We were given an opportunity recently to take a look at the new book from Faina Goberstein and Simona Merchant-Dest, The Art of Slip-Stitch Knitting, and, well, quite honestly, we were blown away.
The depth given to the realm of slipped stitches is beautifully done, but also amazingly eye opening. I’ve always seen the use of the simple slip stitch as a “lazy man’s” way of playing with colour, but the authors show in detail how texture, shape, and finishing all fit within the scope of the technique.
The book is part tutorial, part stitch dictionary, and part design. Clear instructions demonstrate how to work the variety of techniques when slipping stitches, everything from floats, to yarn ons (that was a new one), and tucks. I was enthralled with the section on reengineering the stitch patterns and how one simple change, whether it is adding a third colour or changing the location of your floats, results in a dramatic, enchanting change.
The designs (garments and accessories) are the stunning, while also providing a perfect canvas to test out the variety of stitch patterns included throughout. Naturally, The Art of Slip-Stitch Knitting provides other helpful tutorials, such as chart reading, knitting basics, and terminology. Faina and Simona have outdone themselves with a book that is an absolute must for the knit-focused library. It is, truly, an amazing resource. You can get it through Amazon or Interweave.
