I've been knitting flat out for thirty-four years, and I learned something during the first four minutes of Knitting Essentials. Chock full of reassuring common sense and intelligent short cuts, A Knitters Companion is what every knitter has always wanted: Lucy Neatby, warm, intelligent and funny, now forced to live in your living room. Go put on a pot of tea. Lucy's coming over and she's bringing her knitting.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, The Yarn Harlot

And, I've been knitting for over 40 years and also learned something in the first four minutes. And in the next 4 minutes. In fact, it didn't matter what I watched, Lucy taught me something new. Sometimes, it was an energy saving discovery; other times it was more life saving, like how to absolutely prevent some of the most common knitting gaffs I have been know to make. And then, there's the demonstration of her mattress stitch finishing technique -- in my opinion, worth the price of admission in and of itself.

I also love that she tells you about some of the things in knitting for which there are no absolutely certain formulas: take picking up stitches for a cardigan button placket, for instance. There are general principles about this, and she shares them with you, but absolute rules? She tells you to look at your knitting and see for yourself whether or not it works as you've done it. To me, this is liberation. Seeing her demonstration and explanation set me free to experiment, another step toward letting my knitting speak to me directly.

Here's a short list of the contents - with the note that behind each thing listed are about ten I don't have room to mention:

• Bind-off methods - about seven
• Cast-on methods - for every eventuality - about ten
• Decreases - what they are, when to use which ones
• Finishing Basics - not so very basic in that these are the foundations to a beautifully constructed garment
• Gauge - she right, it matters
• Increases - more about this than I thought possible
• Miscellaneous good advice
• Odds and Ends - what to do with them
• Resuce Remedies (whew!)
• Secrets of a Contented Stitch
• Garment Gallery (WOW!)
  

Anyway, Lucy's DVDs are the most essential knitting resource you could have, right after yarn and knitting needles. As the cover says, "take Lucy home!" You'll be ever so happy with her as your constant knitting friend.

As you would expect, in Knitting Essentials 2 Lucy takes us deeper and farther with our knitting. Here the focus is on more advanced techniques.

• You'll learn a modified conventional bind off that has enormous time-saving and stress-saving potential;
• the ins and outs of provisional cast-on;
• Lucy shows you how to take charge of your circular knitting and how to defuse an accidental twist;
• train both your hands to do your bidding with yarn and needles;
• what to do if you cut your knitting by accident - and how to cut it on purpose ;
• over fourteen more finishing techniques;
• grafting every which way you may wish;
• and more, much, much more.
  

In short, Lucy has served up a feast of knitting know-how - and is warm and funny as she does it. Another must-have for any knitter's library!

Everyone we know has been barely able to contain themselves for impatience to see this DVD - sight unseen, we all knew it would be great (what else could it be with Lucy at the helm?). Now, having seen them, I can state unequivocally that Sock Techniques 1 & 2 ARE great! In fact, I have never seen so many techniques so beautifully demonstrated before. It's my own opinion that if there is a sock making technique that is not on Sock Techniques 1, then it can be found on Sock Techniques 2. If it isn't on either of them, it's probably because no one knows it. That's just how complete and astonishing these DVDs are!

To show you what I mean, I'm printing the detailed chapter lists for each DVD here - they say more than anything I can write. Just look at this:

(NOTE: Page references relate to Lucy's book Cool Socks Warm Feet)

Introduction

• Choosing Yarn for Socks (p.87)
• Choosing Needles for Socks (p.80)
• Sock Anatomy and Fitting
• Common turned heel
• Tubular sock with an inserted heel
• Comparison of common and inserted heels

Bind-Off Methods

• Picot (p.33)
• Modified Conventional knitwise Modified Conventional purlwise and in rib (p.120)
• The last stitch, joining the gap
• Expanded rib (p.33)
• Three Needle (p.119)

Cast-On Methods

• Long-Tail / Continental (with two hands) (p.105 - 107)
• Adjusting the width of your cast-on edge (p.105 - 107)
• Adjusting the tension of your cast-on stitches (p.105 - 107)
• Looking after your tail yarn (p.105 - 107)
• Long-Tail / Continental (one-hand)
• Long-Tail variation for an extra strong elastic edge (ideal for socks) (p.105 - 107)
• Picot (p.75)
• Provisional Crochet (p.110)
• Setting up working in the round with a provisional edge
• Working in the round down from a provisional edge

