By Crafts for Learning Contributor, Danielle from the blog Crayonbox Learning.
I approached this particular book review from the perspective of a beginner. I do not have any practical experience knitting or crocheting, except for maybe the one row chains that my Mom taught me to make as a child.
The book is set up similarly to a cook book. Each page features simplistic drawings of the project. Each project is detailed with a list of instruments, and supplies needed to complete the project. I particularly liked the aspect that each project also included measurements of the finished piece, and how much yarn would be needed. For people who are more visual like myself, this was a bonus!
Some of the projects utilized instructions from other projects contained in the book. I am not sure why this was done because there would have been space to provide the instructions on the page. It appeared more as a space filler than practical.
There is a lot of open space in this book because of the layout. If this was any other kind of book, it would be a waste of space. In this particular book, the space on the margins and pages separating each section can be used to write notes in.
There are nice, full color pictures in the center of the book that align with each project. In my opinion, the photos should have been placed on each project page. The manner in which the book is formatted; the user will need to flip through the book to find some of the directions, and to find the corresponding photo so that the crafter will know how the finished product should look when complete. This may be a challenge for some that prefer their instructions and photos to be on the same page, or being able to keep the book open to one place while working on the project.
The back of the book contains a directory of all of the contributors that were featured in the book including names, locations and a brief blurb as to what each shop has to offer. A glossary of terms is also featured with knitting terms and illustrations of the various techniques. This particular feature is very helpful for a beginner to learn from.
Overall, the book is simplistic enough for a beginner and may also be a good find for a more seasoned knitter. The idea that you can make a complete hat, scarf, or sweater from one skein of yarn is appealing.
