Knitting Without Tears: Basic Techniques and Easy-to-Follow Directions for Garments to Fit All...

Knitting Without Tears: Basic Techniques and Easy-to-Follow Directions for Garments to Fit All Sizes | Elizabeth Zimmermann | Knitting Classic

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Knitting Without T...

	Knitting Without Tears: Basic Techniques and Easy-to-Follow Directions for Garments to Fit All Sizes Elizabeth Zimmermann Scribners, 1971 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 99 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

How to love your knitting

I taught myself to knit from an ancient Good Housekeeping Needlecrafts book and for several years slavishly followed patterns from library books, magazines and free leaflets. It's a worthy and satisfying activity to follow a good pattern, and my children had the sweaters, mittens and socks to prove it.

KNITTING WITHOUT TEARS, borrowed from the library as usual in those frugal times, was my first hint that you could really "own" your knitting. I had no idea of Elizabeth Zimmermann's stature in the knitting world, her amazing public television broadcasts, her legendary knitting camps. Her writing style is so down-to-earth, she could be sitting in the next rocking chair glancing over at your knitting and offering pithy, helpful commentary just to you.

The premise of this book is that you can find your gauge, plan your knitting, do the math, and come up with the garment you visualized. Don't like seams? No problem -- knit a tube and cut your openings. CUT your knitting? I was too inexperienced to feel the fear and cheerfully cut my first steeks with Elizabeth's words propped against the teapot in front of me.

I've long since bought this book, more than once in fact. It's not the sort of knitting book we're used to -- its appeal is in the concepts and the clarity of text, not in pictures or modular layout. Nor is it a how-to book for brand new knitters. If you can knit and purl, keep a steady gauge, and follow basic directions, why not "kick it up a notch" with the thinking knitter's approach?

It's fitting that Elizabeth Zimmermann is lovingly known as EZ. If you adopt her easy-going attitude, you'll find it "EZ" to love your knitting.

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Knitting Classic

What would the knitting world be without EZ ? This is a must-have book for the intermediate and better knitter. It's not really for beginners, although I would recommend that every knitter have a copy.

A Great Book!

I really like this book. I read it from cover to cover like a novel. I have used some of her techniques as well, with fantastic results. I really enjoyed her writing style and I plan to purchase some of her other books as well.

not for beginners, but...

I learned how to knit (and crochet and tat and other yarn/thread things) as a child, but didn't do much with it until the early 1970s when I was spinning my own wool and wanted to make things with the yarn. I knit a couple of scarves, an afghan, and a complicated sleeveless vest. I wanted to knit a sweater but the idea of setting in sleeves, etc. was daunting. I picked up this book, learned about circular knitting and designing your own sweater, worked out the gauge for my handspun, and knit a sweater with a circular yoke (fair isle leaf design)which I wore for years. Knitting Without Tears is not a book that will walk you through the basics of knitting for absolute novices. What this book offers is empowerment, a number of very good tips on basic knitting methods, and some really important general advice. Knit a bit to get comfortable with the process and to figure out whether you're a tight knitter or a loose knitter (I am one of the loose ones).
Then get the book and knit a really great one-of-a-kind sweater.

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A fun book to read

I checked this out of the library after hearing so much about it. I think it is a book that I will add to my knitting library, but more for then enjoyment of Elizabeth Zimmerman's writing style and common sense, than for a knitting reference.

This is definitely not a learn to knit book. I found the chapters on sweaters and other knitted items a bit vague. But, to be honest, I will probably never knit a sweater anyway; I'm more of an accessory, small item knitter.

But, I'd buy the book for the first chapter alone. There are a lot of good tips and ideas in this chapter. And, I love her style of writing. You feel like she is sitting there talking to you, and she has so much common sense. She makes you realize that knitting is fun, that you don't have to do it just like the book says (not even hers), so just relax and create.

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