Cuffs and Edgings for Top-Down Socks

• Latvian Twist (p.105)
• Ruffled Turn-Over (simulating round knitting) and a purlwise double decrease (p.38)
• Scalloped Turn-Over (p.38)
• Wavy Edge (K2, O, k2, k2t) (p.54)

Cuffs and Edgings for Toe-Up Socks

• Expanding a 2 x 2 Rib with a m1 increase and "working as set"™ (p.33)
• Binding off an Expanded 2 x 2 edge (p.33)
• Double Layer Rib facing with double turning round (p.77)
• Garter stitch in the round

Finishing Techniques

• Duplicate Stitch (Swiss Darning) (p.115)
• Circular Sutures, the Boggle and naturally occurring holes (p.115)
• Phoney duplicate stitching
• Joining the gap in a cast-on edge, and neatening yarn tails
• Joining the gap in a bound-off edge
• Darning ends from toes
• Grafting the Toe (Kitchener Stitch)
• Make the sock Toe Chimney (p.117)
• Using the sock Toe Chimney (p.117)

Common Heel

• Dividing for the heel flap
• Working the Heel Flap in Alternative Heel Stitch (p.16)
• Checking the length of the heel flap
• Areas of Adjustment in the Heel flap (p.72)
• Turning the heel and using a reinforcing yarn
• Areas of Adjustment in turning the heel
• Knitting up the stitches around the heel and resuming working in the round (p.16)
• Stitch distribution and the first round
• Areas of Adjustment after turning the heel

Toes - Common Wedge

• Shapings for the Common wedge (p.18)

Working in the Round with Double Pointed Needles

• Casting on and dividing the stitches (p.100)
• Joining the round and setting up the needles
• Circulating stitches, starting with a knit or a purl?
• Transporting your work
• Running yarn markers (p.113)
• Three needles when working with few stitches

Working in the Round with One Long Circular Needle

• Casting on and joining the round
• Working on one long circular needle

Working in the Round with Two Circular Needles

• Casting on and joining the round (p.102)
• Working on two circular needles

Tips for Great Socks (p.7)

Garment Gallery

• A brief look at a selection of garments incorporating many of the techniques covered

The Small Print

• A printable text section covering:
  • Definitions
  • Filming considerations
  • Copyright issues
  • About Lucy
  • Product information
  • Acknowledgments

The fun and the learning continue! Check this out - it's hard to believe how much is packed into this one DVD:

NOTE: Page References relate to Lucy's book Cool Socks Warm Feet

Introduction

Bind-Off Methods

• Preparation for Sewn Tubular Bind -Off and simulated round knitting (p.121)
• Sewing the Tubular Bound-off edge
• Looking at the tubular edge
• Conversion of 2 x 2 to 1 x 1 rib

Cast-On Methods

• Channel Island (p.108)
• Channel Island and Long Tail Diagrams
• Provisional Crochet Cast-On Removing the Provisional edge (p.110)
• Giant stitch demonstration of the tubular edge
• The finished Tubular edge
• Tubular 1 x 1 rib with waste yarn (p.110)
• Tubular 2 x 2 rib with waste yarn (p.110)
• Conversion of 1 x 1 to 2 x 2

Cuffs and Edgings for Top-Down Socks

• Sideways Garter St explanation (p.51)
• Sideways Garter St, preparing the cuff (p.51)
• Sideways Garter St, joining the cuff (p.51)

Inserted Heels

• Description of Garter Stitch Short-Row and Turkish
• Calculating the placement of inserted heels (for Garter Stitch Short-Row or Turkish)
• Garter Stitch Short Row Heel Decrease section (includes weaving in the tail of the heel yarn, garter stitch short rows, use of parking needles) (p.25)
• Increase section
• The final heel row
• Close-up of finished heel
• Turkish Heel (aka Peasant or Afterthought Heel)
• Setting in the Waste Yarnn (p.34)
• Picking up stitches and opening the heel gap
• Knitting the Turkish Heel

Miscellaneous But Useful

• Circular Suture (p.115)
• Phoney Duplicate stitch (p.115)
• Neatening the Cast-On joggle
• Wraps per inch (W.P.I.) (p.10)
• Running Yarn Marker (p.113)
• Right-slanting increase (raised increase)
• Hills and valleys

Toe-Up Toes : Bosnian

• Bosnian Toe Square - giant yarn demonstration (p.29)
• Creating the toe square (p.29)
• Working the foot

