Ideal Knitting Library

[Zahra Ovaci]

I'm building a knitting section in my campus library. Price is not yet a concern. It must cover basically the whole learning curve, and be an equally good resource for those just learning to knit as for those who'd qualify for Master Knitters. There should be basic learn-how books, stitch dictionaries, garment construction theory as well as specific patterns, lace books, sock books, one or two books in unexpected design, and any other books that are so useful, they're honestly worth more than the sticker price. I have a small list so far, but I don't want to influence your responses smile What would you recommend?  

[taligator]

The Knit Stitch (The Knitting Experience, Book 1) by Sally Melville
The Purl Stitch (The Knitting Experience, Book 2) by Sally Melville

There is a 3rd book in that series but I haven't read it.

Anything by Elizabeth Zimmermann is good. She's got some amazing books. If you want to put hip clothing books in, you might like the Deb Stoller books. She's got Stitch and b***h and Stitch and b***h Nation as well as Happy Hooker (crochet).

That should give you a nice base.  

[Catcheen]

taligator

The Knit Stitch (The Knitting Experience, Book 1) by Sally Melville
The Purl Stitch (The Knitting Experience, Book 2) by Sally Melville

There is a 3rd book in that series but I haven't read it.

Anything by Elizabeth Zimmermann is good. She's got some amazing books. If you want to put hip clothing books in, you might like the Deb Stoller books. She's got Stitch and b***h and Stitch and b***h Nation as well as Happy Hooker (crochet).

That should give you a nice base.

That's pretty much my list exactly.  

[Blue-eyes-green]

I'd add Stitch'n'b***h, Knitting pretty, and the Yarn Girls guide to simple knits. Those are the three books I learned to knit with, and they were really great.  

[~neko neko kitty~]

I agree with all the above and add Vougue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book, Knitting Over the Edge, and Knitting on the Edge for reference guides. I also love Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's books.  

[Peppermint Elf]

I'm really partial to KnitWit by Amy R. Singer. Sure it's filled with stuff you can find on knitty.com, but it's still a really fun pattern book filled with all levels of stuff.  

[kamiyra]

Honestly... I haven't really worked with knitting books. sweatdrop I taught myself to knit with online tutorials for the most part.

One book I would suggest is the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. It covers the basics of not only knitting, but crocheting, embroidery, and a gajillion other needlecrafts. It gives an introduction to the tools, stitches, and techniques and also has some (admittedly rarely anywhere near my taste) projects to practice with. It can be an good all-around reference, and it's easy to find a copy cheap online.

As for specific knitting-oriented books, you might consider something that would appeal to a knitter with an interest in something different than the "standard" projects - I was thinking of something like Nicky Epstein's "Barbie Doll and Me : 45 Playful Matching Designs for Knitting". I haven't actually had the chance to look at the whole book myself, but I've seen glowing reviews for it, and it includes patterns for sweaters and such for Barbie, little girls, women, and a couple for boys and men as well. I think it would be good for people interested in knitting not only for themselves, but for children, nieces, or little sisters as well.  

[~neko neko kitty~]

If you are looking for pattern books, I'd highly recommend Mason-Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner, Ann Meador Shayne, Inspired Cable Knits by Fiona Ellis, and Loop-D-Loop by Teva Durham  

[DecemberFlower]

I'm partial to the two knitting books I own --

Handknit Holidays - Melanie Falick
Modular Knits - Iris Schreier

Both books have patterns for a variety of difficulties.

And I'd also second the Stitch 'n' b***h books.  

[gemini6184]

Hrmm, what to say thats not already been said...

HipKnits is one of my faves - and I wanna get the companion book HotKnits too one of these days. The one I have is the one with all the womens sweaters in it - a variety of difficulty levels and some beautiful patterns. The other one has more than just the one kind of project. Maybe not the first books to go into a knitting library, but definitely not last.