Knitting by words?

Question

Can anyone recommend a good knitting book that doesn't use the stupid short hand stuff... I can do most knitting techniques but I'm having trouble reading the shorthand. I knit to destress not to be mentally overloaded!

Answer 1

I have and love Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitters Almanac. Each pattern is written in story form. I truly enjoyed reading it and making stuff from it. At the end of each chapter are the pithy directions to make the pattern if you don't want to read the story part.

Answer 2

No, not to my knowledge. The abbreviations are part and parcel of learning to knit. If you put a little time and effort into it at first, oddly enough, understanding them will soon become effortless. You'll then be able to deal with the abbreviations without stressing yourself over them. Most knitting books and patterns have a glossary of terms. If yours doesn't, you can easily find an online knitting glossary of terms by using Google or Dogpile.

Answer 3

I know what you mean, i used to have lots of trouble trying to understand some patterns. Depending on what you want to knit i think that jean greenhowe is the best at making it simple. I used to knit lots of toys etc and her patterns are so easy to follow. you could try a search on the web for her books. hope this helps you

Answer 4

If you have a pattern you really want to knit and don't want to stress out over the abbreviations, write it out, each row on a single 3x5 card. You'll learn the abbreviations this way, too, and knowing them will make your knitting life easier. It just takes time. And one of these days, you'll even learn chart symbols, too .

Answer 5

I was snooping around in http://www.michaels.com
they have a video on how to knit. I didn't view it but maybe they have some of the info you need