Beginning Basics: Book Recommendations

Every Monday I will throw out a post on Beginning Basics. When you are new to knitting there is so much to know and most of it takes so much time. I spent much of first two years knitting just searching and researching everything out there from the best needles to where to find cheap patterns. So while this week's post might be old news for you stay tuned for something new each week. I'm sure you'll pick up a few pointers here wether you're a total greenhorn or a master knitter.

I have over 100 knitting books in my library. It's disgusting and overwhelming. I haven't even mentioned all the pattern brochures and magazines. The book hoarding started out innocently

enough. I was new to the craft and wanted to learn more and get inspired more. I was living overseas and my family and husband were always gone... so I bought books... and more books. I'd say out of all the patterns I've knit only between 20 to 25% came from a book or magazine I owned. So really, you don't need books and books of patterns to knit interesting things. I admit, some books are just damn beautiful to look at. I have a guilty pleasure knitting book called Poetry in Stitches. It's a pricey gem but my eyes dance whenever I open it. Will I ever knit anything in this book, probably not.
Other books I own are like treasured resources for techniques, information and basic patterns. Most fall in between these two categories of books... they're ok but really, I could probably do without them. So to prevent you from going broke here are a few beginner books and reviews.

Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitters Handbook by Debbie Stroller

Stroller has created quite a needlecraft empire with the release of this first book in 2004. She has authored many books on knitting and crocheting. Still, this basic first book is one I turn to on a regular basis. It is written like a traditional text book, starting at the basics with some history then step by step it takes you through knitting simple items. Each chapter teaches you a skill or two and then gives you an assignment item to knit. Perfect for a do it yourself learner. Also, lots of great illustrations on how to knit the stitches. Lots of patterns are within the covers and many are very hip and modern, the kind of stuff any 8 to 28 year old would love.

One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit or Crochet by Leigh Radford

I picked up this gem at Harrods in London, of all places. This was another impulse beginner knitting book that actually has paid off! I've done several patterns in this book and it was a pattern from these pages that I knit that finally broke me out of my year long dish cloth obsession. This is a good book to grow with. Some patterns are quite basic while others will challenge you a bit. Either way they are fast and great for knitters with ADD. This book comes with instructions on some different knitting techniques.

One-Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn Shop Favorites by Judith Durant

This is a series of books with tons of quick knitting projects for any occasion. Again, these projects are designed to give you a small challenge with a quick turn around... great when you are struggling for motivation.

Knit Fix: Problem Solving for Knitters by Lisa Kartus

Every knitter needs an 'Oh Shit' book. Gotta have one because it happens to all of us. This is just one of many on the market. I like to recommend this one because of it's layout and it's spiral bound, great for on the go!

Well there are just a few starter books for ya. Sure, there are many more out there and some folks will say others are better. These are just the ones that work for me. I've also found that through my travels around the world and through various parts of the US most knitters have an affiliation with at least one of the titles. So, tell me, what are your favorite beginner books?

Keep On Keepin On

Often when I knit things go wrong. Terribly terribly wrong. You know the feeling... you miss a few rows of the pattern, you drop a stitch, your cat eats through your yarn, your toddler takes the entire project off the needles and so forth. Yeah, I've been there too man... To make you all feel better let me share a few moments of knitting hell with you...

Bart, the Yarn Devil
My parents got a new black lab named Bart. He was about 2 years old but still crazy as all hell. I was alone at their house one night knitting away on a scarf. The scarf in question was the Peruvian Cat Lace Scarf by Donna Druchunas. I was making it with Malabrigo Lace Yarn. Yes, it was delicate, expensive and beautiful. It took me a month to get to where I was... I was enjoying it and really flying. Then, I had to pee. Innocent enough. Bart looked at me as I started to stand up from the couch. His big brown eyes full of curiousity and dopiness. "Don't touch my shit dog." That should have been fine... I'd just be a minute.
I came back from the bathroom and found the yarn in Bart's smelly and slimy mouth. He thought it was the funnest thing ever. My screaming and yelling prompted Bart to get even more excited (if possible) and think this was a spirited game of keep away. Eventually I got the yarn back but in about 40 pieces... yea he chewed through the entire cake of yarn. The project itself was fine and still on the needles. My heart was broken and my patience was lost. I had to put the entire project up for several months. I finally came back to it and took stock of the damage. After some unmangling I was able to pick up where I left off and finish the project.

So Sorry Silk
One of my best friends announced her engagement last spring. The original plan was that they would have a quickie wedding in Hong Kong and then a big family affair when she moved back to the states a year later. I wanted to do something special for her. I knew she wouldn't have much for her quickie vows so I decided to make her a shawl. I cast on the #22 Shawl by Susan Haviland. I spent a small fortune on four skeins of Misti Alpaca Baby Suri Alpaca and Silk. It was a beautiful yarn and shawl. I loved it. To make it even sweeter the pattern was easy to follow. So I decided to knit while watching seasons 1 and 2 of Mad Men and Dexter. Then about 40 rows in... I noticed not all was flowing right. The count of was off, the symmetry was off. Shit. Then after staring at it I found the fatal mistake... about 39 rows back. My thought process.... it's silk, I've spent a fortune so I have to make it right, further more it's supposed to be an heirloom piece... this mistake is just too noticeable. So I tore out 39 rows and started again. Upon the completion of the shawl I went to block it and found yet another mistake on the upper side of the shawl. Fuck it... if it took me this long to notice it then I doubt my friend or others will notice it either.

Silly Sock
This week I cast on my first real adult sock. Most of the construction is easy to do and understand. I started on the toe with a Turkish Cast On. As I worked my way up there were a few snags with the sides looking a little loose, after some trial and error I was able to fix it and move on... because this is my first sock I didn't feel a strong pull to go back and fix it from the beginning, just learn and move on. Then I got to the heel. My count somehow got off and now I have a heel slightly off center. I've ripped it out and gone back to the start of the heel twice. Now I just want to get it done. I'm just going to ktog2 a few times at the beginning and ending of the back half of the sock and just get on with it. Again, it's my first sock, character is required.

So see, I too make plenty of mistakes. Those are just three of the bigger and more memorable ones. Honestly I have mistakes in every project I make. I have ADD and sometimes just get off track or skip steps. As time has passed I have learned ways to prevent and minimize mistakes. Here are a few things I swear by...
* Stitch Markers - When working on something with lots of stitches I place stitch markers every 20 or 25 stitches to help me keep count. I also place them before and after a pattern repeat or change to alert me and remind me.
* Post Its - Working from a pattern I always make a photo copy that I can easily take with me anywhere and mark up. As I progress through it I place a post it where I am currently working from. Sometimes those big charts can blur and you can accidently work from two different rows at once. The post it helps me remember where I am and keep me on the right row.
* 'Study It' Sessions - Before I start in on a project, no matter where I left off on it, I like to just look at it for a few minutes and admire my work, look for mistakes, make sure I know where I am in the pattern and see how I like the project so far. Typically during these long looking sessions I can find mistakes, make changes and foresee any issues.
* Reality and Humor - Most mistakes are never noticed, seriously. You will be the only one to know. Unless this knitted object is for a competition just chill. Some mistakes are so bad that they can be cool. That scarf I wrote about is known as the Bart Spit Scarf. I make mistakes work for me... one way or another.

Still, with even these tips I find that I have to knit back and tear out... that's just the nature of the beast. I know some knitters who fret over the perfect item. They want their technique to be perfect. To me that's just missing the point. It's always been about the journey. The mistakes I make while knitting make me a better knitter because I figure out how to fix them, work with them and make them mine. To any new knitter out there, just Keep On Keepin' On.