Toe-Up Toes : Garter Stitch Short Row

• Decrease section (p.44)
• Increase section
• Setting up into the round

Toe-Up Toes : Stocking Stitch Short Row

• Decrease section (p.65)
• Smoothing rows
• Increase section

Turning and Facing Rounds

• Planning your Facing (p.33)
• Picot Turning round (p.34)
• Fusing the facing to the sock
• Rib with double turning round

Garment Gallery

• A brief look at a selection of garments incorporating many of the techniques covered

The Small Print

• A printable text section covering:
  • Definitions
  • Filming considerations
  • Copyright issues
  • About Lucy
  • Product information
  • Acknowledgment

Knitting Gems 1 - 2 hours 03 minutes
Contents:

Applied Edges

• Knitting-up stitches using a dpn
• Applying an I-cord edge
• Comparison of methods
• Going around an exterior bend
• Going around an interior bend
• Applying a Garter edge (A)
• Knitting from right needle to left
• Applying a Garter edge (B)

 

Buttonhole Essentials

• Regular v. one-row holes
• One-row self-reinforcing
• Eyelet
• Enlarged eyelet
• For a 2 x 2 rib (purl side)
• For a 2 x 2 rib (knit side)

 

I-Cord Basics

• Slipping or sliding?
• Why is I-cord circular?
• Range of sizes (2 - 5 stitch)
• Laddering-up larger tubes
• I-cord perfect graft

 

More Cords, Braids and Bobbles

• Tube stitch
• Screw-thread I-cord
• Ribbed I-cord
• Purl I-cord (with beads)
• I-cord edged Garter stitch
• Twisted cord
• Bi-coloured I-cord
• Bi-coloured braid
• Balanced bobble: the increase
• Working right to left
• Bobble: balanced decrease
• Purl-faced bobble

 

Presenting the Picot Family

• Picot cast-on
• Varying picot lengths
• At the beginning of rows
• Mid-row (Lambstails)
• Bind-off

 

Twists, Kinks and Bias

• Winding a skein
• Reconditioning wool: Steam
• Reconditioning wool: Spritz
• Reconditioning wool: Washing
• Knitting kinky!
• Releasing twist
• Balanced / unbalanced yarns
• S and Z twists

 

Knitting Gems 2 - 1 hour 45 minutes
Contents:

Becoming Ambidextrous!

• Knitting with the right hand
• Knitting with the left hand
• Purling with the right hand
• Purling with the left hand
• One yarn in each hand
• Above and Below yarns
• Stranding
• Weaving-in right hand yarn
• Weaving-in left hand yarn and colour dominance
• Diagram of weaving
• Weaving frequencies
• Both yarns in the right hand
• Both yarns in the left hand
  

Steeks, Shapings, Scissors

• Steeks in shaped fabric
• Building a neck/arm bridge
• Binding off around the top
• Cutting the steeks
• Joining the shoulders
  

The Mysterious Gully

• The two-row gully
• Alternative purling, right hand
• Knitting alternative stitches
• Purling with the left hand, alternative and regular
• Rethinking your decreases
• Testing for unbalanced yarn
• Biasing in a one-ply yarn
• Kinky needles
• Turbo needles
• Felting a bag
  

Short Row Techniques

• Regular (right edge)
• Neatening wraps on RS
• Regular (left edge)
• Neatening wraps on WS
• Neatening forgotten wraps
• Smoothing shoulders
• Japanese method (set up)
• Neatening on RS, Japanese Neatening on WS, Japanese
• In Garter stitch
• Yarn-over method
• Comparison diagrams
• Planning your short rows
• In the round

Knitting Gems 3 - 1 hour 46 minutes
Contents:

Beading Techniques

• Inserting a bead with a hook
• Threading beads onto yarn
• Slip stitch and strand in front
• Stitch head beading (knit row)
• Stitch head beading (purl row)
• Placing beads between stitches
• Beading Garter alternate rows
• Making beaded dangles
• Multiple beads between stitches
• Spacing beaded rows
• Pre-threaded, bead on stitch
• Dip stitches
• Auxiliary thread for small beads
• Beads on a yarn-over
• Purl I-cord with beads

 

Cable Talk

• What is a cable?
• Right cross with cable needle
• Left-cross without cable needle
• Counting cables
• Cable fixes

 

