[.ca] The Learn to Knit a Sweater Book (ISBN 0881958506)

Easy projects and nice yarns:
I just taught myself to knit about a month ago, so I am a very beginning knitter. This book is great for someone at my skill level -- the patterns are simple without looking it, and they use Lion Brand yarn, which in my experience is easy to find, reasonably priced, and of high quality. Even if you don't know how to knit yet, there is reasonably detailed information in the front of the book with illustrations that teach you how to cast on, knit, purl, increase, decrease, and bind off. They only include one method for casting on (which is not the one I use) and one for binding off, but you can always supplement this with information from another book or from the net. The projects in this book are attractive and wearable, and the patterns are easy to understand. There are 6 (not 9) projects in this book -- the three additional projects really only consist of assembling a sweater on the purl side. The projects are as follows: 1. "World's Easiest Cardigan" -- A belted, unshaped cardigan done in garter stitch using Homespun yarn (I am working on this one now) 2. "Hug Me Sweater" -- A loose-fitting, roll-neck sweater in double knit stockinette using Imagine yarn (assembled either on the knit side or the purl side) 3. "Quick Cardigan" -- A three-quarter sleeve ribbed cardigan using Wool-Ease Thick and Quick (assembled on either the ribbed side or the pebbled side). This is going to be my next project. 4. "Stripe it Rich Sweater" -- A striped sweater in three colors done in stockinette using Wool-Ease 5. "Perfect Pullover" -- A V-neck ribbed pullover using Wool-Ease Thick and Quick (assembled either on the ribbed side or the pebbled side) 6. "Challenge Sweater" -- a striped, roll-neck sweater using Imagine, Chenille Sensations, Jiffy, and Homespun. In my opinion, this is the only ugly pattern in the book. I would have given this book 5 stars, but the sizing seems too large to me. The title says "Sizes Small to 3X," but since all the sweaters are sized to fit loose, they will probably be too big for a person like me, who usually wears an XS. The finished bust of the Homespun cardigan, for instance, is 40". That's way too big to be a size small, in my opinion. I have tried to compensate for this by using smaller needles, and it seems to be working. Also, the patterns for the Hug Me sweater and the Challenge sweater do not include size small at all. They also do not include any sizes larger than XL, although they are supposed to be loose-fitting. So if you wear anything other than Small, Medium, or Large, you are going to have to make some adjustments.