Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible: 260 Exquisite Patterns by Hitomi Shida

Completely useless as a Kindle book. I'm sure it's very nice in print, but not worth anything on Kindle. The charts don't scale with your screen so you can't read them and it references additional charts by page number which is not integrated with Kindle. It's completely unusable. I was very disappointed.

I could spend the rest of my life knitting patterns from this lovely book. It is a feast for the eyes. The English translation is excellent. Especially helpful are the beginning notes that explain how Japanese charts differ. Take the time to absorb these differences. All patterns are presented in chart form. It takes a bit of time for the eye and mind to decipher the symbols. I spent an evening studying the formation of the symbols and layout in the Guide in the front of the book. That was time well spent. It “clicked” and made sense. Now my mind is full of ideas for scarves, mittens, socks and garments. It would be helpful to draw from previous experience in knitting cables, lace and twisted stitches - so I would not recommend this book for beginners. This book will remain out on the coffee table. It is far too lovely to hide away on the bookshelf.

I got this book yesterday after returning from a knitting tour of Ireland. I was exhausted, but couldn't put the book down. The designs are wonderful from simple to very intricate. My mind is spinning with ideas and I am anxious to swatch them out. The charting is going to take some time to get used to, as some of the symbols are a little different from what I usually knit from. There are no written instructions per row, only the charts. I can't see doing these designs in any other way. The chart symbols are cross referenced to the design pages. The book is divided into chapters, each with its own small project: Lacy Patterns, Overall Patterns and Crossing Stitches, Pattern Panels, Pattern Arrangements, Round Yokes and Edgings. The photography is excellent, each photo showing the design that is charted. This is a must have book for anyone who enjoys designing their own knits, loves texture and is a stitch pattern enthusiast. This is not a book for knitters who don't like charts. Extremely reasonable price for what you receive. Don't pass this one up!

As a knitter and also as a fan of Japanese culture and Japan in general, I knew I had to have this book. I had been trying for some time to find more on the web about Japanese stitches, and I did find bits and pieces but nothing with a good, solid foundation from which to start. So, even though I have been quite disappointed with the majority of new knitting books I've recently purchased, I was cautiously optimistic that this volume would in fact be just what I was hoping -- and when it arrived, my hopes were met and well exceeded! Enclosed in this softcover, oversized book are quite a few new and unusual stitches, as well as a multitude of stitch patterns that are far more complex than most any Western knitter is accustomed to seeing. Some patterns even include crochet mixed into the knitting! Stitch patterns and even single stitch "groups" can be complex: some, such as the "double decrease right over purl", are complicated enough that instead of explaining the symbol inline, Shida-sensei provides step-by-step, illustrated instructions later in the volume. After explaining the symbols, the remainder of the book is dedicated to stitch patterns, primarily large repeats (50 sts x 48 rows, for example) of interspersed lace and cables which look absolutely stunning. No enthusiastic knitter can possibly browse through them without wanting to immediately try them all. I would recommend this book only for knitters with more than a little experience knitting both cables and lace, and only those very comfortable working from charts. In general, Japanese knitting patterns do not include written instructions, only charts. This volume is no exception. Many, perhaps most, of the stitch symbols included on the charts here do not have equivalent US/Western chart symbols because the stitches simply do not exist in traditional Western knitting. Some of them are easy to conceive of, like adding increases and decreases to a cable stitch to create a lacy cable. Such stitches are not entirely foreign to you if you've read Barbara Walker's

Love it!!!! Just received this book The book has a lot of patterns with pictures and diagrams, a guide to the symbols, pictures how to knit symbols The book does not have textured knit and purl patterns, but if you can read diagrams you can enjoy this book

I’m in love with this book!!!! Beautiful patterns, well written instructions. These patterns are not for beginners!!! I love it!!

As the owner of dozens of knitting books, I'm not easily impressed with another new knitting book but "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" is an absolute treasure. I promise you've never seem anything like these exquisite patterns before in the US! The pattern on the front alone is worth the very modest price of the book (I paid less than $12.00). The patterns are all in chart form and there is a clear and concise guide to the charts and symbols. The book arrived yesterday and I'm longing to abandon all my Christmas projects in process to start exploring a new pattern with needles and wool. Treat yourself! You won't regret it, I promise. Just think - 260 never-before-seen stitch patterns to inspire and thrill you!

Wow ... so worth waiting for this one! I ordered this in April, a little wary of pre-ordering a knitting book since so often they are NOT as good as expected. I am so happy I did! this is one for every knitter to have in their resource library as the stitch patterns, panels, etc are so amazingly executed and unique. This book is packed with stitch patterns and stitch-designs (as well as intuitive directions for creating your own unique patterns) that are amazing .. gorgeous ... can't say enough good things. If you design your own hand-knits (as I do) or just want to try some different knit stitches .. this is the book for you. This book is ALL charts ... so well-worth your while to learn to knit from charts. ENJOY!

This book has stunning, uncommon stitch patterns including lace and cables, many combinations of the two, patterns that work for round yokes or hats, and edgings. A few will be familiar to American knitters - traveling vine and old shale, for example, but most look very new. They remind me of architectural details. There are designs with feminine and masculine feels, art deco and art nouveau styles, and ideas for combining cable or lacy stitches into allover patterns. What's missing? Instructions. There's no "k2tog, k1, yo, k1, ssk" at all.The stitches are shown in charts with lots of special symbols. You'll need to check back to the front to find the meanings of the symbols, and then sometimes to go to the back of the book for further explanation. The patterns often go over 52 rows with widths up to 50 stitches. The charts are small, too. Swatch boldly, though. Once you've learned a pattern it's worth the trouble. There are a few garment patterns: a scarf, a collar, fingerless mitts, a cap, and socks. Most of the book, though, is a wonderful collection of gorgeous stitch patterns.

