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The Complete Guide
Jane Davis
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Knitt ing
The Complete Guide
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©2008 Jane Davis
Published by
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All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
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except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed
in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet.
The following registered trademark terms, products and companies appear in this
publication: Anacapa Fine Yarns, Brown Sheep’s Lamb’s Pride™, Jaeger™,
Knit One Crochet Too’s Paint Box™, Koigu KPM, Kureon by Noro, Lion Brand Yarn®,
Lorna’s Laces™, Louet Gems®, Mountain Colors Hand Painted Yarn™,
Purled Llama Yarn Company, Rowan Yarns®, and Yarn Council of America™.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007942698
ISBN-13: 987-0-89689-591-1
ISBN-10: 0-89689-591-2
Designed by Katrina Newby
Edited by Toni Toomey
Printed in China
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Acknowledgments
I have had a great time working on this book. It has been a lot of fun trying out new stitch
ideas, and collecting them together with many of the classics that I’ve used for years. There
have been several people who have helped me get this book together that I would like to
thank.
All the people at Krause Publications have been a joy to work with, especially my editor,
Toni Toomey. Thank you, Toni, for your deadlines, attention to detail, and understanding and
patience with the book as it developed.
Thank you, Candy Wiza, for saying yes to this idea, and for being so supportive and under-
standing. Thank you also to all the people who helped to get this book out, especially Chris
Redmond our technical editor, and Katrina Newby, who designed the cover and layout of the
book.
Thank you very much to Lois Varga, owner of Anacapa Fine Yarns, in Ventura California. It
helps so much to bounce ideas off of someone, and you always have such good ideas to make
knitting easier and more understandable.
Finally, I’d like to thank my family, Rich, Jeff , Andrew, and Jonathan, for living with my yarn
that’s still everywhere.
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Table of Contents
6 ~ Introduction
8 ~ Section 1 : Th e Basics
9 Yarn Fibers
13 Yarn Textures
17 Yarn Colors
20 Tools and Terms
29 How to Knit
35 Knitting Details
47 Embellishment Techniques
73 Using Charts
76 Tips For Success
77 ~ Section 2 : Stitch Patt erns
78 Knit and Purl
96 Ribbing
108 Cables
120 Embroidery
124 Smocking
130 Dimensional
148 Eyelets
156 Lace
169 Knitting With Beads
176 Colorwork
181 Embellishment Techniques
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184 ~ Section 3 : Basic Projects
186 Shawls and Scarves
188 Triangle Shawl
192 Lace Sampler Shawl
194 Hats
198 Basic Rolled Edge Hat
200 Rib Variation in Variegated Blues
204 Cable Variation Worked Flat
206 Easy Dropped Shoulder Sweaters
208 Basic Rolled Edge
212 Stripes Variation
218 Sweaters with Classic Shaping
220 Basic Set-in Sleeve Sweater
224 Sampler Textured Variation
228 Gloves
232 Basic Worsted
234 Fingering Weight
236 Socks
240 Basic Socks in DK Weight Yarn
242 Basic Socks in Sock Weight Yarn
244 Lace Variation
245 Cabled Variation
246 ~ Glossary
251 ~ Index
254 ~ Supply Sources
255 ~ About the Author
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Introduction
I love books with collections of knit- you learn to make these projects to your
ting patterns. There are so many now size, you can use them to make many
that you may ask why write another? more projects of your own design, using
Well, this book fi lls in some spaces left swatch patterns from this or any other
in other similar books. All of the charts pattern book.
(except the colorwork and embroidery This book is meant for all levels of
sections) have both charts and line-by- knitters, both as a how-to guide and as a
line instructions, which is not found at reference. I hope you will come back to it
one end or the other in most pattern again and again for ideas and as a ready
libraries currently on the shelves. This source of information on all things knit-
book has a section on bead patterns ting from classics to basic instructions. I
in knitting, a subject close to my heart, have tried to put everything in this book
and missing completely from most pat- that I would need as an ongoing refer-
tern libraries. Finally, in addition to two ence. And I know I will be checking it
scarf patterns, this book has fi ve basic often to look up a pattern or check tech-
patterns that I think are the staple for a niques. So, this book I have written as
knitter and make this a more complete much for myself as for you, so I will have
basic reference than any other. These all the information I need as a knitting
basics— a pair of mittens, a pair of socks, reference that I haven’t been able to fi nd
a hat, a dropped-sleeve sweater, and a in one book.
set-in sleeve sweater—are great projects —Jane Davis
to use as a basis for future projects. Once
6 (cid:6) Introduction
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(cid:6) 7
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Section 1: Th e Basics
From the types of yarn to choose and tools you will need, to how to knit and many of
the techniques you will need for advanced knitting designs, here is your resource for
learning to knit, and your reference to look up knitting techniques you want to try.
8 (cid:6) The Basics
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Yarn Fibers
Yarn is available in many fi ber types, each with its own properties. The variety ranges
from plant fi bers, such as cotton, hemp, and linen, to animal fi bers, such as wool,
alpaca and angora, to synthetics. Many yarns are blends of several of these types of
fi bers, each lending an inherent characteristic that aff ects the feel and quality of the
yarn. Following are descriptions of the fi bers currently available.
Wool
Wool yarn, from any type of sheep, is the
classic knitting yarn. It has a springy quality,
making it ideal for most types of knitting. It
gives a little as you knit, allowing you to ac-
complish many diff erent types of stitches.
The yarn can be course or soft, depending
on many factors, including the type of sheep
the wool comes from, the processing of the
fi bers, and the fi nal treatment of the yarn.
Alpaca and Llama
Yarn made from alpaca is generally smoother
and softer than wool yarn. Llama is some-
where in between the two. Both of these
fi bers have gained in popularity over the
years as a softer alternative to wool yarn,
though neither has as much of a springy
quality as sheep’s wool.
Yarn Fibers (cid:6) 9
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