Carol Cook’s Favorite Books and Magazines

How to Knit
Author: Debbie Bliss
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Publishing, United States, 1999
First published in Great Britain in 1999 by Collins & Brown Limited

From the Beginner’s Workshop through the Finishing Workshop, How to Knit is a must read for knitters who want to learn how to knit and for those who already know how to knit and want to improve their knitting skills.

She gives you step-by-step techniques, stitch libraries and projects for your home and family with clear diagrams and simple explanations.

You will want How to Knit in your knitting library if it’s not already in it!!

Simply Knitting  Britain’s Best-Selling knitting magazine!
Publisher: Future Publishing Ltd

Simply Knitting is my favorite knitting magazine because it is a fun knitter’s magazine with lots of patterns, "how to’s", knit tips, pattern information, lots of things to make by Debbie Bliss, and so many others. This is not a boring knitting magazine and I am sure if you purchase a copy, you will agree. It includes an "Ask the Experts" column and features a guest expert each month.

The December issue features 30 patterns for the whole festive season.

Because I like this magazine so much, Organic Imaginings has committed to advertising space from December 2006 through December 2007 in Simply Knitting, which is published in the U.K.

I hope you will like it as much as I do and will look forward to purchasing or receiving a new copy each month. You will also receive a nice free gift with your magazine purchase as well.

Warren Teachout’s Favorite Books and Magazines

The Sweater Workshop, 2nd Edition
Author: Jacqueline Fee
Publisher: Down East Books
Copyright 1983, 2002

I have learned more from The Sweater Workshop than any other book on knitting and it is absolutely one of my top three favorites!

Jacqueline has based her book on the work of Elizabeth Zimmerman, whom Jacqueline credits frequently. The Sweater Workshop teaches you to knit sweaters in the round, freeing you from having to sew seams. What is also great is that you choose the yarn and needles that you want to use. You still have to swatch and understand your gauge, but it is your gauge you are following, not someone else’s.

The first part of the book is devoted to creating a sweater sampler. I highly recommend completing all of the sweater sampler not only because it will give you all the techniques you need to knit a sweater in the round, but also will give you a greater understanding of the techniques themselves.

The next part of the book walks you through creating a basic raglan sweater. After that, many inspiring patterns are in the book, accompanied by photos, to spur you on.

By the time I got hold of this book, I had my knit and purl stitches down and was well on my way to completing my first sweater, worked flat. It took me over a month just to sew the seams. One of my current projects is knitting the basic sweater from this book; I love working in the round and knowing that I will not have to spend all that time sewing up seams once I’m done. Working with this book has given me much greater confidence in my skills as well as freedom in my creations. I find that I’m willing to adapt patterns to the yarn that I want to use, to adapt sweater patterns that I like to working them in the round, and yes to eventually even start my own sweater pattern from scratch! That’s why I love this book so much.

Jacqueline is incredibly passionate about her yarn, her knitting and in supporting others in using these techniques. This is evident in her Yahoo! group, Sweaterworkshop. Members of the group receive insights, tips, and help from Jacqueline and other members about knitting sweaters in the round and knitting in general.

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