Knitting Book Reviews: Clever Knits

 
Reviews of Clever Knits: Great Looks for Kids

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Review #1: Found Book Easy To Use
Review #2: Directions are impossible to follow
Review #3: Not as good as it looks :-(





Review #1

Found Book Easy To Use

I found the patterns easy to follow and the book informative. I did not run into any of the problems found by two earlier reviewers - everything made perfect sense and worked out just right. I would rate myself an above-average knitter, but I did not need to use any advanced skills to complete the patterns I found in this book. Enjoyable.




Review #2

Directions are impossible to follow

I am an experienced knitter and often knit without patterns. I have even used directions in Norwegian untranslated by looking at the pictures and graphs.
Never have I found such confusing directions as in a basically simple sweater for knitting in the round, I am totally unable to figure out the armhole directions which include leaving holes not big enough for an armhole and directions for steeking which make no sense.
I have a half done sweater sitting in a drawer for a month while trying to figure out what to do next.




Review #3

Not as good as it looks :-(

I was excited to find this book as it has some good looking knits for kids in bulky yarns that will knit up quickly. The emphasis is on minimal finishing so that you can finish a garment quickly. If only it lived up to its promise!

I am working on a sweater from this book right now. The pattern is full of errors and inconsistencies. It tells you to bind off at the shoulders, but later tells you to use the 3 needle bind off - which is not possible if you have already bound off. It tells you to put the remaining stitches at the neck on a holder - and then never tells you what to do with them!

The directions for the body from the armholes up are the same for all the sizes - yet the sleeves are different sizes - if you followed the directions the sleeves would not fit.

I am following the directions for a 4 year-old size - I have the tension and dimensions exactly right and the sweater is going to be more like a 7 year old size. Of course had I paid closer attention to the pattern I would have realized that in the first place.

I am an experienced knitter and have no problem figuring out how to fix the problems I'm running into, but the book is becoming inspiration more than instructions. At first glance it seems like a good book for a beginning knitter but I would not recommend it to anyone who needs a set of directions to follow faithfully.




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Clever Knits: Great Looks for Kids

by Kristine Clever

Format: Paperback
Publication Date: 2002-02
Publisher: Martingale and Company
ISBN: 1564774147

    List Price: $27.95
Price: $1.81

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Clever Knits Reviews


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Page last updated on: 22 Mar 2010