting

The Right Stuff: Knitting Supplies

Gauge Your Success

Do You Measure Up? Size Matters

Break the Code: Reading Patterns

A Primer on Stitches and Color

The Simplest Stitches

Stitches that Look Tricky but Aren't

Colorful Stitches

Patterns with Rectangles and Related Shapes

Rectangles to Wear

Rectangles for the Home

Almost Rectangles

Patterns with Circles, Triangles, and More

Knitting in Circles

Shaping Triangles

Putting Together Rectangles and Triangles

Knitting Beyond Geometry Class

The Part of Tens

Ten Things You Can Knit with that Aren't Yarn or Needles

Almost Ten Things You Can Do with Your Swatches

Ten Ways to MacGyver Your Knitting

Ten Smart Ways to Care for Your Knits

Appendix: Basic Knitting Skills

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.