Elizabeth Zimmermann (1910–1999)

I've been thinking of delving into the world of knitting design for a while now and reading this book stoked my desire to do so. Zimmerman's voice is completely her own and I appreciated the no-nonsense approach to being a "thinking knitter."

Note: this isn't really a pattern book, so if that's what you're looking for, I wouldn't recommend it. There are "patterns" but they read more like design notes than anything else.

A very interesting book dealing more with the science and theory of knitting rather than actual patterns. It provides the knitter with guidelines for knitting basic pieces, so that one can think independently and not necessarily be tied to any specific pattern, but potentially customize any pattern for a perfect fit.

This book has some funny moments too; the author's humor certainly shows. For example, when giving instructions for creating an afterthought pocket for a sweater, the second show more paragraph starts: "DON'T HAVE HEART FAILURE." (This is because you will have just deliberately cut a hole in your knitting.) this lightheartedness goes a long way in a book that is basically your grandmother spewing all of her knowledge at you, should you be lucky enough to have a grandmother able to do such a thing.

I recommend this book for a person who's been knitting for a while and is maybe looking for ways to go beyond published patterns. I think it might scare a newby away from the craft forever. show less

Would that all knitting books were as companionable, friendly, and interesting as this one! Even when giving instructions for casting on, she's liable to say something like "Now, cast on 24 stitches--this may seem like a measly sum at first, but wait," etc. ... the patterns are conversational and her conversation is lively and delightful.

This is a good book for the beginning-ish knitter ... I'm about 2 1/2 years into this hobby, and felt I could appreciate/understand most of this book show more (whereas her Knitting Around, which has marvelous autobiographical digressions, is quite a bit beyond me knitting-wise).

She writes about knitting rather like M.F.K. Fisher writes about cooking--that's a very high compliment indeed!

4 stars and not 5 because it's still a "how to knit garments" kind of a book, and even the very best books of practical instructions don't feel 5-ish to me. They would have to transcend, and this comes close but not quite. show less

I've never understood why people rave about this book (or Elizabeth Zimmermann). She didn't reinvent the wheel or invent knitting, and it gets really tiring to listen to some knitters go on and on about her. More often than not, in her attempts to remind people that they're in charge of the knitting, not the other way around - a noble cause, I must admit - she just ends up being condescending. (Why she jumps to the conclusion that everyone else besides her is necessarily afraid of their show more knitting is baffling.) show less