Title – Knitting Know-How
Authors – Dorothy T. Ratigan & Judith Durant
Publisher – Krause Publications, Ohio
ISBN – 9781440218194
Although I have been knitting since I 
was a small girl, I bought this book as I thought it was about time I had a good reference for all those little things that I didn’t know how to do or didn’t know how to properly.
I had been looking for such a book for quite a while. I wanted something that covered a lot of ground, had genuinely useful information and was clear and easy to use.
Knitting Know-How is subtitled “Techniques, Lessons and Projects for Every Knitter’s Library” and this is indeed a good summing up of its contents.
So much information!
The book is divided into five sections.
* Part 1 is all about materials, yarn, tools and the working with patterns and charts. This section is ideal for the new knitter and gives lots of clear information.
* Part 2 covers the basics of knitting, with lots of clear diagrams and detailed instructions. 
Here you will find how to create the knitting stitches, shaping and techniques such as circular knitting.
* Moving on to Part 3 and the book covers decorative knitting techniques, including the various ways of creating coloured designs, cables and dimensional knitting, lace knitting and even including beads in your creations.
* Part 4 is a particularly good section for the more advanced knitter as here the authors cover the ins and outs of planning and designing your own knitwear. I found this section fascinating and it answered many questions I had about good ways to calculate sizes, choose techniques and deal with the various problems that knitting design throws up.
* The final part has eight projects to let you practice your new found skills and techniques. These are up to date, fun and genuinely useful items. I have the lovely Stranded Lattice Socks earmarked for knitting up very soon!
Summary
I am very pleased with this book and know I will be dipping into it again and again. It is ideal to have on hand for when you come across a technique in a pattern that you are not so familiar with and want a little refresher, as well as to learn useful new techniques.
The diagrams are very clear and logical, and there are colour pictures throughout.
This book is American and as such uses American knitting terms and conventions. Like many UK knitters I am used to seeing this and tend to ‘knit American’ anyway. The differences between American and European knitting terms are slight and this would not stop this book being useful for knitters anywhere. Most of the information is universal.
This link – “Knitting Know-How” leads to the item on Amazon.co.uk. If you purchase it from this link then I would get a small commission from Amazon for sending custom their way.
