I recently hit a jackpot of older used knitting books, and am having great fun reading through them. A few of them I’m not sure I’m going to talk about here because they are pretty scarce and also pretty old. So I’m not sure you’ll be reading about the entire haul. But in any case, here are 3 that are interesting and still widely available. In no particular order

Yup – more fishermen’s sweaters. Knitting From the Netherlands by Henriette van der Klift-Tellegen was originally published in the Netherlands in 1983, and then the English translation first published in 1985. So this is not a new book at all. But it’s still a pretty good one if you are interested in ganseys. This is a smallish book, and does not spend any time teaching you how to knit. So don’t start your knitting journey with this one. It does feature old photos of people wearing their ganseys, and shows swatches and gives general instructions for reproducing the old sweaters. Recommend if you are interested in ganseys and don’t need a lot of detail.

The next book is Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas. This book is a bit more recent, having been published in 2003 by Interweave Press. Years ago I did some experimentation with felting knits – trying out different fibers and techniques and so on. I dearly wish I had had this book then. However, I have it now, so will have some really good information and guidance if I need to felt anything going forward. There is a lot of information on felting – really almost anything you might need to know. There are also patterns for a lot of accessories (like hats, mittens, slippers, bags) and household items like baskets. Recommend if you are interested in felting at all.

Last but not least, The Lacy Knitting of Mary Schiffmann by Nancy Nehring. Also an older book, this one was published in 1998, again by Interweave Press. This book is in many ways a memorial to Mary Schiffman, a dedicated lace knitter who collected many different and interesting lace patterns through her long and eventful life. Mary’s story is interwoven through pictures and patterns for a LOT of knitted lace. Patterns are charted and written out, and many of the patterns have pictures of knitted swatches of the lace along with pictures of the original item. The book is not an encyclopedia in any way. But it is a great big collection of patterns that are a little different from the usual. Recommend if you are interested in lace knitting.

If you are a crafter, do you like books on your crafts, or prefer online articles, online videos, or something else? Do you ever look for older books or magazines on your craft of choice?