[.ca] Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles: A Manual of Elegant ... (ISBN 0970886950)

These socks did not soar:
I have been knitting for thirty years and was excited to purchase a book about a new knitting techniques. I was disappointed in this book because of the lack of detailed pictures which are common in instructional treatises. The photos were in black and white and not as sharp as they should be. I found sites on the internet, and another book, the Magic Loop, which was more helpful in explaining the circular needle technique.

Got very confusing:
I'm an intermediate beginner, I guess. I've succesfully made mittons, for instance. I had attempted to knit socks in the past but the DPNs were too frustrating for me. At first, I was going gung-ho on my first sock using this book but I got thoroughly confused after constructing the heel, about how to pick up the stitches and finish the sock. The directions were really vague and unclear (at least to me, a novice sock knitter) and I couldn't figure out how to translate traditional sock knitting instructions from my other books to this technique. The author makes a lot of assumptions about what a novice knitter would know. You will need other books to figure out her instructions. It was extremely disappointing. I've since purchased bamboo DPNs in hopes that there will be less yarn slippage and frustration with the old-fashioned method. If the author revised the text to include more thorough explanations this would be a good buy.

There are better instructions on the web.:
The book may be worth buying for its patterns, but if you are only interested in learning the technique, there are better instructions on the web (search for knitting with two circular needles).

Disapointing:
Poor pictures, a very slim book and lots of shortcuts in the quality department made this a big disapoinment. This one's worth the trip to the Post office to return.

This book will turbo charge your knitting!:
Yes, learning a new way to work with knitting needles is awkward. The reward is awesome so stick with it. Cat provides plenty of pictures and descriptive text. Slog your way through this -- it's a bit like learning to fold your hands with a different thumb on top. Awkward at first. Unnatural. GET OVER IT! Not only do socks fly off your needles, you will need fewer double pointed needles -- when the length of the needles doesn't have to match the diameter of your garment, you'll have to buy way fewer needles. This technique works for sweaters, for anything you want to knit in the round. There's nothing worse than jamming stitches on a too small or too big length of needles. You'll find it well worth the mental exercise.