The first time I looked at this book, the font annoyed me for some reason, and I didn't bother to look at it further. I finally decided I should go ahead and check it out from the library and see what I think, since I used to enjoy reading her blog.

It's a pleasant enough read, and the patterns would be good basic ones for a new knitter. I was particularly amused by her story about two Swedish girls commenting on her knitting. But the book doesn't grab me enough that I want to get my own copy. The text is more about her development as a knitter than about knitting in general, and I've found that books about an individual's interest in knitting don't do much for me. (In contrast, while Stephanie Pearl-McPhee certainly talks a lot about her own experiences in her books, she's usually making a broader point, whether about knitting or about life. I don't come away from one of her books thinking "I've just read about the Yarn Harlot's knitting life", whereas with this book I come away thinking "Okay, I've just read about Wendy Johnson's knitting life".) ( )

Wendy Johnson takes you through her knitting life and her obsessions with knitting and yarn. From her first cast-on and being self-taught to becoming one of the most known names in the knitting blog world. Wendy has included 20 patterns for all knitting levels, as well as many hints and tips throughout the book.

I have followed Wendy Johnson's blog for many years, so I was excited to finally get my hands on this book. It was everything I had expected and more. Wendy's warm and humorous look back over her knitting career is a fun and fascinating read. The patterns she includes are lovely and will please any knitter - from beginner to advanced. I have knit up a few of her patterns including the "Sophisticated Cabled Catnip Mouse", "Easy One-Skein Hat" and her "Generic Socks". All patterns were well written and easy to follow. She as sprinkled tips throughout the book that are very good and useful. My only wish is that the photos were in color. I've seen her pictures on her blog, and the b&w photos just don't do justice to her knitting or her precious blue-eyed cat, Lucy! I highly recommend this book to any knitter - beginner through advanced. ( )

Wendy D. Johnson is one of the luminaries of the knitting world. Her blog has more than 3 million visitors per month, a testament to the power of her prose. Wendy Knits: My Never-Ending Adventures in Yarn is her eagerly awaited first book which combines Wendy’s reflections on a life lived with yarn and twenty of her knitting patterns.

Wendy’s writing is conversational, you feel like she’s sitting next to you telling her stories. The patterns are interspersed throughout the book beginning with the simplest projects (a dishcloth) and culminating in a steeked Scandinavian pullover. Regular readers of her blog may find some of the content familiar but here readers receive more than just glimpses into Wendy’s knitting life. For example, her chapter on “knitting for charity” explains how Wendy began the charity “Knit-alongs”, a feature of her blog, and why she is a passionate supporter of pet rescue organizations. Her passion for the cause is evident and I suspect that many a catnip mouse will be knit after reading Wendy Knits.

A knitter can easily knit their way through this book and beginning knitters will find projects which increase gradually in difficulty; however, the strength of this book is the insight it provides into the creative process of an incredibly prolific knitter. The only complaint about Wendy Knits is that the book has been produced in black and white. Colour photos would have really enhanced the value of this book and made the projects even more appealing. ( )

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