That is how far I got in reading the new book by our friend Kate Atherley before I had to stop and email her how much I loved it! Honestly every page has something interesting and clearly presented.
We have known Kate for a few years now and have seen in person her clear explanations when she was in our booth at the first Sock Summit. She is a natural teacher but also something even harder to find— she is a person who can write technical material in a way that makes sense. After about 20 pages , I had to call Laura in to read some of it to her—such as the reason we don’t like to knit from charts.
Everyone here is so thrilled with this book that we are going to have a new kit coming soon. Two variations of the kit will be available featuring Kate‘s book, Signature needles, and 2 designer yarns to be announced shortly—one with the yarn for a scarf pattern and one for a sock pattern. Both will be available soon.
We wanted you to hear from Kate herself:
“Beyond Knit and Purl is the book that takes you from being confident about knitting to being a confident knitter.
I’ve been teaching knitting for 10 years, and I’ve found that there’s a hole in the knitting literature. We teach you how to hold your yarn and needles, we show you how to knit and purl, and then we send you into a yarn shop and expect you to be able to choose a pattern and yarn and successfully knit it.
My book helps you cross this gap: you’ll learn how to choose a pattern and read it, with tips on making sure the pattern will be appropriate to your skill level. I talk about how to find an appropriate yarn, how and why to swatch (and when not to). I demystify the language used in patterns, and charts. I clearly explain what skills are needed for different types of projects and what the appropriate next steps are for newer knitters.
You’ll also find lessons on specific techniques, such as increasing and decreasing, working in the round, socks, cables, lace and colorwork. These lessons explain key facts with lots of helpful photos and diagrams, and provide projects so you can practice. Each section has a mini project, something you can make in an evening or two, to build your skills and confidence, and three other larger projects to sink your teeth into. There are hats, socks, an adorable baby sweater, and a selection of really great scarves and shawls.“
Thank you Kate for the guest blog content!
