Customer Reviews

Complete Idiot Guide To Knitting And Crocheting

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am a self-taught knitter, and I must say, that when I am in a bind, I can always find help from this book. I also like that it has both knitting and crocheting. The tips inside are also very helpful. If you are just learning to knit, I must say this is a great reference for you!

I tried to teach myself to knit using only this book- don't try it, it doesn't work. I ended up buying some cheap, simple books with big pictures to show me how to follow the instructions in the "Complete" guide. The previous reviewer who said that the authors sometimes omit crucial information is absolutely right-simply telling you to "turn your work" doesn't make much sense if you're a brand new knitter and you can barely cast on. This doesn't mean that this is a bad book by any means, but it definately does NOT live up to the purpose of Complete Idiots Guide series- you must have some previous experience or outside help to learn to knit.

I bought this book about two months ago because I wanted to learn how to knit and crochet. But, I haven't found this book to be the all in one resource that I had hoped. The pictures are too small to really help me understand what is going on, the descriptions are sometimes to vague. For example, after you complete a row in knitting you are supposed to turn your work. The book tells me to turn my work but never tells me what turning means. I had to get another book to help me out. I still can't do a purl stitch correctly despite several hours of practice.

I think the section on crochet is a little better but I still had several issues. The drawings were too small and the directions didn't go into enough detail. I've spent the past two evenings trying to follow the granny square example that is in the book. All I've managed to do is make an ugly round knot. For instructions that have almost 20 items, there are only three pictures which just show completed sections but don't actually show what the square should look like while in progress. Also, the section about working around the post just has a small desciption with no pictures to explain to me what the heck I'm supposed to do!

There are two projects in the crochet section. The first is an afghan blanket. But, this project requires you to use two skills (weaving in ends and changing yarn) that aren't explained until later in the book. The other project is a placemat which I have no interest in making. I bought a crochet manual from Michaels for six bucks that answered a lot of the questions this book gave me and went into a lot more detail.

This is an OK resource but I'd say get at least one or two others as well.

I love this book and refer to it often. I used it exclusively to learn how to crochet. People can't believe that I learned from a book, as this is usually a skill passed on from person to person. I read the basic information on yarns and supplies, then skipped the knitting section and went straight to the crochet. It is very easy and even entertaining to read! The illustrations and explanations are very detailed and clear. I crochet left-handed and had no trouble thanks to the extra instructions for lefties.

Since learning my new skill I've been crocheting every spare moment and have made a baby blanket, hat and booties, a adult's shawl, and even a teddy bear. I look forward to turning back to the front section to learn to knit soon.

This book plus lots of free patterns available on the internet are all you need to knit and crochet your day away.

Way too little information for such thick book!
(but good info on sewing knitted piece though.. even though it's only on 2-3 pages of the book.)

I bought this book along with Knitting for Dummies, and they both have the same problems: NO PICTURES on how to actually knit. OK, there are four pictures. Not much better than none, if you ask me.

If you have never seen anyone knit, how do you know what it looks like? The illustrations skip steps, they are small and they are dark. You can barely tell which needle is on top, much less what the yarn is doing.

This might not have been the death knell for this book if the written instructions had been clearer -- by they weren't. I *read for a living past the college level*, and I couldn't follow the instructions as given without the visual cues.

I have a good college education and I am an experienced crafter. I still find it hard to believe, but I cannot learn this craft with this book OR Knitting for Dummies. (It has basically the same flaws, only some are worse.)

If you need visual aids to learn a new craft, DO NOT buy this book! Buy a video, talk to a knitter, call your local craft store to see if there are classes or knitting groups that can help you.

I just can't believe that the author so completely failed to convey the single most important aspect of this craft in a visual sense. Truly unbelievable.

I bought this book early in my knitting career and find it to be occasionally helpful. It's good with some knitting basics, but the two patterns I tried really weren't that cool. I completed them and they look okay, but I'd never want to wear them. To expand my yarn obsession (I guess) I used the book to learn to crochet. Some of the diagrams were helpful, but in the end this book didn't help me get the hang of it at all. There are some interesting tip boxes, and some good background, but overall I bet there's a better "basics" book out there.

The title of this books gives no false pretenses about its contents. It is exactly that~ a complete idiot's guide to knitting and crocheting. I first purchased this book because I had mastered the arts of knitting and purling~ but could do little else! This book gives clear, detailed descriptions that help beginners both learn and succeed. Again, this is just a guide and does not contain many patterns. So, if new patterns are what you're serching for, or if you are practiced at these crafts, I would suggest you search elsewhere. But, if you are looking to improve and expand upon your basic knitting/crocheting skills~ look no further; this book is an excellent reference!

This was a good book, but it fell short on a couple of things. In my experience someone who is learning to knit needs good illustrations and photos. No matter how well the book is written they must have pictures to reference. And this book does not supply that. It has no sample photos of stitches or even pictures of the few patterns it offers. I have to see the finished product so I know if I want to spend the time and money to knit it. I gave it 3 stars because it does have good info for beginners and it is book shelf worthy, though it does not get opened as often as my Vogue Knitting.

I got this book hoping that I could teach myself how to knit. However, the illustrations did not provide enough consistent information for this visual learner, and I found myself constantly stuck and had to ask around for help to finish the most basic steps. The book provides a decent overview on knitting basics (e.g., needles, gauge), but does not include enough information for completely idiotic knitters (like myself) to get ourselves out of a pile of knots. You can get the same amount of information in this book, with the same illustrations, on the Internet.