This classic and influential book is poised to inspire a whole new generation of knitters who have yet to discover the joys and comforts of knitting. As the lady herself once put it, "properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either."

Reviews

Rating: 3 / 5
Date: 2010-07-26
Summary: "Seriously "Meh""

I resisted buying this book for many years simply because of the annoying cult of personality that surrounds Elizabeth Zimmermann. It is quite tiresome to read fulsome praise for her all the time. To a new knitter (I started knitting in 1999), it doesn't really matter that she invented groundbreaking techniques, because those techniques were already established by the time I learned to knit.

However, Amazon had it on sale and I was placing an Amazon Fresh order. I needed $10 to bump my order over the free delivery line, so I threw this in.

Other than the cover, the book looks very old. This is to say that its formatting and presentation (and b&w pictures, and the pictures being of very old-fashioned things) make it look like an old book reprinted. I have a reprint of an 1892 knitting book and this looks very similar in its layout. The text occupies a relatively small part of the page, there are about 2" margins on most pages, which seems like a huge waste of paper.

Yes, all the pictures are of knitted items laying flat on a surface, which is not a flattering way to photograph knitted items (IMHO they should be on a model). The knitted sweaters all seem to be constructed for tiny little people - for example, the armhole openings on a yoked sweater appear to be only about 15" around, whereas the pullovers I've been knitting all these years have 20-24" armhole openings. The garments all have a quaint 1950s design.

What really bothered me was the blabby tone of the text! I like knitting books with instructions and techniques and good photos, but this book is full of chitchat about stuff that only vaguely relates to knitting. I did get one good technique out of it - the sewn cast-off, which works marvellously with machine-knit raw edges - but that's about the only worthwhile thing in here that I didn't already know (or didn't know where else to learn about it).

I think that when books are reprinted they should be reformatted and nicely typeset. This is a bit boring even at the price.

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-04-19
Summary: "A must have"

This is a classic and a must have for all serious knitters. I can't believe it took me so long to purchase it.

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-02-06
Summary: "Understanding... not patterns"

I love this book. I can't say it enough. For me, I picked it up when I really couldn't even knit, and immediately put it back down. It won't teach you how to knit, but then that's not it's purpose. EZ starts with the assumption that you can already cast on, knit, and execute a decrease. None of which are hard and can be found easily online. So...

It also probably will not be loved by those who love patterns. That's clear from other reviews. You HAVE to be a little bit flexible to appreciate this book. But to me, flexibility is the hallmark of creativity. If your happiest moments in life are reproducing a pattern so closely it looks like the picture on the front of the pamphlet, you won't understand the draw this book has. But if you want to be the master of your own knitting, this will be something you return to again and again. That's probably her fundamental purpose behind the book, that you be the master of your own knitting. That you aren't afraid to rip out, or drop a stitch down a few rows to fix something, because your knitting is your knitting and it will only do what you make it do. And that's why i love this book. It gave me confidence I didn't have before. It showed me I didn't need to be a designer or an expert to make my own stuff. And as others have said, it teaches you the absolutely essential skill of GUAGE and swatching. I tried a Zimmermann sweater without this... bad. Very bad. And I can't say she didn't warn me. :)

The pictures are not helpful, I'll admit. They're more for sake of visual interest I suppose than for instructional purposes. And yes, she's an uneven knitter, but if you read she admits that... and then says if you want a machine-even sweater, go buy a sweater. Otherwise, what's the point of handknitting? It shouldn't look store-bought anyway.

I was truly surprised how negative some of the reviews were... I have to say that obviously those people just didn't get what they were looking for... a pattern book. It's NOT a pattern book. It's a treatise on knitting. I found it inspirational and instructive.

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-07-27
Summary: "As Good as It Gets"

I am a serious knitter, but I am not an advanced knitter. Besides my lack of skill and experience, I am extremely ADD. So, this book is better than I expected, it is insightful and funny. It shows diagrams and written instructions for most practical stitches such as the different kinds of cast on stitches. So, if you are like me and can just knit and purl and have at least average intelligence or less-like me, this book is the answer to all the problems that arise in knitting. Some have said she lectures about gauge, but do you really want to knit a sweater and find it too big or worse, too small? I cannot wait to purchase all her other books, I feel that I will enjoy them as much and look forward to designing my own sweaters, with EZ's guidance. This is the best knitting book that I have seen, and I whole heartedly recommend it. I want to say this to all the people who gave this book less than five stars-patience-it is a virtue and necessary for knitting more than a scarf!

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-06-10
Summary: "Knitting without tears"

I had the book years ago. Got just what I wanted. Great book!