Its hard to imagine Kate Atherley being ignorant of *anything* having to do with knitting or yarns, but she claims in her introduction that she learned to knit from a grandmother, and had to learn to read patterns later. I think “The Knitter’s Dictionary” is ideal for the knitter, beginner or experienced, who has mastered a set of usable techniques, but wants to have a quick reference guide to alternatives that don’t necessarily come to mind immediately. A true, (if slightly embarrassing) example for me is the Kitchener Stitch. I’ve used it in untold numbers of socks, but I always need a quick reminder of how to get it started (purl or knit on the front or back???). The Dictionary provides a quick answer in an easy to reference form.

Atherley gives clear and well-illustrated directions for a variety of cast-ons, increases, decreases, cable patterns, etc. I wouldn’t necessarily want to learn the Brioche stitch from her terse description, but once learned, the description serves as an excellent reminder.

I have always wanted to learn how to knit. I even have a bag full of yarn and knitting needles. However, knitting feels like it has it's own special language with all of the abbreviations and acronyms. This book breaks down that barrier and explains the basics and secrets to being a successful knitter. I loved all of the illustrations too!

Thanks to FW Media, Interweave and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine!

#TheKnittersDictionary #NetGalley

I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed by this book - while the information is good, the organization is not, and organization is everything with a reference text. I could not determine the logic behind what topics were grouped and which ones were listed under their own titles (for example, all increases and decreases are under "Increase" and "Decrease" respectively, but cast-ons and bind-offs are listed under their individual names). Some items that refer to a lengthier entry have at least a little explanation attached to them; others have nothing. Trying to look something up in this book while in the middle of a project would be an exercise in frustration. The illustrations are good and as clear as black and white line drawing illustrations can be, although the choice of which terms to illustrate was baffling to me sometimes (at least that's a dictionary standard). Overall an excellent concept but not an ideal execution.

Every Knitter needs a copy of this book. Maybe 2 or 3 copies. One by your knitting chair, one in your knitting bag or a digital copy, and one to give away. This handy guide is that good.

Kate Atherly’s dry wit is evident even in her clear, logical, easy to understand technical writing. Techniques are simply listed in alphabetical order. You will find yourself picking up this guide and looking through it, even when you are not in search of an answer, just because the information is so accessible and made interesting. And for us visual learners, the technique illustrations do not get any better.

This guide, is definitely going to be added to my knitting library. Both on the shelf and my Kindle so I have it on the go. And a gift.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book.

This is an amazing book. All the how too’s, abbreviations, tools and tips in one place. This going to be my go to book for knitting after all not everyone can remember everything.

As a lifelong knitter, I found this book to be a great reference book for beginning, intermediate and even advanced knitters. The Knitter's Dictionary is just that. It is arranged as a dictionary, from A to Z. This is great for a knitter, when you come across an abbreviation that is new to you, simply go to this resource and look it up. It explains and there are many diagrams and illustrations included in this book. The author has organized this to assist knitters with the basics, as well as more advanced knitters who will appreciate well thought out instructions and helpful hints. It evens tells you how to read charts, which up to now has eluded me!

Personally, I will be buying a hard copy of this to include with my "go-to" books for knitting, quilting and stitching. It would be a great gift for the knitter in your life.

Thanks to the publisher, Interweave, author, and #NetGalley for a e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars to this excellent resource.

Atherly is an editor of the online knitting magazine Knitty, which I love and was part of the reason I wanted to review this book. The book is exactly what the title says, an alphabetical dictionary of knitting which should be a welcome reference to many. The field is crowded as there are many such books out there, but this one does provide some benefits other, older books may not: the writing style is conversational, and references are made to things new knitters will probably already be aware of (e.g., the knitting and social media site Ravelry; popular designers such as Amy Herzog). The line drawings are large and clear. My one complaint? The usual knitter dismissiveness of acrylic yarn (which many charity organizations require their donated knit and crochet items be made from) was irritating. Acrylic yarn has its uses and is budget friendly, and it irks me when these self-styled encyclopedias of knitting dismiss it. Otherwise, this is a useful book for new knitters, and for those who want clear explanations of more advanced techniques such as kitchener stitch.

Librarian: This feels like it has the potential to be a fantastic resource for any library's craft section. It seems to be a fairly straightforward guide to common knitting terms that even a complete neophyte (like myself) can understand. That being said, I'm not sure how much circulation this title will get. It really depends on the makeup of the library. If, for instance, you have a knitting club at your library that caters primarily to beginning knitters, as one of my previous libraries did, then I could see this being constantly checked out. But if you don't have an active knitting community you probably won't get much circulation with this book.
Reader: I don't knit. At all. I know nothing about knitting, or well, I didn't until I read this book. Now at least I can understand it when my sister, an avid knitter, or my coworkers talk knitting. Honestly, I really should learn how, but at least now I understand it a little better.

Thank you to Netgalley, Interweave, and Kate Atherley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advanced copy.

Kate Atherley is well known in the knitter world. She has written several books and published lots of patterns, many of them found on Knitty, where she is the managing technical editor. As a mathematician, her patterns have lots of detail and are very well written.

