The generous folks at maranGraphics sent me a review copy of their new book, Maran Illustrated Knitting & Crocheting, and it has a lot to recommend it.

The book covers the basics, from yarn weights (with a picture of each weight, so you can see the difference in width), to reading a yarn label, to reading a pattern. As various skills are taught, beginning with the basics of making a slip knot and casting on, simple patterns using those skills are interspersed. Often the patterns in beginning knitting books are, shall we say, dated, but the ones included here aren't too bad; the best of them are standards, like a rollneck raglan sweater, which nearly everyone will make sooner or later. Crochet is covered in about 60 pages, 1/5 of the book, but everything necessary to a new crocheter seems to be there. Other notable features of the book include a basic glossary, an abbreviation list, and a solid index.

Maran Illustrated's Knitting & Crochet is certainly not as comprehensive as, say, Vogue Knitting's The Ultimate Knitting Book, which every knitter should own. However, it's much more accessible for a beginning knitter, and covers enough to get someone started without overwhelming them with minutiae. maran illustrated, for example, includes a single and two versions of the double cast on; Vogue offers 15 different cast ons. But let's be realistic: does a beginner need to know 15 ways to cast on? How would she choose which one to use? Vogue is a reference tool, while Maran Illustrated is fundamentally a teaching tool.

The thing that really sets Maran Illustrated's Knitting & Crocheting apart is the illustrations. There are many fine "learn to knit" books out there, but I've never seen one that was so replete with clear and useful illustrations. Color photographs and drawings of how to execute a knit or purl stitch include simple arrows to indicate direction, inset images of intermediate steps for those who need a more detailed view, and answers (with pictures) to common questions, such as "Why is there an extra stitch on my needle when I finish knitting a row? (answer: your yarn may be lying over the top of the needle, rather than hanging straight down). I would recommend this book quite highly to anyone trying to teach themselves to knit, especially those who learn best visually but lack access to knitting classes or teachers. That's not to say that those who prefer textual explanations will be disappointed, as each set of illustrations is accompanied by a few paragraphs of exposition on how to execute a technique. Still, what makes this book truly special is its visual clarity. Bravo to maranGraphics for crafting an excellent book for the beginning knitter or crocheter.

Posted by Hilary at November 20, 2005 07:58 PM