How-To

Review: Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques

First, the facts:

Title: Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques

Author: Margaret Radcliffe

Published by: Storey Publishing, 2008

Pages: 319

Type: Fabulous reference.

Chapters:

1. Color Basics
2. Stripes
3. Pattern Stitches
4. Multicolor Yarns
5. Stranded Knitting
6. Intarsia
7. Other Techniques
8. Finishing Touches
9. Design Workshop

Pattern Size Range: Not really applicable

First Reaction: Tons of information

The In-Depth Look:

Oh my, may I gush? It’s gauche and unrefined to gush, but … wow. If you like using color in your knitting, you really MUST check out this book.

Entrelac. Stranded. Intarsia. Stripes. Two-sided. There are so many ways to play with color while you knit, but simply because there are so many ways to add different colors to your knitting, it gets confusing. What’s a knitter to do?

Run, don’t walk, to find a copy of this book. It’s an amazing reference.

What? You’re skeptical? You’re thinking, “But Deb, you like almost everything.” And it’s true, it’s rare, rare, rare that I can’t find something to like in a knitting book–and even the not-wonderful ones took as much work as the wonderful ones. Not finding something to like just seems unnecessarily cruel. But, I’m telling you, this book is fantastic.

First, she touches on every method of using color that I’ve ever heard of. (Or, at least, I can’t think of any that she missed.) She discusses color theory and how to judge which colors will go with others. She provides stitch patterns using different color yarns. She discusses ways to use and highlight yarns that are already multi-colored. She provides patterns to highlight various techniques. She gives hints and tips on weaving in ends and avoiding the “jog” at the ends of rows of circular stripes, discusses how to do shaping while maintaining a color pattern. She discusses basic design theory…

This list could get very long. How long? Let me put it another way … to give you an idea how many things are covered in this book? The list of references is four full pages long. The index at the back is six pages long.

This is no lightweight book.

Add to all this excellent photos and descriptive, knowledgeable writing. This book is SO worth a spot in your library if you’re even remotely interested in knitting with colors.

This fantastic reference is available at Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Here are the links:
1. 011410_color_0011, 2. 011410_color_0010, 3. 011410_color_0008, 4. 011410_color_0007, 5. 011410_color_0006, 6. 011410_color_0005, 7. 011410_color_0002

Click here to see the key for the icons.

My Gush: Run, don’t walk to find a copy! Like what you see? Spread the word!

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