Lace Basics

• What is lace?
• Overs between knit stitches
• Make one increase
• Decrease and yarn-over pairs
• Looking at charts
• Double yarn-overs
• Multiple yarn-overs
• K1-O-k1 increase
• Yarn Handling Tricks
• Introducing new yarn with loop
• Creating triple thickness yarn
• Two strands, staggering joins
• Blending two colours
• Two hands to separate colours
  

Yarn Handling Tricks

• Introducing new yarn with loop
• Creating triple thickness yarn
• Two strands, staggering joins
• Blending two colours
• Two hands to separate colours
  

Knitting Gems 4 - 1 hour 54 minutes
Contents:

Cool Cast-Ons

• Long-tail: What, no slip-knot?
• German twisted
• Tubular (reg needle) 2 colours
• Tubular (regular needle)
• Tubular (large needle)
• Converting 1 x 1 rib to 2 x 2
• Giant demo of tubular edge
• Bi-coloured chain
• Scallop
• Picot
• Picot calculation diagram

 

Fancy Bind-Off Methods

• Bi-colour chain
• Picot
• Modified conventional (kw/pw)
• Suspended

 

Even More Increases

• Knit into front and back
• Knit and purl
• SplitYarn-overs
• K1-O-K1 3sts from one

 

Daring Rescue Techniques

• Knitting down (no temp. edge)
• Hills and valley stitches
• Multiple-stitch laddering
• Lace fixes
• Cable fixes
• Duplicate stitch
• Surgical replacement
• Multi-row surgical replacement

 

Odds and Ends

• Slipping sts, kw, pw, en mass
• Working into the stitch below
• Selvage for garter stitch
• Knitting-up new stitches
• Purling-up new stitches
• Knitting-up along garter
• Recapturing live stitches
• The weavers knot

Contents

What is Double Knitting?
How we create two layers

Knitting Tubes on Straight Needles With a Single Yarn

• Even-number stocking stitch
• Identifying the two layers
• Diagram of single yarn tube
• Even-number reverse St.st
• The slipurl!
• Mixing knits and purls
• Opening the tube
• Odd stitch numbers
• Fixing snags, dividing layers
• Single back to double fabric
• Comparison of gauge
• What is going on?
• Casting on an open tube

 

DK Cast-On Methods

• Tubular with two colours
• Tubular with one yarn (beginning with a knit)
• Tubular with one yarn (beginning with a purl)
• Long-tail

 

DK Bind-Off Methods

• Condensed
• Tubular
• Completing an open fabric

 

Shapings

• Increases in a single yarn tube
• Increases in a two yarn fabric
• Decs in a single yarn tube
• Decs in a two yarn fabric

 

Circles Within Circles

• One yarn, connected circles
• Two yarns, unconnected
• Two yarns and stripes
• Circular double-knitting

 

DK & Ribbing are Cousins!

• Ribbing across to seal
• Using rib to set up DK

 

From Single to Double Fabric

• Slip raised inc. (F ahead of N)
• Slip then inc (N ahead of F)
• Using two hands for SRI
• Knit and purl increase

 

From Double to Single

• Near ahead of Far (ssk)
• Reorganizing your stitches
• Far ahead of Near (k2tog)

 

Pockets and Patches

• Establishing a straight pocket
• Pocket Row 1
• Pocket Row 2
• Pocket Row 3
• Pocket Row 4
• Continuing the pocket
• Completing the pocket
• Pocket row sequence
• Pocket in the round

 

Two Yarns, Sides, Hands!

• A different colour on each side
• Straight or dpns?
• Both yarns in the right hand
• Connecting the sides
• One yarn in each hand
• Both yarns in the left hand

 

Edges & Ends

• Edge stitch tweaks!
• Dealing with ends
• Fixing errors

 

Colour Patterning and Quilting

• Negative-positive patterning
• Diagram of yarn paths
• Connecting layers without changing the colour
• Patterned fabric structure
• Quilting - Near ahead of Far
• Quilting - Far ahead of Near
• Getting stuffed

Contents:

Tubular Bind-Off Methods

• Preparation of a 1 x 1 rib
• Sewing the 1 x 1 rib
• Preparation of a 2 x 2 rib

 

Grafting: Stitches Top to Top

• Joining Stocking stitch
• Neatening tails from grafting
• Grafting diagram showing joggle
• Joining vertical stripes
• Joining uneven numbers of stitches
• Uneven number join diagram

