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What Are Those Little Icons, Anyway?
The first thing you’ll notice about the reviews here at Knitting Scholar is the little icons. They are there to tell you, at a glance, what type of book you’re reading about.
Categories
Patterns. A book with this icon will have patterns ready for you to knit, though I try to use this only for the books that are primarily pattern books. That is, not for an instructional book that throws in one or two patterns for illustration, but one that is at least half-full of actual patterns.
Design. For books about the design process. This could be a how-to book on constructing your own patterns, or one that focuses on a specific style of knitwear and tells you how to recreate it.
Stitch Dictionaries. Exactly what it sounds like–if a book provides you with a collection of stitches for you to play with, it falls into this category. It doesn’t have to be the entire book, but it needs at least a chapter full of them.
How-to. Need a book that tells you how to cast-on? How to finish off a button-hole? How to sew in a zipper, cut a steek, knit a cable? This is the category for you. Now, almost every knitting book has at least one small section that recaps the absolute basics, or a special technique that you may be unfamiliar with. If a book only has a few pages of “how-to,” it’s not going to rate for this category. No, to be here, a book needs to be primarily about instruction or techniques.
Lit. A “fuzzy” category, to be sure, but if we’re talking about a book that’s filled with funny stories, inspirational essays, this is its category. You know–the kind of book you curl up in bed with, as opposed to the kind that has you reaching for the yarn to swatch something.
Craft
Mostly, of course, the books here are going to be about knitting, but there will be times when we go beyond that, so naturally, we need to identify that. The icons right now, are:
Knitting.
Spinning.
Crochet.
Color/Dyeing.
Format
Then, there’s the TYPE. For now, we’re just talking about books, but if/when we expand into other formats, it doesn’t hurt to be ready, so I made icons for those, too.
Book.
For, you know, actual books.
Magazine.
For periodicals.
Web.
For online collections (like Knitty, or Twist, or Knotions, assuming I ever decide I want to review those as well).
Interview.
This one’s just in my head at this point, but … it would be nice to interview authors or publishers at some point, so I’m being optimistic and saying that, when I do, I’ll have an icon for it!
Tags: FAQ 
Discussion
91 comments for “What Are Those Little Icons, Anyway?”
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YOu might want to consider making this key easier to find, and sticky, as in always appearing on the front page at the top. I had a hard time figuring out where to find out what your icons for the Custom Knit book meant… It’s a lovely design though, very modern feel.