This is a small but comprehensive book to help knitters understand patterns. If you find the language of patterns difficult, this would be a helpful reference. Some knitters love to design their own patterns, making it up as they go along. I, unfortunately, am not that kind of knitter. I have always relied on patterns. I was lucky that I never had a hard time understanding them. They always, sort of, made sense to me. Even the trickiest patterns I could decipher. For me, I didn’t find this collection outstanding. I think the you can find this information in other places. However, it is nice to have it one collection, for ease of use and reference for future projects. It is well written with lots of good tips.

A bit of a take it or leave it to me. If you think this would be useful for you, then I recommend. If it isn’t much of an issue for you, or you have other reference books (or don’t mind looking things up on the internet), I would pass on this one.

An excellent resource for as-you-knit, The Knitters Dictionary offers comprehension beyond a total newbie's needs, yet enough for experienced knitters to learn something new.

My only complaint? There are no clickable links in the version I was given access to (Kindle, pre-access, thank you NetGalley and the publishers). As an avid knitter, I'd need the clickable links to get to where I need to quickly and easily.

Otherwise? I wholeheartedly recommend this book and will likely buy a copy for my travels.

The Knitter's Dictionary is a wonderful reference guide to all the terms and abbreviations used in knitting patterns. The illustrations are clear and easy to see, the tips and tricks are well thought out and presented. I can imagine using this book for all my projects. Good for beginners as well as advanced knitters. I reviewed a digital copy, but can't wait to get my hands on a print copy.

My new go to book! I really like this book and find it very useful and a great way to re-learn forgotten skills. I remembered the basics of knitting but it is like a whole new language and what better way than getting yourself a dictionary to help decipher it all..
Would recommend this to any new knitter or one trying to remember it all. Not sure it really has a place with the experienced regular knitter but certainly can always be useful.

For someone who loves to do crafts such as crochet and knitting this book is perfect! I recently started getting into knitting just earlier this year and have struggled with understanding what I was doing. This book is perfect for all those who love to be creative, but does not know what a certain pattern may say. This has been so helpful to me when it comes to reading a pattern for something I really would like to try. I now know what some of the symbols or letters mean since I received this book to review and try. If you want to learn to knit or know how to but want a better understanding, this is the book for you! I will say that I did receive a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review and I will be using it from now on. Thank you!

Thank you NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a wonderful reference book for all levels of knitters. It is full of tips and tricks. Because it is alphabetized, it is so easy to search. The beginning is full of information that any knitter needs, such as yarn recommendations, gauge, and finished measurements. The book's size lends it to keeping it close by with your knitting projects. A valuable resource!

I am a knitter with over 50 years of experience. I enjoy knitting reference books. I am not really sure what need this fills in the knitting market. I don’t think it would be that useful to beginners or seasoned knitters. I found it oddly lacking in some of the more common issues of confusion, such as purl through the back of a stitch. I am not sure this book solves a problem that could not be answered by other books on the market. I had a very neutral reaction to it.

I received an ARC of this book to read in exchange for a fair review. The Knitter’s Dictionary by Kate Atherley is exactly as the title states a dictionary of knitting terms. I see this as a book you would keep handy in your knitting bag for those moments when the pattern instructions have you confused because it’s perfect for that. The illustrations are excellent as well, making clear when words are not quite enough. Whether learning new techniques or refreshing yourself on old this is definitely a keeper. Publishing Date October 30, 2018 #NetGalley #TheKnittersDictionary @KateAtherley

This is such a handy resource! Every new knitter should automatically receive a copy of this book. I could have saved myself so much time and trouble. The one example that jumped out at me immediately was the entry about substitution yarn; it is in the Setting up for success section and is fortunately highlighted: “Always buy yarn by length, not weight or number of balls.” I have heard so many yarn shop patrons making this exact mistake!

From simple abbreviation definitions to tips and advice for successful knitting, Kate Atherley’s book is a much needed resource for the world of knitting.

I've been knitting for almost 40 years ... I've made tons of sweaters, blankets, dish cloths, mittens, etc. over the years. So that's why this book caught my eye.

I'm not sure who this book is written for ... a beginner or an expert. I found some things so very basic but then other things that sounded complicated and there was a brief description that left me wondering "huh"? If I REALLY wanted to know what she was talking about, I'd have to go Google it (and isn't that the point of the book). There were lots of terms that were listed that would refer to another term in the book so I'd either have to go there directly if I wanted to know RIGHT NOW or wait until I got there and by then I'd have forgotten that there was a reference to it.

The author is British and there were a lot of references that she would know and assumed everyone else did but as a Canadian, I didn't. There is apparently over 150 illustrations but I didn't find them overly useful.

I wasn't crazy about this book and didn't find it helpful.

This book contains useful definitions for knitters. It is comprehensive and easily understood, can't ask for more. There were no images or diagrams in the review e-copy; I assume the print version will have these aids. Many knitting terms are most easily explained visually.

Having been a knitter for over 50 years I felt had become staid in what and how I was choosing to knit. Recently I have been trying to expand my knowledge and skill level by learning new techniques and using patterns I would never have previously attempted. I’ve only had The Knitter’s Dictionary a few days but have learnt so much already - the correct definition of ease, techniques for increasing and decreasing, and reading chart symbols. No wordy paragraphs, no over complicated explanations, just straightforward information with clear illustrations when necessary. I am sure this is going to prove an indispensable reference book - no more searching multiple websites for information. A dictionary which any new or experienced knitter will appreciate and use for many years.