Hand-Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters

This 2008 oversize book by Susan Guagliumi is now a classic MK book, with 249 pages, many of which have black and white photos and KM bed needle position graphics to demonstrate a stitch, pattern, or related concept.The author is an advocate of ‘happy accidents’ and play to learn new concepts on her author’s end, so that learners can learn and master simple concepts and then ‘play’ (and learn to feel comfortable doing so) with their KMs, themselves – unassisted to then create their own new patterns, designs, and concepts.As with all types of patterns and books about home crafts (KM, sewing, HK, crochet, weaving, tatting, etc.), the first edition usually generates an errata sheet when people try to replicate a stitch or pattern and then have problems trying to do it. This is standard operating procedure. One group, northtipton.com, created an errata sheet with the proper corrections for this book, so please run a search for this and keep it inside of this book. Second editions usually are error-free.Note that the Glossary at the end of the book covers all of the well-known MKs, arranged generally from simple to difficult: from hobby, to single bed (with or without a ribber), to an electronic single bed (with or without a ribber) to double bed, to double-bed electronic.I followed this very same format for acquiring my KMs (as do many other machine knitters): My first KM (a hobby KM) was a Silver-Reed LK-150, with a 50 needle extension, creating a 200 needle bed. This KM has a carriage that glides back and forth across the bed easily because it uses ball bearings. After that, I bought a Brother KH-260 with a ribber. I then bought an electronic version of this KM, the Brother KH-270. My last foray into KMs was the double bed machines: the Passap Duo-80 and finally the electronic (with ‘lights’) Passap E-6000.The next section of the book is the Bibliography, which is a good one. I found that I had already purchased most of these items. I then tried to buy the publications that I didn’t yet have.As with any craft, one should first select a hobby KM that is easy to use, employs a wide variety of yarn thicknesses, makes lots of simple items, and increases user proficiency while making many different items - themselves arranged from simple to complex. The hobby KM nicely allows for many hand-manipulated stitches, so I would suggest using a hobby KM like the one that I have (the LK-150.)The next step up from that could be a Brother KH-260 (without the ribber).The step after that could be a Passap (double bed) Duo 80. The Passap E-6000 (electronic) could also be used with the ‘lights’ off (i.e., without the machine plugged in) – using it manually.Note that the electronic machines already have pre-loaded/ built-in stitch patterns, so this book would not be very useful unless the ‘lights are out’ – the KM isn’t plugged in. This book is most useful, therefore, with use on non-electronic KMs.This book also shows some of the KM tools and equipment that come with machines. The author then tells readers what these items do and how some of them help form patterns.As with learning all crafts, it is best to have a rich learning environment led by someone that has mastered the skills that the student wants to learn: a teacher, group classes, local KM clubs, Yahoo online KM groups, YouTube videos, annual KM seminars, etc.Susan Guagliumi has some great videos online, so run a search and watch them.This book should be a standard staple on all KM-user bookshelves because it is a comprehensive reference to introduce a stitch, demonstrate the steps to create patterns, and include tips to help learners master the patterns and concepts.

When I told someone I bought this book, she said that I had bitten off more than I can chew. After all, I am just at the beginning of trying to get my machine to work. What my friend did not know is that this book is more than it seems. Before the author says the first thing about hand-manipulated stitches, she gives a thorough and clear explaination of the parts of a knitting machine and how they work. That is just what this newby needs! As a matter of fact, I was set to buy another book, when I saw a review for this one. That review favored this book over the other one, because of the machine overview given in Hand-Manipulated Stitches. After looking at the sample pages, I knew this was the book for me. I am now happily reading this book and learning things I could not learn from my knitting machine's owners manual. And it doesn't stop there. The book guides you through cast-on methods and charting and lots of other things. And then it gets into the hand-maipulated part. But even if I never get that far in my knitting adventure, this book still would have been well worth the money. It seems to me there is a lot of wonderful material in this book for machine knitters of all experience levels. I believe it was a wise purchase.

This is a great book (note caveat below) for taking your machine knitting beyond stockinette. It opened my mind to many different kinds of effects I hadn't ever considered, many of which can be adapted for hand knitting. Each of the examples is illustrated with a good b&w photo (I haven't seen the 2008 reprint edition so I don't know how good those photos are). There is an introductory section that teaches some of the specific techniques that will be used in making the hand manipulations, e.g. transferring stitches, etc. A number of the techniques require a double-bed machine, but there is lots you can do with a single bed machine.My one criticism of this book is that it doesn't provide specific details about accomplishing something on various different brands of knitting machines. So a good complement to this book is Susanna Lewis' book A Machine Knitter's Guide to Creating Fabrics: Jacquard, Lace, Intarsia, Ripple, and More, which gives precise instructions for each of the four major families of knitting machines.[If you are reading this review on the listing of one of the older editions of this book, look for the December 2008 printing.]

This book is a must have for every machine knitters library! It is current and easy to read! This past fall (Oct '09), I had the opportunity to take some classes from Susan and this book contains several of the techniques that were presented in the class. I am a beginning machine knitter so some of the techniques are still beyond me but this is a great book for beginner through advanced machine knitters! I use the book in conjunction with the video as a beginner but my mother-in-law uses just the book and also loves it (she has been machine knitting for about 18 years and does absolultely beautiful work!) If you get a chance to take a class from Susan, please do! She is a great instructor and you will learn some really cool tricks and fabulous edges that are much nicer than the plain old boring ribbed edges. Thanks Susan!

This book is full of information. I haven't read it cover to cover, but rather I have used it more for reference looking up information as I've needed. The print is rather small and the photos are all black and white but they are clear. There are tons of swatch patterns and photos showing the resulting knitted swatch and how the stitches are formed on the needles. It's a good book, but could be easier to read. I'm glad I own it. There are not that many resources for machine knitters and Susan Guagliumi is an excellent instructor.