Knitting Patterns For Dummies

Knit designs from head to toe and beyond

From sweaters and slippers to pillows and purses create classic, beautiful knits with ease

Looking for great knitting projects? This fun, friendly guide is chock–full of simple instructions and easy–to–follow patterns to help you create a wide range of knitted items for the whole family, from clothing and accessories to household items and gift ideas. Plus, you get full–color photos and fantastic projects perfect for beginners or those who want to stretch their knitting skills!

Discover how to 

Choose the right yarn and needles

Measure your gauge, read a pattern, and understand garment sizing

Work with common stitches and pattern shapes

Create different textures and add color

Care for completed knits

Introduction.

Part I: The Nuts and Bolts (or Sticks and String) of Knitting.

Chapter 1: The Right Stuff: Knitting Supplies.

Chapter 2: Gauge Your Success.

Chapter 3: Do You Measure Up? Size Matters.

Chapter 4: Break the Code: Reading Patterns.

Part II: A Primer on Stitches and Color.

Chapter 5: The Simplest Stitches.

Chapter 6: Stitches that Look Tricky but Aren t.

Chapter 7: Colorful Stitches.

Part III: Patterns with Rectangles and Related Shapes.

Chapter 8: Rectangles to Wear.

Chapter 9: Rectangles for the Home.

Chapter 10: Almost Rectangles.

Part IV: Patterns with Circles, Triangles, and More.

Chapter 11: Knitting in Circles.

Chapter 12: Shaping Triangles.

Chapter 13: Putting Together Rectangles and Triangles.

Chapter 14: Knitting Beyond Geometry Class.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 15: Ten Things You Can Knit with that Aren t Yarn or Needles.

Chapter 16: Almost Ten Things You Can Do with Your Swatches.

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to MacGyver Your Knitting.

Chapter 18: Ten Smart Ways to Care for Your Knits.

Appendix: Basic Knitting Skills.

Index.

Kristi Porter is an author, designer, technical editor, and teacher. In addition to authoring Knitting for Dogs, her work has been featured in the Knitgrrl series, the Big Girl Knits series, No Sheep For You, and Knit Wit. She is a frequent contributor to Knitty.com and has been a part of that online magazine since its start in 2002.
Kristi doesn t remember learning to knit as a child, but she captured the basics and an enthusiasm for the craft from her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother. She began her first projects as a designer and a knitter, realizing only later that not everyone designed their own patterns. Though her first attempts were boxy and oversized (thank goodness it was the 80s!), once she grasped the importance of gauge, she was on her way to creating wearable designs. She began approaching the craft in a serious way in the late 90s and learned how to read and write patterns in order to share her designs with others.
As a knitting instructor, Kristi teaches students at all levels and ages. Getting feedback about what knitters want to knit, what they enjoy, and what they find difficult has given her a strong sense of what knitters need to know. She delights in helping her students create their own patterns to suit their own needs and senses of fashion.