Knitting For Dummies (3^rd Ed.)

An illustrated guide showing how to create beautiful, timeless pieces, whether you're picking up needles for the first time or a seasoned pro looking for advanced patterns

From scarves and sweaters to bags, pillows, and more, you'll find lots of projects for practicing and perfecting your knitting skills in Knitting For Dummies, which includes an instructional online video showing you the actual knitting techniques being done step-by-step.

Experienced and novice crafters alike can benefit from the book's step-by-step instructions that explain knitting in plain English. For anyone new to knitting, this hands-on friendly guide shows you how to

• Cast on, knit, purl, and bind off -- the four basic skills needed to complete any knitting
• Decipher pattern instructions and charts
• Combine knit and purl stitches with increases and decreases for different effects
• Create different kinds of cables, lace, and more
• Read the language and graphics in knitting patterns and charts
• Increase and decrease stitches and use these techniques to shape a project and create design

It also shows you what to do if you drop a stitch or inadvertently add one. If you know the basics of knitting and want to expand your skills to include stitch patterns with more complexity, you've come to the right place:

• Combine stitch increases and decreases to create lacework
• Get familiar with Fair Isle patterns and simple intarsia motifs, which involve working in more than one color in one row
• Practice with plenty of projects to perfect your advanced knitting techniques
• Learn to add interest with stripes
• Have fun with fulling and felting
• Make sweaters, from blocking and assembling your pieces to adding finishing touches like neckbands, edging, and buttonholes

Knitting For Dummies includes ten quick projects to make for gifts and exercises to "unkink" your neck and shoulders should you lose yourself for hours at a time in your craft! Finally, the book ends with a couple appendixes showing you more cool effects and a list of knitting software and helpful online resources. If you're itching to start stitching, grab this book to start crafting your knitted masterpiece today.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Knitting 5

Chapter 1: Two Needles, a Ball of Yarn, and a Little Know-how 7

Chapter 2: Tools of the Trade 15

Chapter 3: Taking the Mystery Out of Patterns and Gauge 41

Part 2: Knitting Primer 55

Chapter 4: The Fundamentals: Casting On, Knitting, Purling, and Binding Off 57

Chapter 5: Basic Stitches You’ll Use Again and Again 77

Chapter 6: Techniques Every Knitter Should Know 89

Chapter 7: Oops! Fixing Common Mistakes 109

Chapter 8: Knitting in the Round 123

Chapter 9: Practicing with Simple Projects 133

Part 3: Techniques for the More Experienced Knitter 149

Chapter 10: Adding Interest with Stripes 151

Chapter 11: Cable Musings and Interesting Twists 171

Chapter 12: Let the Sun Shine In: Knitting Lace 195

Chapter 13: Fair Isle and Intarsia Techniques 215

Chapter 14: Fulling Fun: Making Your Project’s Presence Felt 237

Part 4: Making Knitted Garments 249

Chapter 15: Anatomy of a Sweater Pattern 251

Chapter 16: How to Knit a Sweater, Step by Step 259

Chapter 17: Getting It Together: Blocking and Assembling Your Pieces 275

Chapter 18: Finishing Touches: Neckbands, Edging, Buttonholes, and More 303

Chapter 19: Starter Garments 319

Part 5: The Part of Tens 339

Chapter 20: Ten Quick Knitting Projects and Gifts 341

Chapter 21: Ten Unkinking Exercises for Knitters 353

Part 6: Appendixes 357

Appendix A: More Stitches and Cool Effects 359

Appendix B: Knitting Resources 373

Index 377

Pam Allen is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince & Co.

Shannon Okey is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.

Tracy L. Barr is a professional writer and editor.

Marlaina "Marly" Bird hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.