The Knitting Stitches Bible

A complete beginner’s guide to knitting, with 100 inspiring swatches to choose from and a stunning patchwork blanket project to pull all your skills together.

Fully illustrated and packed with inspiration, this comprehensive guide is suitable whether you're looking to learn the basics, build your skills, or complete a satisfying knitting project.

• Starting with a thorough user guide, you'll learn essential techniques, from casting on and 10 basic stitches all worked into squares (including knit, purl, garter, stocking, moss) to understanding charts, tension, abbreviations, and even how to rescue a dropped stitch.
• The book then dives into a curated collection of 90 knitted swatch patterns (33 to get you started and another 57 to take it further); from cables and colourwork to adding delicate embroidered details.
• The blanket project is knitted swatch-by-swatch, making it an ideal on-the-move project, perfect for busting your yarn stash.
• Also discover key finishing techniques, including joining squares, creating a professional-looking selvedge and caring for your finished knitwear. With indexes for stitches, techniques and square patterns, you'll quickly find exactly what you need.

Beginners will appreciate the clear, step-by-step instructions and photographs, while more experienced knitters will find inspiration in the diverse stitch patterns and the challenge of combining them into a cohesive project.

This is a translation from the French edition by the 'Marabout collectif' of craft authors.

Book Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: USER GUIDE

The throw

Equipment

Following the instructions

Pattern instructions

Abbreviations

Making a swatch

Charts

CHAPTER 2: TECHNICAL SECTION

The first step: slip knot

Holding needles and yarn

Thumb cast-on

Two-needle cast-on

Knit stitch and garter stitch

Purl stitch

Stocking stitch

Moss stitch

Selvedges

Making a skein

Finishing your work

Picking up a dropped knit stitch dropped from the previous row

Picking up a dropped purl stitch dropped from the previous row

Picking up a dropped stitch from several rows previously

Undoing several stitches

Checking stitch placement

Joining yarn

Incomplete stitches

Looking after your knit

Laundry symbols

CHAPTER 3: FIRST STEPS

CHAPTER 4: FURTHER STEPS

CHAPTER 5: MAKING UP THE THROW

Index of squares

Index of techniques

Index of stitches

Useful addresses