Jacqueline Fee

What fun!

I've been knitting enough to know many of the tasks the sample called for (ribbing, increasing, etc.) but she has some nifty tips for simple tasks, so worth it, and the more complicated bits or clever notions (how simple to make a pocket after the fact!) are well worth learning.

(The structure of the book is you knit a "sweater" sample, vastly smaller than a normal sweater, containing all of the components that 95% of the sweater patterns out there might call for, so that by the time show more you're done you've learned to cast on, ribbing, stockinette, garter, increases, decreases, changing colours, adding pockets, stranded knitting, icords, lace edging, etc. etc. etc., but without having to spend the time on the umpteen actual sweaters it would have taken to practice this for realsies).

After the sample section are patterns/methods for constructing actual sweaters, which you will no longer be intimidated by.

Just shy of 5 stars because it's at heart a manual, and the prose is apt and to-the-point, but not 5-star quality writing (like M.F.K. Fisher on food, say).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). show less

This is one of my favorite knitters guide books. I give all the stars and stripes to ms. fee for making this book, her great references to Zimmermann are outstanding. This workbook will cover every aspect of knitting that a knitter needs to know. The sample she has created for the reader to do is great.

If you are looking to start knitting or understand more about what you already know and want to tie it all together, then this would be the book for you.

Great book for learning techniques for making sweaters by making a practice sampler.

Fitted knits. 25 designs for the fashionable knitter. Stefanie Japel. North Light Books. 2007.

The author/designer is 6’ tall which explains the long line of most of her sweaters. Most are top down and unseamed and one shapes and adapts as required by one’s own dimensions. There is a skill level guide and a chapter on how to fit your knits. There are lots of patterns: tubes, tanks, tees, tunics, shrugs, cardigans, wraps, sweaters, vests and coats and one dress. The photographs are clear show more and some detail is shown.

Jacqueline Biéler, December 2008 show less