Knitting books are an art form that get you excited about knitting each time you pick one up. Books that have good pictures, illustrations and a variety of patterns are a way to pass the time when we are not knitting. There are old stand by such as Barbara Walker's pattern books, the hard to find Principles of Knitting by June Hiatt, and anything by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Other books include books on technique such as Alice Starmore’s Aran Knitting and color like Kaffe Fassett’s Glorious Knits.

The latest books on the knitting scene are by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. She has elevated writing about knitting to an art form, her books are not merely pattern and technique books, but they are books that appeal our sense of humor. That is not to say there isn’t plenty about technique in the books, her recipes, which is what she calls patterns, are simple to use and memorize so that you can knit in public without needing to refer to the recipe. Her books have an almost cult following and are popularized by her blog at www.yarnharlot.ca. Ms. Pearl-McPhee is an essayist and knows how to make a reader laugh at loud at her knitting escapades and revel in the joy of being a knitter.

In addition to Ms. Pearl-McPhee’s books the also popular Stitch ‘n Bitch and Stitch ‘n Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller are two fairly new offerings to the world of knitting. They are slightly irreverent, but full of patterns that should appeal to newer knitters ready to move past scarves. I have to admit when I saw the bikini in Stitch ‘n Bitch I did make the assumption that the author was appealing to younger women. The patterns in the book are fun, fanciful, and will appeal to your sense of adventure. Although parts of the book poke fun at long-time knitters, there is a sense of delight in the process of knitting that most knitters feel and the author certainly has. It would be a great gift to give our children to start them out. The instructions on how to get started and what supplies you’ll need is very well presented. I especially like the illustrations since they are clear and the colors contrast very well to make them extremely easy to see while looking over your hands, through your knitting and at the page. The sequel, Stitch ‘n Bitch Nation, takes off where the first ends with more complicated and intricate patterns and less basic knitting instructions.