 

Perfect Grafting: Stitches Top to Bottom

• Perfect graft diagram
• Preparation for a perfect graft
• Joining Stocking stitch
• Preparation for joining a ribbed fabric
• Joining a ribbed fabric
• Joining stripes
• Sewing-in the second stripe colour
• Removing the waste yarn
• Emergency shortening (without waste yarn)
• Emergency adjustments (with waste yarn)
• I-cord graft
• Sideways sock cuff (explanation)
• Sideways sock cuff (preparation)
• Joining the cuff
  

The Afterthought Pocket

• Grafting the lining to the garment
• Opening the fabric
• Finishing the pocket

 

The Magic Buttonhole

• Setting in the waste yarn
• Setting in waste yarn for the second side
• Sewing the buttonhole
• Checking the exterior
• Sewing the second side
• Removing the waste yarn
• Finishing

 

The Secrets of Contented Stitches

• The Contented Stitch
• Hills stitches and valley loops
  

Sublime finishing details for the connoisseur. Expert shoulder shapings and various joins, setting-in fitted sleeve heads with ease. Experience the exquisite joys of double bands: knitting up the stitches (right first time every time), equalizing the two sides, adding shaping to the corners of the bands, reversing for the inner layer and how these principles may be applied to neck and armband situations.

Contents:

Ship Shape Shoulders

• Short rows by Japanese and wrapped methods
• Grafting over a bound-off edge
• Three-needle bind-off for garter stitch
• Short rows within intarsia
• Afterthought shoulder shaping
• Examples of afterthought shoulders
  
  

Fitted Sleeve Heads

• Setting in a fitted sleeve head - example
• Phoney knitting
• Crossing the shoulder line
• Other uses of phoney knitting

Double Stocking Stitch Bands

• Why use double bands?
• Knit-up ratios
• Equalizing the numbers
• Knit-up ratios for garter stitch
• Sampling the bands
• Knitting-up the bands
• Equalizing the two sides
• What's special about the corner stitches
• Looking at the corner stitches
• Working a right-side row and RSI
• The second right-side row
• The third right-side row
• Turning rows
• Reversing the shaping and K2t
• Matching the second side
• Buttonhole placement
• Bind-off details
• Finishing the band - catch stitching
• Finishing the band - grafting
• Working a right-side row and LSI
• Reversing the shaping ans ssk
• Closing the lower band edge
• Reading your chart

Neck and Armbands

• Neckband Diagram and Sample
• Remedy for a missing stitch
• Neck with fully fashioned shapings
• Armhole modifications

Intarsia knitting, despite its undeserved poor reputation, can in fact be enjoyable and yield wonderful results. On this disc Lucy demonstrates the preparation for serene knitting, tackling the first few rows, reading charts, tangle reduction and resolution. Learn how to maximize the number of ends that may be knitted in and to make the best use of those tails which do require darning. Also included are a number of cool rescue techniques.

Contents:

Introduction to Intarsia

• Wrapping your head around intarsia!
• What is intarsia knitting?
• Comparison with a stranded fabric
• Stranded fabric examples
• Intarsia fabric example
• Why bother with all these bits of yarn?

 

Chart Preparations

• Regular v. one-row holes
• Looking at types of charts
• Preparing your chart
• Simplifying your chart
• Making a shade card
• To count stitches or not?
• Easy or tricky?

 

Yarn and Tool Preparation

• Yarn palette preparation
• Butterflies or bobbins?
• Measured lengths
• Useful tools
• Choosing needles
• Gauge considerations

 

The First Few Rows . . .

• Reading your chart
• Weaving in tails on the horizontal
• Weaving the tails up and down or over & over?
• Reading the chrt from the purl side
• Linking yarns

 

Onwards . . .

• How the yarns link arms
• The missing link
• Living with and resolving tangles
• Darning hints - when is hole not a hole
• Joining a new piece of yarn
• Diagonal slopes
• Shallow diagonal slopes
• Horizontal colour change
• Balance theory

 

Reading WS Rows

• Inverting the chart
• Working from right needle to the left
• Emergency yarn join
• Using marker yarns for reference

 

Transformation Tips

• Naturally occurring holes
• Ends near edges
• Vertical yarn joins
• Neatening a short-tail vertical yarn join
• Un-simplifying

 

Rescue Techniques

• Unpicking row by row
• Unpicking a single section
• Laddering back
• Duplicate stitch
• Surgical replacement

Now that you enjoy intarsia, here are some sophisticated skills to help you tackle special situations: long horizontal colour jumps without breaking the yarn or having to think ahead, as well as a selection of slick tricks to make life easier. Explore textured stitches within color blocks, sculpted shapes and how to analyze patterns to see what lies ahead.

