Design It, Knit It: Secrets from the Designer's Studio

This book is okay if you know nothing about design, but it is very shallow and not particularly helpful if you want to make something from scratch. The projects are nice. I really like the cable yoke sweater, but the cable sweater that changes the size of the cables adds too much bulk in the hip area. If you really want to design from the ground up try Shirley Paden's Knitwear Design- it's full of math and like a textbook- or if you just want help with sizes and gauge adjustments try Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Guide to Patterns or Knitter's Handy Guide to Sweater Patterns .

This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to design handknits. Debbie Bliss shares her personal experiences and suggestions for effective design in 5 simple chapters, with 15 sample projects to get you started.