Knitting Tips, Tricks & Mittens Craft Books

Knitting is an awesome hobby. Although it’s tragically deemed a craft implemented by the elderly only, young people, both men, and women are embracing it and making it hip again. It’s an art that is fun to learn, but it does take lots of practice to grasp the basic and advanced stitches. If help is needed, some google it, come check out Youtube, and still, others consult and glean insight from craft books. I do all the above, but it’s nice to have a handy compendium, like the Knitting Bag of Tricks, that we can turn to quickly as a resource.

Knitting Bag of Tricks

If you are a knitter that wants to improve or enhance your knitting skills, this book is a must. Or maybe you have problems with a certain stitch or technique, like never getting the gauge right, or getting your slip stitches going in the right direction, this book is filled with ‘purls’ of wisdom. secret code: garter stitch.

Inside this treasury of wisdom are over 70 brand-new knitting hacks with over 200 technical illustrative step-by-step tutorials to help you get to the next level in this craft. Have a problem with gauges? I do. Learn about the Magic Triangle of Gauge – it’s all in the math. Ever make swatches to confirm your gauge or do you wing it and trust it will turn out, learn why this is important. I have issues with slip stitches and getting them in the right direction. I learned there is a universal rule of slipping and different variations. Do your buttonholes look monstrous? Learn how to make the best buttonholes ever! There is so much valuable information in this book that knitters will appreciate and get from good knitters to great ones.

Simple Knits Mittens & Gloves

For a crafter, knitting and crocheting is something we do year-round, not just during the cooler months. Granted there are some items that are more appropriate to make during winter, like afghans and sweaters. But smaller things like baby items, toques, headbands, potholders, mittens, etc, are easy and enjoyable to make when the mood strikes us. I find I’m making wearables for winter early in the year so we have them for the frigid temperatures. Mittens and gloves, including fingerless gloves, are staple winter accessories and I like to have several new pairs each year. This year, I got some inspiration from Simple Knits Mittens & Gloves.

The Simple Knits Mittens & Gloves offers eleven great knitting patterns to keep your hands warm. This includes mittens, gloves, fingerless gloves, two-way gloves, and children’s mittens.

The inside cover features the Abbreviations, US/UK terms, Skill Level – Beginner to Experience, and Yarn Weights. Most of the patterns are made from DK yarn, or some patterns call it light-worsted weight. Some of the patterns are also made from worsted weight and chunky weight yarn. Each pattern features one or more full-color images, along with what supplies you will need, skill level, and written instructions. Some patterns are plain with embellishments like buttons and embroidery, while others are made with cables or multi colors.

The children’s mittens are adorable. You have the option of making Tiger or Bear mittens. Kids will love them. But, if you are a newbie knitter, the Embellished Cuffs Fingerless Gloves would be a great beginner pattern to start with. If you are a more experienced knitter and looking for a unique challenge, the Magic Mittens might be a good fit. They are versatile two-in-one gloves that combine fingerless gloves and mittens in one pattern. So you can wear them in two different ways.

The back of the book features all the Knitting Techniques that will be used in the patterns. They are illustrative tutorials that can be helpful if you are not understanding a specific stitch. Simple Knits Mittens & Gloves is a nice resource and wonderful addition to my craft book collection.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary products to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.