This is a lovely, easy to follow well presented book. The author is a gifted knitter and has generously included a section on adapting her designs. It's not a pattern book (although a few example patterns are included) but rather a road map to patterning. The user will have to put in a bit of work and learn to read Japanese knitting symbols in order to use the designs, but once done, it opens a world of patterns not usually comprehensible to non-Japanese-literate knitters. I only gave four stars because I haven't yet knitted any of the designs but I'm pretty confident (such is the general quality of production) that when I do, I'll be updating to give another star.

Completely useless as a Kindle book. I'm sure it's very nice in print, but not worth anything on Kindle. The charts don't scale with your screen so you can't read them and it references additional charts by page number which is not integrated with Kindle. It's completely unusable. I was very disappointed.

I could spend the rest of my life knitting patterns from this lovely book. It is a feast for the eyes. The English translation is excellent. Especially helpful are the beginning notes that explain how Japanese charts differ. Take the time to absorb these differences. All patterns are presented in chart form. It takes a bit of time for the eye and mind to decipher the symbols. I spent an evening studying the formation of the symbols and layout in the Guide in the front of the book. That was time well spent. It “clicked” and made sense. Now my mind is full of ideas for scarves, mittens, socks and garments. It would be helpful to draw from previous experience in knitting cables, lace and twisted stitches - so I would not recommend this book for beginners. This book will remain out on the coffee table. It is far too lovely to hide away on the bookshelf.

I got this book yesterday after returning from a knitting tour of Ireland. I was exhausted, but couldn't put the book down. The designs are wonderful from simple to very intricate. My mind is spinning with ideas and I am anxious to swatch them out. The charting is going to take some time to get used to, as some of the symbols are a little different from what I usually knit from. There are no written instructions per row, only the charts. I can't see doing these designs in any other way. The chart symbols are cross referenced to the design pages. The book is divided into chapters, each with its own small project: Lacy Patterns, Overall Patterns and Crossing Stitches, Pattern Panels, Pattern Arrangements, Round Yokes and Edgings. The photography is excellent, each photo showing the design that is charted. This is a must have book for anyone who enjoys designing their own knits, loves texture and is a stitch pattern enthusiast. This is not a book for knitters who don't like charts. Extremely reasonable price for what you receive. Don't pass this one up!

As a knitter and also as a fan of Japanese culture and Japan in general, I knew I had to have this book. I had been trying for some time to find more on the web about Japanese stitches, and I did find bits and pieces but nothing with a good, solid foundation from which to start. So, even though I have been quite disappointed with the majority of new knitting books I've recently purchased, I was cautiously optimistic that this volume would in fact be just what I was hoping -- and when it arrived, my hopes were met and well exceeded! Enclosed in this softcover, oversized book are quite a few new and unusual stitches, as well as a multitude of stitch patterns that are far more complex than most any Western knitter is accustomed to seeing. Some patterns even include crochet mixed into the knitting! Stitch patterns and even single stitch "groups" can be complex: some, such as the "double decrease right over purl", are complicated enough that instead of explaining the symbol inline, Shida-sensei provides step-by-step, illustrated instructions later in the volume. After explaining the symbols, the remainder of the book is dedicated to stitch patterns, primarily large repeats (50 sts x 48 rows, for example) of interspersed lace and cables which look absolutely stunning. No enthusiastic knitter can possibly browse through them without wanting to immediately try them all. I would recommend this book only for knitters with more than a little experience knitting both cables and lace, and only those very comfortable working from charts. In general, Japanese knitting patterns do not include written instructions, only charts. This volume is no exception. Many, perhaps most, of the stitch symbols included on the charts here do not have equivalent US/Western chart symbols because the stitches simply do not exist in traditional Western knitting. Some of them are easy to conceive of, like adding increases and decreases to a cable stitch to create a lacy cable. Such stitches are not entirely foreign to you if you've read Barbara Walker's

Love it!!!! Just received this book The book has a lot of patterns with pictures and diagrams, a guide to the symbols, pictures how to knit symbols The book does not have textured knit and purl patterns, but if you can read diagrams you can enjoy this book

I’m in love with this book!!!! Beautiful patterns, well written instructions. These patterns are not for beginners!!! I love it!!

As the owner of dozens of knitting books, I'm not easily impressed with another new knitting book but "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" is an absolute treasure. I promise you've never seem anything like these exquisite patterns before in the US! The pattern on the front alone is worth the very modest price of the book (I paid less than $12.00). The patterns are all in chart form and there is a clear and concise guide to the charts and symbols. The book arrived yesterday and I'm longing to abandon all my Christmas projects in process to start exploring a new pattern with needles and wool. Treat yourself! You won't regret it, I promise. Just think - 260 never-before-seen stitch patterns to inspire and thrill you!

Wow ... so worth waiting for this one! I ordered this in April, a little wary of pre-ordering a knitting book since so often they are NOT as good as expected. I am so happy I did! this is one for every knitter to have in their resource library as the stitch patterns, panels, etc are so amazingly executed and unique. This book is packed with stitch patterns and stitch-designs (as well as intuitive directions for creating your own unique patterns) that are amazing .. gorgeous ... can't say enough good things. If you design your own hand-knits (as I do) or just want to try some different knit stitches .. this is the book for you. This book is ALL charts ... so well-worth your while to learn to knit from charts. ENJOY!

