Your Knitting Library

Besides the obvious items knitters acquire--yarn, needles, stitch markers, row counters, etc.--knitters also usually acquire a large number of another knitting accessory: books. Some knitters boast a knitting library nearly as large as their yarn stash. In recent years, the knitting book market has exploded. There are books featuring every aspect of knitting, so what type of books may wind up on your shelf?

• Reference books

These are the books with information that knitters need to occasionally reference. How to do a right-leaning decrease versus a left-leaning decrease? What are the ways to perform a Make One (M1)? How to make an I-cord?

While knitting magazines sometimes contain simple reference guides, usually somewhere in the back, there isn't enough space in them to hold all of this information.

A good reference book will hold simple instructions (from how to cast on and perform the knit stitch) and proceed into more complex techniques (such as Fair Isle and difficult stitch patterns). It will show various ways to perform the same technique (so that individual knitters will find the method they prefer) and have good illustrations and/or clear photographs. A good picture can make a huge difference between understanding how to execute the technique and not getting it. The book should also explain why you want to use certain techniques in some situations, but not in others.

• Pattern books

These books contain patterns. Many times, they are categorized into easy knits, baby knits, sweater knits, ponchos, etc. This way, you can choose a book with a variety of patterns for items you want to knit. In Vogue Knitting on the Go: Baby Blankets Two, for instance, you can find patterns for enough baby blankets to knit a different blanket for two dozen babies. If you're primarily interested in knitting sweaters, there are books like Knitting Simple Sweaters from Luxurious Yarns. There are pattern books for home knits and even for pets.

• General reading/history/humor

If you just want to read about knitting in general, there are books in that category, too. Some books are written in the knitters' own words and feature stories about them (when they learned to knit, who taught them, why they love it), forging a connection between all of us who engage in this craft. There are books about knitting history, usually showcasing charming and nostalgic images of knitting throughout the ages. There are books designed to amuse us, usually by talking about topics that only other knitters can understand, such as stash enhancement and why we need more yarn (who better to explain how to hide yarn from "Muggles" than the Yarn Harlot?).

• Fiction

An area in knitting-related books that has flourished in recent years is that of knitting fiction. No longer simply satisfied with non-fiction books about history or patterns, knitters want to enter the fictional lives of people who love their hobby as much as they do. These books don't buy into the stereotype that all knitters are bun-wearing grandmothers, either--the characters are as varied and interesting as knitters are in real life.

Don't be surprised if you require a whole shelf (or two, or three) dedicated to knitting books. With new books hitting stores all the time and with the choices available, you'll want a book (or two, or three...) in each category. A likely problem you'll encounter is deciding whether to read or knit. That's why some knitters have learned to do both at the same time.

Some books to check out:

Reference

Vogue Knitting: the Ultimate Knitting Book

Knitting in Plain English

Pattern

Knitted Toys

Vintage Knits

General reading

Knitting Rules!

For the Love of Knitting

Fiction

The Friday Night Knitting Club

Knitting Under the Influence