I thought long and hard about what books belonged in a section dedicated to getting all aspiring knitters off to a great start -- they needed to be clear on techniques, but not at the expense of design and, well, excitement. Sally Melville's books are at the top of the stack in every category I could think of - they are simply an unbeatable way to discover the joy of knitting.

I did not believe that a book devoted to only the knit stitch could be anything other than something for plodders (and I don't know any knitters who are plodders!) -- was I ever wrong. The Knit Stitch is not only a sparkling clear introduction to the techniques and approaches of basic knitting, it is one of the most exciting design collections on the planet. You will find scarves, wraps, sweaters, jackets, purses, evening wear and more in styles that are the perfect marriage of classic lines and eye-catching surprises. These are garments and accessories that will not wind up in the back of anyone's drawer -- the sort of clothing men, women and children of all ages and builds will pick out to wear every chance they get. And all of them are constructed using only the knit stitch and basic technique! It's hard to believe that anyone could combine beginning instruction with cutting edge style, but Sally Melville did.

If you have never knit before, this is the book for you. If you, like me, have been knitting for years and years, this book will open your eyes and inspire your hands with it's approach to design and garment structure. It has become one of my own most-often-looked-at knitting volumes -- I'm confident you'll love it, too.

Having mastered the knit stitch and filled your closets with delicious clothing and accessories, you will want to move on to discover the delights of the purl stitch. As Sally shows us, once you add purling to your knitting repertoire, the design possibilities blossom in all directions. Just when you're wondering where you are going to put your next beautiful knit jacket, Sally gives us a second book filled with even more jaw-droppingly wonderful clothing than in the first book. Here are knit dresses, jackets, socks, sweaters and vests in styles ranging from whimsical to work day practical to gracefully elegant -- trust me, you'll want to wear them all.

Wow! Am I inspired! This is the most exciting book on color knitting to come along in years!! 40+ projects that explore knitting with color. Knitters move from being intimidated by the choices to being excited by the possibilities as the skill-building chapters put color into practice. Clear, step-by-step photographs lead knitters through a progression of new methods punctuated by fabulous and fun projects to knit. The 36 designs range from simple to classic to unexpected and are presented multiple times showcasing different techniques, mixing and matching to yield more than 80 total projects. Sally helps us all to take our craft to the next level. Sizes go up to 2X.

In this, Sally's first book, we can already see elements of knitting genius at play. Sally began with the premise that most of us have a knitting stash which, if dumped in the middle of our living room floor would reveal a hodge podge of many different yarns and colors. She also recognized that this dumping of our stash would leave most of us convinced that the best thing to do with this chaotic mess would be to get it out of sight as quickly as possible.

Which is where she steps in to not only save the day (and the stash!), but to guide us in understanding how to use a variety of colors and weights together for results that are often stunning, even understated, and elegant. Really. Her lessons in sorting and color combining are followed by 27 great designs that will leave you well-dressed and inspired. There are patterns for men, women and children and each one is as fresh and delightful as the next. Following her guidelines, your resulting sweaters, jackets and more will be so beautiful and so unique that no one will believe you that you had previously lost hope of ever using those yarns again.