The 10 best knitting books for beginners & advanced knitters [review]

My review of the best knitting books for beginners & advanced knitters

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What are the best knitting books?

1. The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt is by far the best knitting book out there. If you can still call it a book and not a tome. This book has 700 pages and each and every one of them is loaded with knitting techniques. Things you never might have suspected even existed and so much more.
It’s just such a great reference for about everything concerning knitting. It’s pretty much like a dictionary. If you read a pattern and there is something you don’t understand you can look it up here and there is 99% chance you’ll find it.

2. My second favorite book is the Japanese knitting stitch bible by Hitomi Shida. Not only because I love everything Japanese and actually do speak the language but because I sincerely believe this is probably the best pure knitting stitch pattern book on the market. There are altogether 260 stitch patterns in here and each and every one of them says wow.
3. The third knitting book I want to recommend is The Knitter’s Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes. This book here is an excellent primer on all the different yarns available to knitters. How to use them properly. There are also a couple of easy pattern included as well in the back. So, I feel this is a very well-rounded book.
4. Knitting without tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman and the Knitter’s Alamanc is maybe even better. In a way, these books are a bit like traveling back in time. These books are old…like 5 decades old. Still, they matter because it’s not like the way you knit a knit stitch changed in the meantime and Zimmerman’s approach is quite unique. Not only her humor but her very practical way of explaining things. She identifies those common problems and presents you with a nice and easy solution.
5. A treasury of knitting Pattern 1-4: by Barabara G. Walker.
Published in 1968 there is little else but knitting stitches and pictures in these books. And there are a lot of them! So again, it’s a lovely book to simply browse through before you start a new project and let yourself be inspired for your next scarf, shawl, or blanket – sadly only with written instructions & black and white.
6. Vogue Knitting. It may not be perfect for absolute beginners, but once you understood your knits and purls, this will be a true gem to learn more about this amazing craft. There are tons of really clear and well-designed illustrations and pictures. It’s just the right balance between too little and too much information. I wish more knitting books had such a beautiful design.
7. Ann Budd’s Handy Book of sweater patterns. She has a couple of these books out there and I wouldn’t even call them proper books. They're more like a craft folder. Each of her books is filled with only a handful of simple patterns. Sweaters in this case, raglan, seamed, and so on. And then you’ll find veeeery detailed information on how to adjust it to every size and shape imaginable.
8. 200 Fair Isle Motifs: A knitter’s directory by Mary Jane Mucklestone.
Fair Isle or stranded knitting is probably the most popular colorwork technique and this book will really be able to teach you some very important basics about the technique and show you 200 traditional motifs.

9. Bäuerliches Stricken by Lisl Fanderl.
This is a German book and there is sadly no translation out there. Lisl Fanderl traveled around the alpine region and documented historic and traditional patterns from Bavaria and Austria. And the result are those 3 books filled with exquisite knitting stitch patterns and sock designs

10. A blank spiral notebook

For me, knitting is all about making your own choices. But you are bound to make some mistakes along the way. And You can only learn from them if you take notes.

[NimbleNeedles]

Make sure to comment below in case you believe there are some books I missed!

[kathiekelleher]

I appreciate your comments about the illustrations in the Vogue Knitting book. I’m one of the illustrators that worked on the updated version of this classic. It was an honor to be part of this beautiful book.
Plus I have a lot of the books on your list and agree with your selections 👍🏼

[cpt]

Motif is pronounced “mo-TEEF” emphasis on last syllable. Didn’t see any comments on that, since you asked in the video if you were pronouncing it correctly.

Love love LOVE your videos, Norman!! I learned to knit when I was very young, but always crocheted instead, as I found it easier.

BUT now I’m trying to teach myself to knit again (using mainly your videos, ) so I can make the same family Santa Christmas stockings that my mom knit for me and my siblings.

Will be signing up to your Patreon soon, too! Thanks again for all your hard work and passion for knitting ❤

[carolr]

I'm one of those 30-year knitters, and your recommendations are very interesting and helpful. I'm so glad you included the Vogue book; I wrote the index for that wonderful book!

[maureenyoung]

I have all these books. This is an awesome list. I had the great honour of spending an entire weekend in very small classes taught in person by Nancy Bush. It was back in the 90’s. Her knowledge, expertise and kindness towards the knitters was incredible. I learned so much and still refer back to the notes from the classes. What a confidence booster!

[heatherbounds]

I had the Vogue book on my wish list, but was unsure, so thanks for sharing. As a beginner/intermediate knitter I loved by Kristen McDonnell. I've been knitting three years and still find it useful. It features 2- 28 row repeats with charts and clear photos. The text is large, so I can lay it nearby and still check/read it without having to put down my knitting. I wish it also had other info, like how stretchy the patterns are, or which tend to curl. That said, it was cheap ($18 USD, < $15 for used). BTW, I just retired from teaching and you, Norman, are a natural educator. Your knowledge is well-curated, presented in a clear, organized manner and your dialogue is always respectful and encouraging. Much appreciated!

