Craft Focus
The practical, pocket-sized manual that every knitter needs, from Morgane Mathieu of popular knitting blog, Trust the Mojo.
Booklist
For newbies intimidated by the likes of the trusted manual Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book (2018), French author Mathieu offers a kinder, gentler, and much less imposing introduction. The content is mostly rudimentary: needs, choices for yarn, pattern, and measurements; basic knitting techniques; and finishing and sewing together. What stands out are Mathieu's instructions for reading a chart (as it's a fact there is no standard chart or symbols), her tips and tricks (for example, dont change your needles or brands of yarn midstream!), and the pros and cons she offers for different alternatives in construction, casting on, and the like. Illustrations and photographs are spot-on, especially in the more difficult how-tos, such as those for finishing and sewing. Includes table of stitch-to-row ratios.
Simply Knitting
A pocket guide with big crafting energy - all you need for knitting confidence!
Every knitter needs a reliable go-to: something to turn to for guidance, a technique refresher, or a dose of inspiration. 'The Knitting Companion', a fun and practical pocket-sized manual by Morgane Mathieu of the blog Trust the Mojo, is exactly that - the equal parts of resource and creative spark.
This curated guide supports every stage of your knitting journey. With clear instructions and beautiful photography, it covers everything from reading yarn labels and choosing needles to mastering increases, decreases, and finishing - all in a friendly, no-fuss tone that makes even the trickiest steps feel manageable. It also breaks down knitting charts and symbols, helping readers gain confidence with more complex patterns.
'The Knitting Companion' is the a translation of the original French edition, now available in English and ready to delight a whole new generation of knitters. Compact, clever and full of expert advice, it makes knitting feel not just doable - but joyful and endlessly fun.
Slipknot - September 2025
As the title states, this is a perfect little companion book for knitters who are just starting out or have been knitting for only a short time. Although, I will be honest, I still manage to find things I didn't know about, so it is very useful. The book is just the right size to put in your knitting bag. This does, however, mean that the print size is small so remember your glasses if needed.
The book is clearly set out in four sections which take you through the whole knitting process, from choosing what wool and needles to use to how to finish your project. I found the section about yarns very useful, especially the differences between US, Australian and the UK wools. The photos are very helpful and, if anything, I would have liked to see more of these. The chapter on how to adapt patterns was interesting and it was useful to remind myself of the different methods of joining seams.
The appendix has a very useful chart to help with tension and how many stitches to pick up around armholes and necklines. Finally, the section on common errors was very informative and the photo of the knitted swatch showing the mistakes was most useful and something you don't often see in such books. This is definitely a book you can dip in and out of and is well worth adding to your collection.
