If you are thinking about designing sweaters for yourself, others or for sale, Knitwear Design Workshop may be just the book you need. Author Shirley Paden assumes you know how to knit, but have never designed before. Therefore, her book is a step-by-step tool that starts with how to take accurate measurements, explains what "fit" is, describes how different stitch patterns react with fit, and then tells you how to put it all together. The book is large and spiral bound so that you can make copies of the worksheets included easily. The worksheets are essential to the design process, but more important is the math explanation.

Most knitters are familiar with instructions such as, "Increase one stitch at the beginning of the next two rows, five times", but probably never stopped to think about why. This book walks you through all of the math needed to translate your measurements into the fitted garment of your choice. If you have ever considered designing, this is one "have-to" book to include in your library.

Another how to book that is very interesting is The Sock Knitter's Workshop. It is not often that a book contains the basics of knitting socks from heel-to-cuff, from toe-to-top, and using double pointed needles or circular needles. The Sock Knitter's Workshop does all that and more. Most books pick one style and focus on that. Having a book with all the ways to knit a sock together in one place is incredibly helpful.

Because of that this book might be a good investment, but if you already have a book on sock knitting in various ways, you probably do not need to add this to your library. If you do decide to include this book, the step-by-step instructions combined with the great pictures and the multitude of ways to put a sock together will add hours of enjoyment to your knitting life.






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