Review on 🧶 300+ Knitting Stitches: A Comprehensive Collection of Contemporary and Traditional Stitch Patterns by Lori Aguirre

On the constant search for embroidery reference books I came across this book and thought I had made a great find. It was a good compact size, seemed perfect from the description. So I ordered it PROS: Compact, firm to the touch, with durable pages, a nice glossy finish and some very nice photos CONS: 1. The first 100 pages (almost 1/3) of the book is devoted to knitting basics. Instructions are not a firmware library at all. 2. The diagrams showing how to make the patterns are VERY difficult to see - there isn't enough contrast between the two colors (yellow gold background and medium brick red details). I tried copying and varying the contrast. I tried it with a magnifying glass. It was just very difficult to discern the pattern. 3. Stitches are divided into general categories: knit, purl, rib, cable, twist, lace, etc., and then arbitrarily divided into simple, intermediate, and complex categories for each stitch type. I found this confusing and also inaccurate. In many cases, no one has ever overlooked "difficult" patterns. If anyone could do some of these "difficult" stitches, you wouldn't be looking at this book. This book is fundamental. Some of the so-called middle stitches should be marked as easy and vice versa. 4. NO WORDS are used to describe charts - only charts which are a great tool, especially when language can be a barrier, but sometimes words are very helpful. 5. The meaning of the symbols used in the tables is hidden between pages 96-101. Not comfortable at all. Many characters are for complex slashes, which a person can easily do without for years. Summary: The author must have let this slip past her editor as it is not clear what she is trying to do here. I advise against buying this book. The Harmony Guide is much better. The author must have let this slip past her editor as it is not clear what she is trying to do here. I advise against buying this book. The Harmony Guide is much better. The author must have let this slip past her editor as it is not clear what she is trying to do here. I advise against buying this book. The Harmony Guide is much better.