[MaeInBelgium]

Because you recommended it, I bought the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible -- oh my goodness, these stitches are amazing. I want to knit swatches just to see some of them in real life! Thanks for the recommendations! Love your videos, and your quarantine beanie!

[JoshBombFiberArts]

You are up there with the more technical knitting channels and I am so thankful for this. I can't stop watching your videos. So much information already know, learned and some information that I needed reminding. I've been basking in all of this knowledge!

[keturahspencer]

I taught myself how to knit by reading The Princepals of Knitting when I was a teenager.

[mollymollie]

I can’t recommend Clara Parke’s “The Knitter’s Book of Yarn” enough! So many patterns utilize yarns that are either no longer made, or I cannot get for whatever reason. I had quite a few experiences early on making bad yarn substitutions, or not understanding just how impractical a yarn used in a pattern shown will be in the end (like the alpaca/cotton sweater that was knit as shown to waist length…and not long afterward, became a knee length tunic…thankfully, it still looks good, lol…but sometimes these problems don’t work out.) The book explains how different fibers work in a fabric, how the twist works, and gives you the kind of base knowledge so that when you see a yarn in the shop (or on the internet) you can know what it will and won’t work for…it will save you so much grief!! All the Elizabeth Zimmerman books are great, too…they’re just classics, and fun reads, even if you (like me) really don’t have much interest in the patterns. Her attitude toward knitting that she teaches really does help take the stress out of it, lol. Norman, I feel good that I have 80% of the books in your stack and have for years! I have a little travel size book that has all the basic cast ons, fixes, increases/decreases with diagrams, that was so handy to have before the iPhone was a thing. A good reminder when you needed to do something like a provisional cast-on and forgot the specifics on it…now I just use my phone. The others you mentioned, I’d definitely get in book form.

[threadwench]

Norman, I am loving your videos and finally felt like I needed to comment because you are talking about books. I am American and in 1985 I was living in Stuttgart when I taught myself how to knit using a German book called Stricken by Mosaik Verlag. I couldn’t read German well enough to understand every pattern, but the illustrations were so good that I could learn just from the pictures. I knit my first daughter some items, then came back to the states and kept knitting. This discussion by a German man makes me nostalgic for my beginnings as a knitter. Thank you!

[kimbettendorf]

Thank you so much for recommending the Book of Yarn. That's exactly what I need right now, as I just ventured into new fibers outside of basic acrylic. And I totally agree with the Vogue Knitting book. Every time I thought to myself "I bet there's a better way to do this, " I looked it up in that book, and usually there was a way better way than what I was doing!

[merandabubbles]

I love the idea of the last book on your list being a notebook!♡♡♡

[venturesss]

Thanks for your great top ten picks, all of those are excellent reference materials. I loved that you included your notebook. I have been knitting for over 40 years and still learning, especially from you. Knitting can be a solitary endeavor and I'm enjoying all the blogs, vlogs, youtube vids, so many talented people out there. By far, you are my favorite and very lovely to listen to - articulate and generous. I enjoy your accent (or maybe it's me with the accent?) and pleasant conversation. Its like having a friend over who is a great knitting coach. My projects have improved so much that I just keep your videos running as I knit and always there is something that is relevant to my work and I'm keeping the best company. I like that you have opinions and not too PC to express them. This is the difference between listening to someone trying to please everyone and someone who is an individual with an interesting point of view. Thanks again and looking forward to knitting some more with you.

[TheMetatronGirl]

I’m currently reading The Knitter’s Book of Wool: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Using, and Loving this Most Fabulous Fiber by Clara Parkes. It’s fantastic! It breaks wool all the way down to breed of sheep and shearing methods. It explains in surprisingly interesting detail why various wool yarns behave the way they do, how to identify vaguely labeled fibers, and how best to utilize each type in your projects. If you haven’t already, it’s worth reading.

[kittyfish]

Hi Norman, I was laughing out loud by the end of your list. I have and use each of these books. I especially love that you included a personal notebook.

[madelaine]

There is no better instructor for knitting than you. ****Thank you****

[juliemorley]

Thank you for this video, love your comments!

[thewoolverine]

I just found the Vogue Knitting book at a Library sale for $10 USD. I'm so happy I found it!

[hollyhendricksom-davis]

Love your channel and have found many helpful tips. Really liked your book reccomendatios. I learned to knit at age 8 and now 84 enjoy knitting more than ever! Thanks for your information! Holly