This book has stunning, uncommon stitch patterns including lace and cables, many combinations of the two, patterns that work for round yokes or hats, and edgings. A few will be familiar to American knitters - traveling vine and old shale, for example, but most look very new. They remind me of architectural details. There are designs with feminine and masculine feels, art deco and art nouveau styles, and ideas for combining cable or lacy stitches into allover patterns. What's missing? Instructions. There's no "k2tog, k1, yo, k1, ssk" at all.The stitches are shown in charts with lots of special symbols. You'll need to check back to the front to find the meanings of the symbols, and then sometimes to go to the back of the book for further explanation. The patterns often go over 52 rows with widths up to 50 stitches. The charts are small, too. Swatch boldly, though. Once you've learned a pattern it's worth the trouble. There are a few garment patterns: a scarf, a collar, fingerless mitts, a cap, and socks. Most of the book, though, is a wonderful collection of gorgeous stitch patterns.

This is a lovely, easy to follow well presented book. The author is a gifted knitter and has generously included a section on adapting her designs. It's not a pattern book (although a few example patterns are included) but rather a road map to patterning. The user will have to put in a bit of work and learn to read Japanese knitting symbols in order to use the designs, but once done, it opens a world of patterns not usually comprehensible to non-Japanese-literate knitters. I only gave four stars because I haven't yet knitted any of the designs but I'm pretty confident (such is the general quality of production) that when I do, I'll be updating to give another star.

Love the book, the patterns are a bit hard to follow, with the multiple symbols in the graph, I do not recommend this book for a beginner, unless you have support from an experienced knitter. I have inserted several of these patterns in my hats and scarfs. The pictures are of a hat scarf.

The most beautiful knitting pattern book I have ever seen. I have about 30 knitting books with various beautiful stitches and patterns, as well as a couple of hundred knitting magazines. Purchasing this book will be a joy for many years to come. P.S. I am looking for a "Suggestion Box" to Amazon. I have a recommendation for Prime Members. As you do with purchased music, please give us the same availability with purchased books. HAVE THEM IN THE CLOUD. I would love to read my purchased paper books in my hotel room, etc, the same as I am able to do with my purchased music. I had purchased this knitting book and needed to take it along which is quite heavy and unruly. I had to purchase the Kindle version today to make this possible. I would appreciate a feedback from you please. Thank you, Anna S.

The pattern on the front cover is not included in the book. With a lot of detective work you can find the various stitch patterns throughout the book, which when combined would create the cover pattern. However, you'd have to be a master knitter to design the segue between patterns. That said, there are a lot of very pretty patterns and examples of how the patterns might look individually as well as repeated. Also note that the Japanese stitch symbols are different from American symbols, although the book explains each one in good detail.

Wow Wow Wow! These designs are amazing! Not for the faint or heart or for the beginner. They are very complex stitch patterns. You need to be able to incorporate very complex stitch patterns into your own apparel pattern. But for those of use who wish for a more challenging projects these are fantastic. Because so many complicated stitch designs are put in just one book, the graphs are on the small side. When I work on one I will copy the pattern over to graph paper so that it will be larger to see, and copying it will help familiarize me with the pattern.

I bought this book for my mom's birthday. Actually, I really bought it for me, hoping she'll let me pick out a pattern for a scarf. ;) The patterns in this book are amazing. "I want that" is what I thought over and over looking through the pages of the book. It would make me want to learn to knit if I had any kind of patience for long-term projects. Each of the 260 patterns/pattern mixes has an accompanying photo of it knitted. I can't imagine how long or how many people it took to do that. Most of the patterns are intricate, some of them are modern looking, some are beaded. There are sections devoted to lacy patterns, crossed/cable-stitch patterns, mixed patterns, edging and more. As a picture book alone, it deserves 5 stars. When my mom makes me that scarf, I'll leave a comment about what the patterns are like to use.

Came across this randomly and was so taken by the beauty of the patterns that immediately bought for my wife. She and her quite sophisticated knitting group at the local library agree. Unfortunately the Japanese have their own (to the uninitiated) kryptic way of laying out knitting instructions. Harder even than how Europeans do it - vs the US. I'm no knitter, but apparently instead of using words like "knit" and "pearl" it uses numeric codes for step by step instructions. I hope between the German, Brazilian and my French Canadian wife they'll puzzle their way through, but so far they've stuck to other projects.

This is the most beautiful knitting book I've ever seen. I can't imagine the skill it took to design even one of these masterpieces. What an incredibly talented designer. The book has gorgeous photographs of all the designs, with extremely complex and intimidating charts. I'm afraid it's more of a look book for me because the charts are daunting to follow. The symbols are explained in detail, but unfortunately for me, many of them look nearly identical to each other except for an odd slash here and there. I almost wish they'd been color coded instead. If I ever manage to complete one of these designs, I'll consider myself advanced. That said, it's a well put together book with stunning photos and detailed instructions by a master artist.

This is not a book for beginner knitters. To use the patterns you must be able to follow a chart. I do find it easier to follow charts than written directions. The charts are intuitive - what you see on the chart is what you see on the right side of the knitting. Almost all of the stitch patterns are complex and all are beautiful. They consist of lace or a combination of lace and cables. This is a good addition for anyone who collects knit stitches.

