Color photos are nice, but getting creative with yarn colors for these pattern swatches was not always a great idea. Tweedy yarns as well as bright-colored yarns (e.g., many of the bobbles which are done in bright red) make it difficult to see the texture; and a large number of the lace patterns, some of them very poorly lit, are shown in light-colored yarn on a white background. I keep finding myself unconsciously tilting the book trying to get some shadows so I can see what the pattern actually looks like.

Another major problem is that some of the symbols in the charts are not listed in the "Chart Symbols" at the back of the book, and some are just wrong. There are at least two "mystery symbols" appearing in the charts. Several patterns which I know are using twisted (or crossed) stitches show cable symbols instead. ("Mock cable," pattern #23, shows cable symbols - how is it a mock cable if you're actually using a cable??)

As another reviewer noted, many of the patterns in the "Fair Isle" section are not actually Fair Isle. The selection of actual Fair Isle designs is rather scanty.

Last and probably least, I wish there were more commentary on the patterns such as Barbara Walker gives, regarding the qualities of the fabric, suggested needle sizes, applications, etc.

I give the book 2 stars only because there are several patterns in it which are new to me and I will probably use. (Unfortunately one of those patterns, #25 "Celtic vine," is one of the charts with mystery symbols, although I think I can figure it out in this case. A beginner definitely could not.)

35 of 36 found the following review helpful:

Both useful and not useful  Jul 09, 2002

This book has both plusses and minuses. It seriously needs a copy editor. The illustration on page 207 does not accurately depict the stitch diagram. Many of the stitches listed in the intarsia section belong in the Fair Isle section, and vice versa. (Fair Isle is unique in that it allows only two colors to be used at a time, whereas intarsia can use any number of colors at a time.) Some of the lace illustrations can barely be seen. They should have either been put on a darker background, or they should have been knit with a darker material. As is, they are nearly-white on white, and it is hard to see the detail.

On the plus side, the book is well-organized, most of the illustrations are above the norm for books of this type, and some of the patterns are new to me, though I own several other books of this genre. The ring binding is a big plus, aiding in keeping the book open to the desired page as one works.

Incidentally: the pattern on page 207 would be a great use of scrap yarn, and any number of rows could be used for the middle section of each stripe, aiding one in using up nearly the very last inch of material before moving on to the next scrap.

17 of 17 found the following review helpful:

Not Exactly A Bible  Oct 08, 2003
By Nikki
I was very impressed with the collection of stitch patterns in this book. As a advanced beginner knitter, I found much of them inspiring, particularly those displayed in the cable section.

I only wish it had diagrams or better explanations for a few of the chart symbols in the back. I had to reference a completely different book to understand how to do some of the stitches in patterns.

13 of 13 found the following review helpful:

Well-organized, easy to use  May 28, 2002
By Cheap and Lazy
Loving stitch pattern books, I bought this one sight unseen and while not thrilled, I am satisfied. The book is in color, always nice with stitch patterns books, and is well-organized and easy to use. It was nice to see sections on Fair Isle, Intarsia and Sequins & beads. Each section has it's own color "tabs," and there are thumb-nail photos of swatches of all the patterns at the beginning of the book, making it easy to browse. While I miss the discussion of the fabric the pattern produces (as in Barbara Walker's "Treasury" books), finding the type of yarn used in the photo swatches printed beneath them was a consolation. Note that all of the directions are charts (I know that is problem for some people, I've found that it just takes getting used to and has the benefit of giving you some idea of where you are going on the more complicated ones). So why don't I use it more? Probably just a matter of taste and undeveloped skill. I haven't found a pattern in it yet that inspired me to use it. Still, it's a welcome addition to my collection.

10 of 10 found the following review helpful:

Great design resource!  Aug 19, 2003
By jamie catino
This is not so much an instructional book as it is a design aid. I am kind of a novice but I can read knitting patterns and I like designing my own projects sometimes instead of just copying everything out of knitting books. If you are looking for a how-to-knit book this isn't it, but this is a great pictoral reference of many different stitches that can help a knitter design their own projects or test out newly acquired knitting skills in different patterns. I enjoyed the setup of the patterns, although it is unorthodox, and I thought the setup of the book itself was great. I cant wait to learn all of these interesting stitches, particularly the cool Victorian looking lace patterns!

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