Aimed at the confident knitter who knows the basics and wants to play with them rather than the total beginner, this is a great way to explore the world of scarves. The editor calls them "The Knitting Phenomenon" due to their popularity, and "the playground of knitting" due to their simple shape and the fact that they give knitters a chance to try out new techniques. There are some diagrams of various stitches used and ways of casting on when doing things like cable at the back, and with every pattern a handy shopping list of what you need. Yarn weights, size of needles, conversion charts and a gauge showing how many stitches and rows you need to make a 4" (10cm) square are also included which is very helpful. If you live outside the States, some of the terms used might be confusing, as they are not the same in different countries. Another small flaw is the warning at the front that some of the yarns used are no longer available - although it fails to say which these are. It would have been better to have used current yarns, but at least it gives details of the generic type of yarn used. Like all Search Press books, it is attractive and user friendly - the sort of book that will have large appeal.

If you cannot find knitting materials and yarns locally try Searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.

Visit Knittinguniverse.com to find out about more Knitter's Dozen books, Knitter's Magazine and to play with the digital paintbox.