Looking through the patterns in this book gave me so many ideas of beautiful things that I can knit for myself and others. There is not a pattern in this book that is anything short of gorgeous and I know that I will spend many happy hours adapting these patterns into scarves, sweaters, blankets, and socks and never grow bored of the "same old pattern". This book has my hands itching for needles and yarn! Perhaps I'll start with a sampler blanket to try each pattern out. This book is a treasure trove of innovative beauty that is certain to become a "must have" for any knitter worth their salt. I highly recommend this book over most knitting books currently on the market.

I found that if I first experimented with the different stitches and patterns, it became easier to extend the patterns into a baby blanket. The two completed blankets that I selected came out beautifully. It proved to be simpler than I thought. I like having both a patterned chart as well as the written pattern. I will be making more baby blankets using various patterns. I am also incorporating some of these patterns in with others I have on hand to create a totally different pattern and look.

This more than meets my expectations. Msny many wonderful lace chart plus lace edges. This book does not give suggestions on how to integrate, but any intermediate knitter can easily incorporate into a knit piece or design an item using these charts. All designs are charted only. There are so many lace designs, the combinations and creative possibilities are endless. A must for any lace knitter. A great addition to my library.

I gave my self this book as a Christmas present and so had to stop myself from opening the package until the 25th. No disappointment and worth the wait - the only problem is that I'm not getting enough sleep because I don't want to stop knitting to go to bed! I've been knitting little swatches to see the patterns in three dimensions and to teach myself to use charts. I've never done this before and it's the most knitting fun I've had in years. The directions are clear, the photos are gorgeous, the paper is high quality and I'm completely delighted with the whole product.

Great stitches. I've seen some jpegs from this book and similar Japanese pattern books on the internet, but it's nice to have all these as well as the stitch key so I can incorporate the stitches into my knitting projects. Be aware that these are not knitting patterns, they are stitch patterns in a type of chart with symbols and a section on what each symbol means and how to do it visually (since I don't read Japanese). GORGEOUS pictures, well made book.

WOW! this has some very beautiful stitch work in it. Mostly charted but some are written out. This is not for beginners as it has some pretty complicated, although do-able, stitch motifs. the only thing I can complain about is that she doesnt go into detail about how to increase or decrease sets but she does give 'hints' as to how this is done by doing a few collars for you. (which is typical of Japanese teaching methods because they like you to figure things out for yourself from 'clues'). Lots of very pretty stitch sets! Well worth the money if you are patient with yourself. She does go into detail about stitch symbols, which is good because Japanese knitting symbols can be a bit different than ours. Spend the money on this one my fellow knitters!

This book really is eye candy for knitters. The best thing about it I think is the way it expanded my thinking about what knitting stitches could be. The author deftly incorporates some crochet technique into her knitting with spectacular results. The charts are easy to follow and she gives good descriptions of each of the hybrid stitch techniques, though I needed to blow up the charts for easy viewing. What I would have liked for ultimate perfection in this book is a spiral binding that lies flat when open. Next edition, please.

I am considered an expert knitter by my family, and I found this group of patterns to be an exciting challenge! I admit that I started with the scarf on the cover and at first it was difficult keeping track of the new (for me) symbols in the charts. I printed copies of the symbols pages and put them in sleeve protectors, so that I had handy quick reference pages while getting used to this “new language”. My sister loved it so much, she snatched my first scarf and has requested more for friends and family!

This book is full of gorgeous photos of 260 different stitch patterns and corresponding charts to make them. It's great for gazing at and for getting ideas for knitted patterns. The only drawbacks are 1) the print of the charts is TINY and 2) it's difficult to enlarge a page to be able to read the charts because of the binding. Someone suggested taking it to an office supply store and have them wire-bind it which I did and it makes copy/enlarging those charts SO much easier. The wire binding cost me less than $8. I just adore this book!

Great book, great patterns. BUT, I bought the book thinking it would be easy for me to take a digital book and move it (or parts if it) into my Knit Companion program on my iPad. But NO. The ebook version of this book makes that impossible. My only choice is to take screen shots of the pages I want, get the photos all in one file, make that a PDF, then get that into Knit Companion. That is PAST my computer/digital expertise. So.... I have been able to knit nothing from this book. Sad.

I thought when I ordered this, that I would find a handful or 2 of great stitches. I found so many more than a few handfuls! The swatches are all so well done, so clear. I love the charts, though I'm honestly not all that good at chart reading just yet, but this book motivates me to improve my skills so I can knit all my favorites as soon as possible. This book will be a family heirloom, I think.

The photography in this volume is stunning and I was beguiled into buying it. Please note however that nowhere in the description of it was it mentioned that all the stitches were charted, no descriptive instructions on how to knit them. Since I am too old and see too poorly to use charts, I was disappointed, to say the least. However, I gave the book to a friend for her birthday. Since she is a much better knitter than I and reads charts, she was delighted.

This amazing book will keep me sane during covid 19. I am an experienced knitter, I wouldn't recommend this book to somebody just starting unless they truly love a challenge. Most of the patterns would be best with small needles. It takes a little time to get used to the instructions being only graphs with minimal wording, but the patterns are amazing. I love it, I love it, I love it!

Meant for the truly advanced knitter. I’ve been part of a knitting group for a few years and I’m an average knitter. The pictures are beautiful and well layed out. Wonderful book to own. Would recommend to learn from if you are able to read charts well. Or just a beautiful book to add to the knitters collection. But I returned because it gave me anxiety since I’m not there yet in my craft.

