#knittinginstruction

When Mary Thomas wrote this in 1945 in Mary Thomas’s Book of Knitting Patterns when dressmaking was the most common craft women learned. Circular knitting, which she called seamless knitting, was viewed as peasant knitting, interesting historically, but not something most women likely to do. So, comparing knitting to dressmaking was a compliment. In fact, sewing pieces of knitted fabric was taken for granted and Thomas offered the same garment block or garment schematic that we see in dressmaking in the section explaining how to plan an entirely original sweater.

Similarly, Thomas urged her the reader to imagine new ways of patterning a knitted fabric through her choice of stitches. Every section of the book suggests how variations might be introduced to the stitches she explains. She valued the experimentation and imagination which created the stitches she taught and clearly saw yet more to be invented.

Mittens & Socks From Around Norway by Nina Granlund Saether

This book offers such cheery colors and patterns that I am feeling welcoming towards the cold weather which is headed my way.

I am showing the mittens, but there are as many sock patterns, more than 4 dozen patterns the book offered up. Most are based on traditional designs researched by the author who has been working on historical designs for a while now. As you can see from the images, there are more sober geometrics and playful flora and fauna. The range of colors shown runs from the grey on grey, to bright contrasts, and single-color harmonies, and, of course, you can substitute your own colors.

The book is a large-scale paperback which starts with instructions and images of the basic techniques, everything from Latvian braid to multiple ways to knit a heel on a sock. I have shied from the idea of knitting socks, yet the clarity of the explanations drew me in. Each pattern has a photograph and a colorwork chart along with notes on its historical origins where appropriate. Almost all are made with fingering-weight yarn, but since they are small, they are faster projects.

Although my own winter gear is mostly heavy gloves with leather-lined palms for coping with long dog leads, I am definitely coveting some mittens after paging through this handsome book.

Circular Knitting Workshop by Margaret Radcliffe

I am a fan of Margaret Radcliffe's books because she explains technical details in order to allow you to master what is needed to create knitting patterns on your own. This was also true of vintage knitting books which assumed we would and could change up stitches, details, etc., as we knitted. So a good artisanal tradition to keep alive. Of course, if you are feeling wary, you could just knit any of the handsome projects included in the book.

This book is a workshop because it builds on the knowledge it imparts, working its way up through simple to complex projects in order to allow you to master one technique at a time. So, after a section on the basics of casting on, and the various ways to work circular needing, you get applications of techniques. First, a project, like simple tubular scarf, plus some other options, then the helix hat, (which is working two spirals and which you see here in the pinky colors), circular shawls, etc. She works you all the way up to a sweater. For all of these projects, she has a section called "Any Size, Any Yarn" to explain the calculations you will need in order to launch yourself into a different version with confidence.

Radcliffe also notes common problems and their solutions along the way. An appendix illustrates all the basic stitch techniques used. She is fair enough to acknowledge the pros and cons of knitting in the round even while she explains how you can convert a flat pattern to a circular one. There is a lot of information in here, but you can easily skip to the section which most interests you, or to a project that highlights the technique you especially want to learn.