Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook

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Type: Book
Studio: Workman Publishing Company
Knitting is hot, with 4 million newcomers in the last few years joining a core group of 38,000,000 knitters nationwide. And these are primarily young, creative, connected chicks with sticks who are coming together in living rooms, knitting cafes, and chic yarn stores, and making everything from funky hats to bikinis.

In Stitch 'n Bitch, Debbie Stoller-founder of the first Stitch 'n Bitch knitting group in New York City-covers every aspect of knitting and the knitting-together lifestyle: the how-to, the when-to, the what-to, the why-to. Writing with wit and attitude (The Knitty-Gritty, Blocking for Blockheads), she explains the different types of needles and yarns (and sheep, too) and all the techniques from basic to fancy, knit to purl to cast-off. She also shares her special brand of corrective surgery for when things go wrong, and offers fun and informative sidebars on such topics as how to find the best yarn for less, how to make a buttonhole, knitting etiquette, and what tools to keep in your knitting bag. At the heart of the book are forty stylish patterns: Alien Scarf, Big Bad Baby Blanky, Mohair Hoodie, Kitty and Devil Hat, Cell Phone Cozy, and Wonder Woman Bikini. And for anyone interested: how to start a Stitch 'n Bitch group.

Say what you will...
I taught myself to knit using this book.
I can do everything covered in this book.
'nuff said :)

fun, easy, practical knitting
I love the idea of this book and I love the practical suggestions and patterns it contains. I look forward to a lot of knitting.

It is what it is
There are a lot of reviews on here complaining about how 'young' the patterns are, and the light-hearted tone of the book. I think people are forgetting that this book has been written for a young audience. If you are out of your 20s and looking for more serious knits, this isn't for you (although you may be able to modify some of the designs in here to your tastes). As for the tone, it's what you should expect from a book with the title 'Stitch 'n Bitch' - it's going to be less serious than the heavy tomes you'll find on many knitters' shelves. It's written to fall in line with the new wave of young knitters, many of whom want the magazine-like and irreverent style found in this book.

People also complain about how simple the patterns are, especially the garter stitch scarf. This is a book for BEGINNERS. I don't know about you, but I felt a huge sense of achievement when I finished my first garter stitch scarf! This book has been written with this in mind. Those of you who are holier-than-thou knitters who have been holding needles since birth, buy more advanced books and stop bashing this one for being too simple for you.

I'll admit it's not entirely clear at times, and there are errata (Debbie Stoller seems plagued by errata-filled patterns, makes me wonder why her books aren't thoroughly checked before publishing) but these can be found easily online.

I'd still recommend this book to anyone interested in learning to knit, and I'd direct them to http://www.knittinghelp.com too, as watching someone do things makes them easier to learn.

It's not perfect, and it is what it is - a 'hip' guide to knitting written for a young audience. There are still almost 200 5 star reviews for this book, so even with all the 1 and 2 star reviews out there it's still a hugely popular and widely-used book. I still say, buy it - but know what to expect by reading this and other reviews.

A good buy, but expect to do some google hunting))
Overall, it is a great book. If you're a beginner and really want to learn all the basics, then this is the book for you. Unfortunately I was surprised that not all the techniques were clearly/fully described, so I had to Google for some explanations and clarifications while learning to knit. But guess what, because of this book and thanks to Google )), I can knit anything I want now. And I'm a busy person, so I was only knitting in the evenings for a couple of hours while watching TV and relaxing.
One of the greatest advantages of this book is the author's style of writing and explaining things. It felt like I were talking to a friend while learning to knit and you come to realize that the person who wrote the book really cares enough to make things interesting and exciting for readers and especially for the beginners like myself.
So, go ahead and purchase this book. Also, I have a tip for you. If you want more patterns, go online and Google them. There are a plenty of resources online, so you'll get really excited about the whole process.
Happy knitting))

Excellent book for starters
I picked up this book to re-learn how to knit. I had knit a bit in the past, but basically just long swatches I called scarves. This book was amazing. I read through it and made the dog sweater pattern in it on the first day. The diagrams and descriptions are clear and helpful. The index makes things easy to find. Also, the patterns in the book list what skills you will need and what page you can find information for those skills on.

I look forward to learning more and tackling the harder projects in this book. There is no doubt all the information I need is in here.