Vogue Dictionary of Knitting Stitches | Book Review

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I love texture in knitting! I love all the different stitches that provide texture. I’ve recently begun designing my own projects, some of which I hope to post here at a later time.  One of my favorite resources is the Vogue Dictionary of Knitting Stitches, written / compiled by Anne Matthews.  This book, published in 1985 originally, has over 600 stitch patterns with swatches displayed. I love the ease of using this book!

Useful Content

As I mentioned, I love texture.  So the knit / purl, ribbed and textured sections in this book are my favorite.  However, I’ve recently begun to experiment with lace patterns.  This book includes a section on lace patterns.  The author of this book, Anne Matthews, also included a section on cable patterns and two-color knitting.  She even added translations in French, German, Italian and Spanish to enable knitters to read patterns in those languages!  Some of her terms are European, such as needle sizes. However, if you carry a needle conversion chart in your knitting bag / basket, it’s no problem.  (You can find conversion charts by using Google.)  She calls‘stockinette stitch’ by its European name: stocking stitch.  These are not significant issues either.

Portability

I have the paperback version of the book.  I’ve had it for years. Paperback tends to be lighter than hardback and easier to carry.  I can tuck the book into any knitting bag I may carry, which makes it portable!  Then if I need to check a stitch before I use it or I change my mind about a stitch pattern, the book is handy and easy to access. A hardback version is available, but it is considerably more expensive than the paperback version.

Design Helps

 I love that each stitch pattern also gives the number of stitches over which the pattern is knit.  This makes it possible to design any garment or accessory using the multiples of stitches needed.  Whether you want to design a sweater, a blanket, or a scarf, you’ll know how many stitches to cast on to use whichever stitch pattern catches your fancy!

Whether you want to identify a stitch in a pattern you’re working on, or you want to design your own project with a look that you love, this book will be a handy resource in your knitting. 

Happy knitting!

Anita