Product Description

Knitting is hot, with 4 million newcomers in the last few years joining a core group of 38,000,000 knitters nationwide. And these are primarily young, creative, connected chicks with sticks who are coming together in living rooms, knitting cafes, and chic yarn stores, and making everything from funky hats to bikinis.

In Stitch 'n Bitch, Debbie Stoller-founder of the first Stitch 'n Bitch knitting group in New York City-covers every aspect of knitting and the knitting-together lifestyle: the how-to, the when-to, the what-to, the why-to. Writing with wit and attitude (The Knitty-Gritty, Blocking for Blockheads), she explains the different types of needles and yarns (and sheep, too) and all the techniques from basic to fancy, knit to purl to cast-off. She also shares her special brand of corrective surgery for when things go wrong, and offers fun and informative sidebars on such topics as how to find the best yarn for less, how to make a buttonhole, knitting etiquette, and what tools to keep in your knitting bag. At the heart of the book are forty stylish patterns: Alien Scarf, Big Bad Baby Blanky, Mohair Hoodie, Kitty and Devil Hat, Cell Phone Cozy, and Wonder Woman Bikini. And for anyone interested: how to start a Stitch 'n Bitch group.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6165 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"The percentage of women under forty-five who knit or crochet has doubled since 1996," says Stoller (The BUST Guide to the New Girl Order), co-founder of the Stitch 'n Bitch circle in New York, and this slightly offensive, sassy guide-which could easily have been subtitled 'The Bad Girls' Guide to Knitting'-will undoubtedly appeal to this new generation of knitters. Starting with the basics, Stoller explains how to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off, all the steps needed to make a simple Ribbed-for-Her-Pleasure Scarf or a pair of Pippi Kneestockings. Easy-to-decipher diagrams and droll section headings ("Knit Happens," "Oops, I Knit It Again") ease readers through these first steps and will give most the confidence to tackle larger projects-like Cricket's Technicolor Cozy or Meema's Felted Marsupial Tote-designed by Stitch 'n Bitchers in Stoller's group and other knitters she admires. What makes this guide exceptional, however, is its chapter on the "Wonderful World of Knitters," which details how to start your own Stitch 'n Bitch circle and plug into the virtual knitting communities on the Web. Informative, colorful and full of attitude, this book is the perfect primer for 20- and 30-somethings looking to take on this hip "new" hobby.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Debbie Stoller is credited with inspiring a whole new generation of knitters. Her Stitch ÔN Bitch books have a sassy style, and as the narrator she keeps the sass in her delivery. With wordplay like ÒTake Back the KnitÓ and ÒBlocking for Blockheads,Ó she definitely tries--too hard, in my opinion--to appeal to a hip listenership. There may be a way to produce a successful how-to-knit audiobook, but this attempt misses the mark. Knitting is a hands-on visual activity, so an audiobook has an uphill battle. Moreover, StollerÕs penchant for cutsey phrasing detracts, and references to patterns in the book but unavailable in an audio format exacerbate the weaknesses of the format. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
This sassy-looking book offers a little bit of everything. Yes, practical matters are addressed, e.g., learning the stitches, "tools of the trade," and types of yarns, and, yes, there is information that's difficult to find in other places, such as advice about how to start your own knitting group or find free knitting programs online. But it is Stoller's commentary about knitting, its history, and why young women are knitting again that gets the book off to a rip-roaring start. Complementing the narrative sections are vintage pictures, family photos, and funky illustrations. The projects have a hip sensibility (bags, sweaters, a poncho), as do the chapter headings: "Oops, I Knit It Again" for the section on fixing knitting mistakes. A color inset shows the projects off; the illustrations with the instructions are black-and-white versions of the same photos. There's plenty here for beginners and skilled veterans alike. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Say what you will...
I taught myself to knit using this book.
I can do everything covered in this book.
'nuff said :)

fun, easy, practical knitting
I love the idea of this book and I love the practical suggestions and patterns it contains. I look forward to a lot of knitting.

It is what it is
There are a lot of reviews on here complaining about how 'young' the patterns are, and the light-hearted tone of the book. I think people are forgetting that this book has been written for a young audience. If you are out of your 20s and looking for more serious knits, this isn't for you (although you may be able to modify some of the designs in here to your tastes). As for the tone, it's what you should expect from a book with the title 'Stitch 'n Bitch' - it's going to be less serious than the heavy tomes you'll find on many knitters' shelves. It's written to fall in line with the new wave of young knitters, many of whom want the magazine-like and irreverent style found in this book.

People also complain about how simple the patterns are, especially the garter stitch scarf. This is a book for BEGINNERS. I don't know about you, but I felt a huge sense of achievement when I finished my first garter stitch scarf! This book has been written with this in mind. Those of you who are holier-than-thou knitters who have been holding needles since birth, buy more advanced books and stop bashing this one for being too simple for you.

I'll admit it's not entirely clear at times, and there are errata (Debbie Stoller seems plagued by errata-filled patterns, makes me wonder why her books aren't thoroughly checked before publishing) but these can be found easily online.

I'd still recommend this book to anyone interested in learning to knit, and I'd direct them to http://www.knittinghelp.com too, as watching someone do things makes them easier to learn.

It's not perfect, and it is what it is - a 'hip' guide to knitting written for a young audience. There are still almost 200 5 star reviews for this book, so even with all the 1 and 2 star reviews out there it's still a hugely popular and widely-used book. I still say, buy it - but know what to expect by reading this and other reviews.