Review: A Go-To How-To Starting Place for the Knitting Novice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2014
I may not know much about knitting (although I do have an interest in starting), but I do know help guides very well, having purchased and used hundreds of them concerning a vast array of topics (what can I say but that I am simply an eclectic person). Not all help guides are created equal. My requirements for a good Beginners' How-To introduction is:* Not too detailed but still illuminating overview what a Beginner needs to start with.The first half of THE COMPLETE GUIDE ON KNITTING FOR BEGINNERS does exactly that. I have near zero knowledge about knitting other than it looks like a fun and productive past time, so I have the advantage of looking at it from a "fresh perspective. " Needles, yarn, even all those mysterious symbols one sees in relation to patterns, all fully delt with but not overly bogged down. For those who advance beyond the initial stages will want more information, but I have always felt that a deluge of otherwise good but not necessarily needed information tends to discourage (many "Dummies"-style books tend to fall into this trap).* Clearly written language and clean formatting.I paged through the entire booklet on my Samsung Tab 3 via the Kindle Reading App and saw no formatting or odd font changes (not an uncommon issue). There are color photos as well as line-drawn step illustrations, and I can imagine on smaller viewing screens one would have an issue. I did view an illustration on an older Kindle Keyboard and no issue with enlarging the picture, but it did lose clarity. The instructions are clear although the accompanying illustrations are a major boost to the understanding. I only gave the text a summarily proofread, but no obvious syntax or bizzare mispellings popped out (another common issue).* Simple yet rewarding exercises.There are four pattern exercises, like a Cup Cozy and a Baby's Bib.* Additional resources.An aspect as critical as any other- true Beginners have the daunting task of trying to figure out "Where to go next?" At the end is a series of related hyperlinked websites and youTube education videos. That should alleviate the wondering wandering a bit!All in all, for those who have little to no idea what is involved when knitting, Wilston's COMPLETE GUIDE ON KNITTING FOR BEGINNERS is an excellent starting point for the novice. My only side recommendation is to perhaps view the booklet on a larger screen, such as a 8.7" Kindle Fire or PC/Laptop with the Kindle Reading App.