Books like The yarn garden by J. Marsha Michler

"**Design and Make a Sweater Completely on Your Own!** Have you ever seen the perfect sweater in a store and wished you could figure out how to make it? Have you tried (but failed) to alter the neckline of a commercial sweater pattern? With *Better Sweaters* you can do all this and much more! Sweater designer Mari Dembrow clearly explains the principles needed to design and draft your own patterns. Not only will you be able to to reproduce any sweater you have seen but you'll learn how to improve upon it by adapting it to your particular tastes and needs. *Better Sweaters* is designed for knitters and crocheters who don't want to be slaves to commercial patterns. The author discusses materials (yarns, tools, and their characteristics), stitches (basic and border), and techniques (casting on, binding off, making buttonholes). Next are details on all the necessary steps, from planning the design, taking the measurements, and determining the gauge to drafting patterns for each part of the sweater. For each project, Mari Dembrow gives specifications and materials, step-by-step instructions for knitting and crocheting each portion of the sweater, explanations of how she drafted the pattern, and suggested modifications. Photographs as well as diagrams of each completed project are included, which will guide you through the text."

For hundreds of years the fishermen of the British Isles have gone to the sea wearing Guernsey and Jersey sweaters. Among landlubbers as well, these sweaters are perennially popular, but, especially in this country, it is often hard to find practical instructions for the patterns that are traditional in Britain. Here is a book that presents fully 82 different genuine folk patterns for both the lighter weight Jerseys and the heavier Guernseys, and diagrams many more patterns that you can use in your knitting. The author gives the names of the stitches and patterns traditionally used in making Jerseys and Guernseys, and she tells you exactly how to knit every sweater in this book using those patterns and stitches. Here you will find patterns taken from sweaters found in Yorkshire, Norfolk, the west coast of Ireland, the Scottish Hebrides, and the Aran Islands. These are sweaters that have often been handed down from father to son for several generations, they wear so well. Instructions for these sturdy sweaters are given row by row for knitting fronts, backs, sleeves, and necks, in the traditional fashion. Each set of instructions is accompanied by a diagram of the pattern and, often, by a photograph of the finished sweater. All of these sweaters can be worn by either men or women, but the author has also provided full directions for making two sets of sweaters and cardigans expressly adapted for ladies' wear. Mrs. Thompson also includes interesting information about the people who gave her the patterns for this book.

"Fiber and yarn enthusiasts nationwide will celebrate Ann Budd's latest addition to The Knitter's Handy Book series. Answering to a growing interest in knitting sweaters from the top down and knitting seamless sweaters that require little finishing, this handy book offers instructions for knitting five basic sweater types: circular yoke, raglan, modified-drop shoulder, set-in sleeve, and saddle shoulder. Patterns are offered in multiple sizes and yarn gauges and for a broad age group. Following the basics for each of the five sweater types are three diverse patterns from top designers that illustrate some of the many ways that instructions can be used as springboards for creative expression, including color, texture, and shaping variations. Also included for intermediate to advanced knitters are personal design touches, detailed charts, clear instruction, and quick tips to expand knitting possibilities and maintain creative originality. A key reference for knitters of all skill levels, this is the new essential knitting resource on your bookshelf. "--