Best new knitting books

Best new knitting books

What knitter can resist a gorgeous knitting book, crammed with delectable patterns and beguiling new techniques? We\'ve picked the cream of the crop of new knitting books: some have been published recently; others will be out soon - but all are inspirational. And there\'s a link to buy each one.

By Olivia Gordon

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Rock your socks off

Thought you knew everything about sock knitting? Think again! This book takes the craft of socks to a whole new level, exploring the principles of sock pattern symmetry, cables that travel off the grid, and how to make your own designs work hard for their yarn. It\'s advanced, almost mathematical stuff, yet clearly and carefully explained - this is incredibly rewarding knitting.

\'Sock Innovation\' by Cookie A (Interweave, £15.99)

Best for babies

Vintage knitting patterns are so in vogue, and this collection of more than 40 patterns from the 1920s to the 1950s, updated for modern knitters with current yarns and pattern notation, is packed with nostalgic projects you\'ll never find elsewhere and fascinating tidbits about knitting traditions of the past. The author has chosen cute and classic designs including a traditional layette, snowsuit, cape, bunny blanket and soakers that will make many lucky babies the best dressed in town.

\'Vintage Baby Knits\' by Kristen Rengren (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, £14.99)

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Cast on for cushions

If you want to transform your sofa, look no further. Here is the ultimate selection of cushion knitting patterns with a remarkable range of fun colours and styles, from delicate floral intarsia repeats to bold rainbow-striped cables. And as if that wasn\'t enough, you can get even more ambitious and knit a bobble-studded soft cube for children to play with or a beautiful cable and rosebud bolster - or try knitting with hessian, or patchwork knitting.

\'25 Cushions to Knit\' by Debbie Abrahams (Collins & Brown, £12.99)

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Make it for a man

Many knitting collections for men are full of naff designs that self-respecting menfolk wouldn\'t be seen dead in - so this book of stylish and simple knits for men is something of a godsend. The colour palette is wearably neutral and the shapes range from rugged tweed sweaters to sleek Argyll vests, suitable for men of all ages, sizes and tastes.

\'Men\'s Knits: a New Direction\' by Erika Knight (Quadrille, £14.99)

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Classic collection

This looks likely to be the knitting book of the year - we\'re waiting for September, when it\'s out, with bated breath. Published to celebrate Rowan\'s 30th birthday, this is the first Rowan collection book in more than a decade. It promises 30 of the most coveted Rowan designs from the 80s to the present day from the likes of Kaffe Fassett, Sarah Dallas, Sasha Kagan and Martin Storey, reworked with current yarns. Put it on your Christmas gift list now!

\'Rowan\'s Greatest Knits\' edited by Kate Buller (Rowan, £20)

Scandinavian style

Books in English on Icelandic knitting don\'t come along very often - and this one - translated from the Icelandic - is an unmissable eye-opener to another knitting culture. The brightly coloured designs using traditional rose patterns on everything from sweaters to baby clothes are stylish, adorable, and totally distinctive. They\'d make charming gifts, and the basic techniques and designs laid out in the book can be easily adapted for your own patterns, too.

\'Icelandic Knitting\' by Hélène Magnússon (Search Press, £12.99)

Stitch by stitch

This new spiral-bound edition of a classic stitch smorgasbord makes designing your own patterns even easier. You\'ll find more than 250 knitting stitches clearly illustrated and charted here, from knit and purl combinations to lace, fair isle, intarsia, ribs, beading, cables and bobbles. An invaluable resource for anyone wanting to get creative.

\'The Knitting Stitch Bible\' by Maria Parry-Jones (Quarto, £15.99)

Feeling floral

This book is flying off the shelves - and for good reason. Lesley Stanfield has created a pattern in this book for every flower imaginable, from forget-me-nots to snowdrops. And then there are the incredible fruit and vegetable knitting patterns, including lemons, grapes, carrots and surprisingly beautiful asparagus. There are project ideas too, which give practical applications for these lovely decorative details. This book is a brilliant labour of love, and if you\'ve never thought of knitting what grows in your garden before, we bet you won\'t be able to resist once you\'ve seen this.

\'100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet\' by Lesley Stanfield (Quarto, £10.99)

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A liking for lace

Estonian lace designs are well known to be among the most beautiful and delicate of all, and this book covers the best traditional designs. The projects are all for shawls and scarves, but there\'s also a directory of Estonian lace stitches which you could use for any design of your own. The book also explains the rich history of Estonian lace knitting.

\'Knitted Lace of Estonia\' by Nancy Bush (Interweave, £16.99)

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In a spin

If the words ‘warp\' and ‘weft\' spark off a dream of sitting by a spinning wheel on a wintry afternoon, this book can make your dreams come true. It explains everything you need to know about fibre types and how to spin, and includes several start-to-finish spin-and-knit projects.

\'The Intentional Spinner\', Judith MacKenzie McCuin (Interweave, £18.99)

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Pull your socks up

This clever sock pattern compendium works just like a child\'s flip-page picture book. Each of the pattern pages are cut into three - the top third covers the cuff, the middle the sock body, and the bottom the heel, foot and toe. You mix and match your favourite designs for each of these three sock components to plan your ultimate sock pattern. There are over 1000 possible combinations, which is just as well, since this book is likely to make a sock addict out of any knitter.

\'Socks à la Carte\', Jonelle Raffino & Katherine Cade (North Light Books, £14.99)

Back to basics

Learn-to-knit books are a dime a dozen, but this is the best recent one we know. It\'s beautifully presented and illustrated, and gets you off to a swift start by explaining the most basic things from scratch, and giving project workshops that really make something nice. The simple baby booties and cardigans are real winners even for experienced knitters.

\'Knitty Gritty\' by Aneeta Patel (A&C Black, £14.99)

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