Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns
Ellen Liberles, Ed. (Sterling Publishing Co.)
AUD$24.95/ISBN 1402727631
You know those stitch 'treasuries' knitting writers and designers are always talking about? Well, this is the kind of thing they're talking about—and it's a big one, setting out to prove just why they're so useful. Slightly larger than A4 (or your standard 8.5 x 11") and weighing in at a hefty 288 pages, this softcover book almost rudely dispenses with formalities such as the basic how-to of knitting and gets straight on with the job of presenting as many knitting stitches as can fit. One almost wonders why the publisher stopped at 288 pages. Beyond that, perhaps, it would become too big to hold comfortably on the lap and require its own lectern.
And indeed, this not-so-slim volume is chockers with ideas. Each stitch appears as a knitted swatch and a chart, with straight-forward written instructions besides. The photographs are a weak point. Some bear signs of having been digitally edited to alter colours; in the process, it seems, contrast and stitch definition have been lost. Other images are so closely cropped that it is difficult to see the fabric for the stitches and the reader may not have a clear idea of the pattern being worked.
First published in Italy in 2000, this book has been through several editions and at least one translation, which says something about its popularity (and might also account for the scattered typos). If you're seeking the One True Knitting Stitch Reference, you may want to keep looking. Meantime, with so many options to consider and so many, many pages to ponder, The Big Book of Knitting Stitches is exactly as advertised: very big, packed with stitches and well-priced to boot. Perhaps not a must-have, but still very much worth considering for the home (or guild) knitting library.
—Barbara Coddington