Gave this as a gift to a friend who is an avid knitter. She has made socks and a sweater incorporating patterns from this so far, and she says she LOVES the book and the patterns and can't wait to start the next project! I wouldn't suggest knitting these patterns while chatting with your knitting group, as you'll need to concentrate, but the results are beautiful!

The patterns in this book are incredible! Unfortunately for me, they are all in pattern form, rather than written instructions, so I have to translate them into the worded pattern form because it's way to difficult for me to read the grid patterns.

Book is fascinating. I wish I hadn’t purchased Kindle edition. Designs are beautiful on iPad (not so much on Oasis). However, there are many references to page numbers and Kindle edition is not page number enabled! Grrrrrrr.

You must have this stitch bible if you are a knitter. Beautiful stitch patterns - intricate and lovely - suitable for an intermediate level knitter. I have it on my Kindle, but I want to get a hard copy as well so I can easily enlarge the charts. There are a few garment patterns as well - collars and mittens I think.

Such gorgeous cables, every single page. Rarely do I find a book where I love more than a couple of the patterns, in this book I love almost every single one. Great for getting the creative juices flowing, now to figure out what to make with the motifs... so many possibilities! Brought it to my knitting group so they could drool over it also.

This was a Christmas gift for a friend of my sons who spent the holiday with us. She is and excellent knitter and loves finding new ways to stitch. This book was right up her alley and we can't wait to see what she comes up with after reading and trying new patterns from this book. Details are wonderful and it was worth every penny.

This book has many exquisite patterns. I will always be a poor knitter, but I love looking patterns, stitches, and design. The patterns here are far more complicated than I can ever hope to knit, but I can dream, and their uniqueness alone is a remarkable achievement. I feel like I am transported across the world through the prism of a different aesthetic. Excellent!

It's a great book. I, unfortunately, have purchased the kindle version. The charts are unreadable in many cases because, either they are too large and each symbol becomes too small to distinguish. Or they have used light grey lettering which can not be darkened. So great book but really not suitable for kindle which makes it a waste of my money.

Pretty book. For me, not very practical. The designs are extremely ornate. I'm struggling to figure out how one would use them--shawls, blankets, curtains? I nearly sent it back but decided to keep it. I must have more than 20 stitch dictionaries but nothing remotely like this--except in parts.

This Knitting Stitch Bible is very well done. Any knitter who wants to broaden their knitting skills should add this book to their library. I am happy I made the purchase, I certainly learned about a lot more stitches. It has really enlightened my knowledge of knitting stitches. Well worth to own.

Beautiful book. For experienced knitters only. I'm pretty experienced and I'm going to have to put some time and effort into these patterns. The patterns are amazing. Photos are lovely. I recommend to photocopy the pattern chart you are working on so you can mark it up and makes traveling easier.

This was purchase as a gift. It’s Tuttle Books, so, you know it’s made well and the book is probably a work of art in itself. The recipient said it’s one of the best knitting books she’s ever seen. The pages have pictures and instructions. The instruction include moderate to intricate designs for cuffs, collars, and other segments. There’s several glossaries in the back.

The book came in a large cardboard package. It was undamaged and in new condition. The book is larger than I anticipated and is very clear with guides how to use the charts provided. Not for a new knitter but I definitely recommend buying anyways to grow your kniting skills.

Beautiful book. The intricate patterns are amazingly lovely. Not for the knitter who is not inclined to take on intricate patterns.

This stitch dictionary has a modern feel. It's a great companion to the traditional stitch dictionaries that cover the basic stitches and patterning. Rather than showing what a single type of stitch looks like, this book shows panels of knitting that combine lace and cables to create a beautiful design. There are even a few actual knitting patterns included.

I bought this for the patterns. The chart symbols are different from what I’m accustomed to. The legend is in the front of the book, so instead of flipping back and forth, I put the complex symbols on a sticky note and stuck it on the chart I was working on. I understand why the book is organized like this, but it’s not knitter friendly. I rated it 4 stars for the amazing patterns.

I love the patterns and the edition itself, but I know I will have to open my excel sheet to make my own chart before starting to swatch. I give three stars because of that...

This is an amazing book. I ordered the first one for me and when it arrived immediately ordered another for a friend for Christmas. This is a stunning collection of Japanese patterns. This book would still be a great deal as a $25+ pattern resource. I got both mine for under $12. Excellent purchase even if price jumps.

The stitches in this stitch dictionary are so beautiful! And the way they are presented really makes you think, unlike most stitch dictionaries. And because it's in English, it's very usable. I haven't actually used any of the stitches yet, but I'm looking forward to doing so. In the meantime, I enjoy browsing and imagining.

The book is easy to understand and use! If you like to design your own items you need to get this book. The book arrived on time and I have designed my own fingerless gloves, shawls, sweaters, tan tops and skirts just to name a few items. So happy I bought this book!

I love it. Many different designs, everything is in graph form. The graphs are a little different than what I'm used to using, but there's an excellent explanation for all the symbols at the beginning. Looking at the graph shows you what the right side of your knitting will look like, so it's easy and self-explanatory. A real treasure.

Very distinctive, *different* and stunning designs. Yes, these Japanese cable and lace differ from all others in my collections - more intricate, dainty and I'm guessing lighter-weight yarns (DK/sport? - I didn't check). I LOVE these patterns = it will take a wee bit of learning to read their different notations and charts though . . . . but the pictures may suffice in many cases.