Contents:

Sophisticated Skills

• Introduction to long horizontal color jumps
• Long horizontal color jumps - yarn ahead and behind
• Why not think ahead?
• Starting a yarn with a single stitch
• Why bother with intarsia?
• Single stitch lines

 

Sneaky Tricks

• Outlining - using two ends of one piece of yarn
• Neatening an outline from a point
• Two-row stripes
• Exploiting variegated yarns
• Chequerboards adn the double-tail weave
• Big and little stitches on vertical joins
• Comparison of double-tail weave methods
• Housebricks
• Swapping yarns at the top of a shape
• Using yarns double
• Problem points
• The alpha darn

 

Mixing Your Stitches

• Mixing your stitches
• Garter stitch
• Reverse stocking stitch
• Mixing reverse and stocking stitches

 

Pattern Analysis

• A simple star?
• Planning yarn routes
• Cute = dangerous!
• Two legged shapes
• Intarsia or stranded?
• Jagged shapes

 

Fancy Variations

• Sculpted intarsia examples
• Sculpted intarsia technique
• Mixing stranded with intarsia
• Intarsia sections behind a background yarn - comparison
• We all roll over and one falls out
• Howard's technique

I've decided that Lucy Neatby must be a combination of Barbara Walker, Cat Bordhi and Piet Mondrian. She's absolutely amazing! She has engineered designs that are brilliantly unique in and of themselves, but also (how many times am I allowed to use the word "brilliant" in one sentence??) highlight the joys to be found in printed yarns. The socks that emerge are genius works of art that are also playful delights. It's as though she discovers the joyful relationship of color and form at every turn.

But that's not really what makes Cool Socks Warm Feet a "must have" on your bookshelf. The reason we all want and need copies of Lucy's book is because there is more in-depth, amazing and essential information about sock knitting between its covers than any other single source I can think of. Lucy knows all and tells all.

• She has tucked new and wonderful techniques into each and every pattern;
• she begins with Tips for Great Socks and four pages of Helpful Notes - many of which can save you hours of struggle
• after the six breathtaking patterns (packed as they are with goodness and light), she gives us a wee section on Miniature Socks, for those who may be longing to make matching necklace and earings;
• And then the fun really begins! Check out some of the things that are in the second half of the book:
  • Spare parts for Your Ultimate Socks - discover the joy of mixing and matching all manner of traditional cast-ons, heels, toes, cuffs, facings and bind offs. No two pair of your socks ever need be alike again!
  • Techniques, Tactics and Tools of the Trade - including a complete illustrated detailed discussion of how to knit socks with double-points and two (or more) circular needles; the amazing varieties of sock yarns and what to do with them; fitting your socks and adjusting your patterns for fit; sock finishing.
  • Getting started on the sock needles of your choice; yarn carrying techniques (and I bet you thought there couldn't be more than one!); obscure, fascinating and useful cast-ons; darning and grafting; waste yarn openings; various bind-offs for flexibility and style.

So you see, this is truly a sock book par excellence - a sock knitter's constant companion and friend. Oh, and it has great sock patterns, too.

While it may be perfectly reasonable to wish that the form and binding of this power-packed little book better reflected it's superlative content, there's nothing more to be wished for in its contents. I can't think of a single masterful finishing technique that is missing. I'm convinced that Lucy is some sort of publishing magician who is able to fit an encyclopedia's worth of techniques (including photos and drawings!) along with clear instructions as to how, when, and where to use them onto a mere 18 pages.

There are darning tips I've never even imagined, an exposition of mattress stitch that will change forever the way you think about sewing up, discussions and examples of blocking that get to the heart of the matter faster than anyone else has ever done, a ratio formula for knitting up cardigan button bands that set me on the right path with an actual stuck project, even some very helpful advice on ways to keep track of your stitches that won't send you 'round the bend. There is much, much more, too - I couldn't possibly begin to list it all here.

And when you remember that all this is covered thoroughly in 18 pages, well, you see what I mean about Lucy being a magician?