Book Review--Knitting Rules!

Knitting Rules! is written by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  She is a writer from Toronto who is all about the knitting.  She is also known as the Yarn Harlot and has a blog where she posts about her knittting exploits. She just completed her self-imposed sock club.  Where she combined patterns and yarn to stash bust/christmas present prep.  I only mention this as I really want to do this, but ummm ... well this is another post.

If there is one thing that knitting rules is not, it is a pattern book.  Sure, she give some basic instructions on how to make socks, a hat, a shawl. I'm really not very good at following patterns.  It's not just that I lose my place, and I do, it's that I'm picky. I like lace, but not too frilly. I like cables but not too complicated.  I like stripes but not too many ends to weave in.  I don't really expect that one to keep me from doing stripes. I just had to put it out there.

The book is really about using commonsense when doing these things with a healthy dose of a sense of humor.  Honestly, when trying to learn to knit one really needs a sense of humor.  I know there are moments when I think my head will explode when I just can't figure out the math or I have ripped something back for the tenth time.

My favorite part is the lists. "Ten Times When You Should Worry About Gauge"


1. If you want your work to be exactly the same (or as close as possible, considering you that you changed the neckline, the yarn, and the cable pattern) as the sweater in the picture of your pattern.


2.  If your bust is 36 inches and you'd like the sweater to be related to that fact in any kind of way.


For the rest you need to get the book. :)

In a way she reminds me of Alton Brown on his show "Good Eats."  He breaks cooking down to the basics making sure you understand how food is put together.  And he's a big goof ball to boot which makes it entertaining.  The Yarn Harlot is a writer and doesn't get to use the cool props but her sense of humor and knowledge of knitting really comes through.  Let's have her explain.  Follow the link below--

Yarn Harlot@ Full Thread Ahead