The stitch patterns are exquisite. The designs are complex but they are the most beautiful I have ever seen! Very useful the pages of symbols and their explanation. The different patterns provide lots of new ideas and projects; they stimulate your imagination. Very lovely book!

I am a long time experienced knitter. This book is filled with gorgeous amazing designs! The symbols were foreign to me but the first fifteen or so pages give the key to each one. I made the mini scarf and just love it. It was challenging at the beginning but I learned quickly and simply followed the chart once I had the symbols mastered. I highly recommend this book for stunning design work!

This is a wonderful book. I have the Japanese language version too, which has more stitches, but this one tells you how to interpret the charts, so I have the best of both worlds. Happy knitter!

If you Knit, get this. The stitch patterns are amazing. Even if you just use it as an idea book, it’s worth getting. For the money, you can’t go wrong. Until I get a chance to try my hand at some of these patterns, I’m finding it relaxing to browse the beautiful patterns in this well designed book.

I just discovered Hitomi Shida's designs. OMG they are all so beautiful! To me they look like cables and lace combined---my two favorite kinds of knitting. The stitch patterns in this book make me want to make sweaters in every single one. More Hitomi Shida books!

While I've leafed through this book, I haven't taken on any of the patterns for a project yet. The charts are easy to convert to my knitting project software charts; I did a test run on that.

I received your book quickly. I truly enjoy trying out the many different stitches. And look forward to more complete works not just samples. The book is beautiful and in great condition.

It is a book I go to so often, Sometimes for a pattern idea but often just to browse as the work is so exquisite. It has a treasured place on my knitting shelf. recommend it highly.

Very inspiring pattern book. I expected the stitches to be complicated, but most use the most basic of stitches that are easy to execute. The charts are easy to read, but I would probably have the ones I wanted for a projected enlarged for easy reading as I knit.

I've been a serious knitter for over ten years but this is my first view into Japanese styles. They are beautiful, subtly different from European designs. The book is laid out very nicely with excellent photos and an effective charting scheme. I can't wait to start a project.

I took three workshops on Japanese stitches with Ms. Roehm, excellent workshops and this book put them all together. The book covers lace patterns as well as cable patterns. The translation of symbols is of great help. This is a stitch dictionary for the adventurous and advanced knitter. To summarize, it's a must have!

This is a fabulous book of knit stitches and patterns for many different applications: collars, frills, cables, lace, scallops, bobbles, fancy edgings, etc. There are hundreds of patterns. It is VERY IMPORTANT to realize that the pattern graphs are Japanese style graphs, which means that the pattern shows each row as it looks from the right side of the garment. If you are knitting a wrong side row, do not knit what the pattern shows, but knit itʻs opposite. This change from Western convention takes a little getting used to, and if you donʻt know it, none of the patterns will come out correctly. It states this in the introduction, but being excited to start I chose a pattern and got knitting before reading the introduction, only to find that my work looked ridiculous. Read the introduction. There is an exhaustive key to symbols (some of which are new to Western knitters) and good in-depth instructions with photos for the complicated stitches. There are generous size color photos of knit samples which show every stitch pattern and texture. The pattern graphs for knitting what is shown in the photos are at the back of the book. The key to symbols is at the front of the book. This means you have to keep flipping from back to front pages as you execute a pattern, which is a small pain, but worth it because this book is a treasure chest of new patterns. Yay!

beautiful pictures, not the beginner's instruction book, but if you are looking for a challenge this will be it, but well worth the effort Would buy again, but I love misery.

I never buy knitting books BUT i checked this one out at the library and just had to have it. so many beautiful stitches! i love to just look at the pictures and dream of all the pretty things to make

Had read and seen some things created from this book. Takes some reading to learn new skills. Have picked a design to make a scarf, Will be nice when it is done. Maybe not for a beginner, but if you can read a chart and are willing to spend some time you will be the envy of your friends.

I love this book. It is true eye candy for any knitter. The l patterns can seem overwhelmingly complicated at first, but, when you read what the symbols mean and take the time to deconstruct the charts they are easily manageable by anyone with an intermediate level understanding of knitting. The patterns are certainly worth trying out, they are so beautiful and will become classics in anyones wardrobe.

A hot-ticket item amongst all of my serious knitting friends. There were "oohs" and "ahs" when I brought it into work. Now to just figure out what to do with all of these stitches and cable patterns. Not necessarily good for a beginner.

These are beautiful stitch patterns that I have not found in other books. They’re not all advanced patterns but an advanced knitter will find several new patterns here. The patterns are all charted.

I purchased this a a gift for a coworker and she was ecstatic. I don't know anything about knitting but she seemed to know this was the real deal

I bought this stitch dictionary just because it kept coming up in my recommendations. I should have bought it earlier. It is full of beautiful lace patterns. All of the patterns are charted, so there is that to consider. But if charts don't throw you off, this is an excellent book.

I love it! Full charts with anindex of design symbol and description. Very beautiful designs, can't wait to get started using it!

This is my favorite pattern book. The patterns are so lovely, and they look great. I had not been knitting for a while, and looking at this book gave me the itch to pick up my needles and launch into a new product.

This book has the most beautiful patterns. Well worth the money. Although they are charted only. It is definitely worth learning to read charts. I would give it more stars if that were possible!

