Customer Reviews
How to love your knitting - By: Linda Bulger, 26 Oct 2007 
I taught myself to knit from an ancient Good Housekeeping Needlecrafts book & for several years slavishly followed patterns from library books, magazines & free leaflets. It's a worthy & satisfying activity to follow a good pattern, & my children had the sweaters, mittens & socks to prove it.
KNITTING WITHOUT TEARS, borrowed from the library as usual in those frugal times, was my first hint that you could reallly "own" your knitting. I had no idea of Elizabeth Zimmermann's stature in the knitting world, her amazing public television broadcasts, her legendary knitting camps. Her writing style is so down-to-earth, she could be sitting in the next rocking chair glancing over at your knitting & offering pithy, helpful commentary just to you.
The premise of this book is that you can find your gauge, plan your knitting, do the math, & come up with the garment you visualized. Don't like seams? No problem -- knit a tube & cut your openings. CUT your knitting? I was too inexperienced to feel the fear & cheerfully cut my first steeks with Elizabeth's words propped against the teapot in front of me.
I've long since bought this book, more than once in fact. It's not the sort of knitting book we're used to -- its appeal is in the concepts & the clarity of text, not in pictures or modular layout. Nor is it a how-to book for brand new knitters. If you can knit & purl, keep a steady gauge, & follow basic directions, why not "kick it up a notch" with the thinking knitter's approach?
It's fitting that Elizabeth Zimmermann is lovingly known as EZ. If you adopt her easy-going attitude, you'll find it "EZ" to love your knitting.
Interesting but Ethnic - By: L. Armstrong, 30 Apr 2007 
I did enjoy reading this book, but I'd never make the sweaters - first because they look a bit old-fashioned & ethnic, & second because I'd never have the nerve to cut my knitting down the middle with a pair of sissors! She has a very strong individual voice, though, & it is worth a read.
A revelation for many knitters - By: Joanna Daneman, 18 Mar 2004 What! One doesn't need a pattern to create a perfectly-fitted jumper? That's right. If you learn Mrs Zimmermann's method for diagramming knitting based on chest circumference & stitch gauge, you can knit nearly any style in any wool.
This book diverges from many knitting instruction books in that it EMPOWERS the knitter to think & work out ways to knit on her or his own. However, if you are a follower of patterns, preferring to use a map rather than "suggestions", this is still valuable reading. All sorts of little hints & techniques are given. I have used this book countless times to give to friends who ask "teach me to knit better." It works.
A wonderful reference and learning tool. - By: , 30 Jul 1999 This book finallly gave me the courage to design my own sweater. I have been knitting for several years & never ventured into the untamed world of design...Elizabeth's wonderful instructions, comments, & faith gave me the okay to go ahead & have fun. I made a patterned yoke sweater that not only looks great, but fits as well. I can't say that happens too many times with patterns! If you are looking for a great reference & addition to your knitting shelf, this is it.
For ANY knitter, beginner thru expert - By: , 26 Jan 1999 This book, with E.Z.'s (as the author is known to thousands around the world)simple philosophy, shares a hidden world of knitting with us. She touches on her own learnings, "unventions" as she callls them. She brought me back into the woolie fold of knitters many years ago & I haven't looked back since. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in learning to knit their own designs & creations. She also includes "pithy directions" for those of us who still feel we need line by line directions. Read this book with wool & needles in hand.