The explanations for creating these gorgeous lace and cable knits were excellent; with added illustrations at the back of the book I was able to work the diagrams. I would definitely recommend this book.

this book is lovely! very well translated and the designs are amazing. they have instructions for the more complicated stitches.

great pattern book and I can't wait to use some patterns for new projects. fast delivery and exactly as described.

I bought this book due to its beautiful patterns. It is only charts, but there is a guide in the beginning of how to read them. There are lacy patterns, overall patterns, edgings, and more! I am especially excited about the edgings since a lot of them would look gorgeous as a hat rim. I can’t wait to start! Wooo!

Recipient loves it - turns out she has taken classes with the author, so lucky purchase! It was a gift to her, and she is a hardcore knitter. The patterns are NOT easy. Instead they're very elaborate and precise, but so lovely.

Designs are interesting enough. A matter of taste, I suppose. But although most of the instructions can be enlarged on the Kindle, the stitch glossary remains tiny, thus making it very difficult to read knitting patterns on the Kindle.

A beautiful book on Japanese knitting in English! I believe many gifts will be made this year using these stitch patterns!!

This is a big beautiful book with thick, glossy pages of full-color pictures. Every design is handsomely knitted and photographed. The charts are large and the stitch symbols are clearly explained. I wish the patterns were named instead of just numbered. Otherwise, this book has surpassed my expectations. Be careful though, there are so many fantastical new designs to oogle, that it's hard to pick which to knit first.

These stitch patterns are absolutely gorgeous, and I’m going to practice so I can do them justice!

What can I say? I LOVE THIS BOOK! I haven't worked much with charts, but this is a good reason to get comfortable using them. Beautiful stitch patterns, and I get all sorts of ideas for new projects just looking at them.

Beautiful book full of unusual patterns. Knocking a star off because the cover pattern is not in the book, you could combine some patterns and get an approximation, but would be nice if what was on the cover was actually part of the book. There are some very complex stitches and it is not for beginning knitters.

I love to knit and I love having such a variety of new options for making things! This book is worth every penny, I'm so glad I have it! I highly recommend it to knitters! Beautiful stitches!

This is a beautiful book, full of eye candy for the knitter. Every pattern is graphed out just below a picture of the graph knitted out. There are no written instructions, which I am fine with there being none. I think this book is worth every penny sent.

This is one of the most beautiful knitting books I have purchased! The designs are exquisite and I can't wait to start a project to incorporate the designs. I love it!

What a marvelous book. A must have for all levels of knitters. Very interesting patterns; easy to read graphs and stitch instructions. I have not put the book down for the past four hours, looking through all the patterns and deciding which to try first.

Between this and the other size elastic, they will cover any number of upcoming repair projects. Good price, good yardage!

This book is complex, but the stitches are beautiful and original. It requires you read in Japanese charts, which was new to me. I absolutely will be keeping this one the shelf.

Not a book for a beginning knitter, but it is assembled fantastically and beautifully. Gorgeous patterns but lots of symbols to learn.

I have used this as a resource for unique patterns for hats, gloves and jumpers. Fantastic, easy to read, and interesting to use.

I love this book!!! Awesome patterns!! I can't wait to use it with my next sweater project.

Excellent book but had to return Kindle edition. The book is all about the charts but you cannot enlarge them. The charts are unreadable, especially the tables with symbols at the beginning of the book. Disappointed. So wanted to have a digital version, but not for this book I guess.

Love this book. My only complaint is that every pattern is in a chart. Nothing written out. I haven't knitted by chart...so it will take some time for me to get to making a project from this book.

I love creating custom blankets/scarves/sweaters - and have been looking for a book of new cabling patterns. These are not "beginner" - which I like. I just started on a small blanket using a fun pattern with built-in wave and it's drop dead gorgeous. I can't wait try some of the more of a challenging patterns!

Everything was great as described fast works I love it its perfect Thanks

This is the book I've always needed. More stitch patterns thelan you can use and you can mix and match them.

Got this as a gift for my family member who is really into knitting. The patterns are absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to see some of the creations with it! Book came in excellent condition.

Oh my! This is a book to just savor. It is a feast for the senses of the passionate knitter. There are so many that I want to try. There are also some that I'll probably never tackle (a little intimidating), but the inspiration is unending.

Beautiful patterns. I dream of making something like a dress or skirt from patterns in this book

The graphs are great. The book is well done. I just wish there had been more patterns for things to actually make.

I can’t get enough of this book. So much fun to read and look at.

Absolutely gorgeous, unusual stitch patterns. It also shows different ways to change and combine the patterns, making them much more versatile. Can't wait to use them in my knitting. Be aware - these are not for inexperienced knitters!

Wonderful book. Lots of great ideas and inspiration for my future knitting. And I also use the stitch dictionary included in the book to translate other Japanese patterns I have. Works nicely!

Beautifully photographed and a great reference of unusual stitch combinations (compared to what I am used to as a North American knitter).

Even makes for great non-knitting, with such complex stitch patterns that I don't mind just examining and studying a chart as a kind of mental puzzle. What a wonderful set of stitch patterns!

awesome book stitches over the top for more advanced knitters,cant wait to try some of them

An adventure in reading knitting patterns. Beautiful and original.

This is an amazing stitch book! beautifully laid out and pretty easy to follow if you've had experience with cables, bobbles and other stitch patterns. I can easily see substituting some of these to change up the look of hats, mitts and sweaters!

a great book , good explanations for really nice patterns

As soon as I finish what I’m making for Christmas this is my next project. I have never seen such beautiful patterns in my whole long life. Definitely going to make a sweater and finish it. Can’t wait to get started!

Beautiful, unusual stitches, very well explained.

More challenging than any book of stitches I've worked on before; but ,Oh so satisfying! Thank you for Challenging us. Marcia D. Smith aka Topsy

Wasn’t happy did not understand the patterns

Absolutely a stunning book, omg, I can't wait to try. The Knitting charts are completely different so there will be a learning curve, but unbelievably gorgeous. There are patterns for lace, sock yarns and others that can be used with aran. Will definitely teach me patience.

Love the variety of stitches. Elegant combinations. My mind is exploding with ideas after viewing this book!

My intention is to put a number of of patterns together to do a pull over sweater.

Beautiful and fantastic book. Very happy it finally arrived. Not happy with how long it took because they put it in a big box for shipping and it took over a week to arrive which was a silly way to mail it. Still, the book is very, very nice and I am so glad to have it.

Beautiful pictures, good paper. The book just feels good in your hands. I may never knit anything out of this book, but reading it is a real joy. I'm glad I bought it.

My sister-in-law who knits has this book. When I saw it I knew I wanted to get my own copy. Such beautiful stitch patterns!

These are simply beautiful.

Clear, concise - pictures, charts and written patterns.

Very nice print book, beautiful pictures, easy follow instrucctions when you get use to the codes, and a lot of stitches to try.

Great book. Beautiful photos. The shipping left a folded page and marred cover so not suitable for the coffee table book as hoped. Would have been perfect with better packaging.

This book has so many gorgeous, intricate knitting patterns! I love it and the price is remarkable.

I can't say enough good things about this fabulous book. I have drooled a long time over the stunning Japanese knit stitches and patterns and now here is this translation.

This book has really beautiful stitch patterns. A comprehensive symbol guide makes the patterns do-able.

I’ve got tons of knitting books - I’ve been collecting them for more than 30 years. But this book is the best I’ve ever seen. I would literally grab the dogs 🐕 and this book if I had to evacuate!😄 Oh yeah, and my DH too...

Beautiful book filled with gorgeous patterns. I haven't had a chance to actually make any of the patterns yet but they are all beautiful and this will be a wonderful reference book for my knitting.

I Luv the patterns, but I'm missing multiple pages. 😠 Wish I knew how to get the rest, then would be 5 stars!

This was for my wife, who loves it and says the charts and instructions are clear and well organized. She's thrilled to have Japanese stitch patterns in English, and thankful for the skill of the translator.

This is a beautiful book. It's full of patterns with stitches most knitters can do with no problem, just arranged in unique ways. The photos are beautiful, there are charts, photo explanations, and verbal instructions. Very nice! A must-have!

All charts! I would have liked written instructions; returned

My new FAVORITEST knitting design book EVER!!!!!!! So excited to be able to make such gorgeous knitted stitches!!!!!!

wife loves it

Una belleza de libro

This book is amazing im super excited to try it. I just didnt realise i would have to learn a whole new system to be able to read the patterns.It is charts. I guess I should of assumed it would not be Americanized. It is still worth it because the patterens are awe inspiring. I have just got the book so I'll update this. It may be that the charts are easy tp understand.

Christmas gift,

These patterns are traveling or twisted stitch, rather like Austrian and Bavarian knitting stitches, but with that refinement that is Japanese knitting; hard to define but a bit crisper and more graphic, might be a good way to put it. The photography of the samples is clear and the light yarns used show these pattern textures to really good advantage. There are examples of widening patterns, starting narrow and growing broader to make a fan shape--can be used for little girl skirts and other garments. A few garment examples (like fingerless mitts.) You also get a section of defining the symbols that make up Japanese knitting code--so if you like Japanese knit books but don't read Japanese, you can figure out some of their patterns using this symbols. A hat example shows just what you can do with this kind of knitting--also very good for socks and hiking stockings. Lovely book.

great patterns!

Really gorgeous stitch patterns.

This is a stunning book and I'm happy to have it in my knitting library. I'm grateful that they are being brought to English speaking knitters.

I haven't worked from this book yet, but the details and amount of patterns is impressive. Looking forward to my next project!

I loved the variety of stich patterns in this book, the directions are clear and easy to follow. I have been using the patterns for the leg part of socks, they work great for this and helps keep me interested with the variety of patterns avaiable

My favorite knitting stitch book. Has tons of charts for delicate and intrigue lace and cables.

The book has a wealth of stitches and great charts. It is supposed to be an new book; however, the back cover is damaged and I had intended to gift it.

Amazing designs! Told my doc he needed to plot out at least another 50 years of life for me so I can knit, knit, knit from this book.

As described, fast shipping

I could use many superlatives to describe this book. It’s incredible. Just buy it!

An entirely new way of thinking about knitting. I'm not good at reading charts, but when I see the beautiful combinations, I have got to develop my skills so I can knit these patterns.

Very intricate and beautiful patterns. I'll never figure it out.

This one I love the patterns but I am having trouble working the patterns out But I have bought another one because I liked its patterns too

Challenging not enough explanation for me.

arrived quickly and is beautiful , looking forward to incorporating this into my needle work.

I love this book. I helped the hardcopy book in Japanese so I mostly bought this book for the translation into English for the parts that I couldn’t figure out in the Japanese.

This stitch lexicon is overflowing with amazing patterns.

Just when you thought you couldn't be dazzled any more, "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" comes along to blow you away!