EZ is worth reading but her instructions are seriously lacking. The "lessons" are rambling and unfocused. She jumps from one topic to another in a way that probably makes sense in the video series but doesn't translate well on paper.

She mentions several types of sweater but none of them have very good instructions. I'm not the kind of knitter that needs stitch by stitch instructions but I find her vague directions disconcerting. If there are no pictures to show me what she's doing, then I need more information about the pattern. I suppose these patterns are a good jumping off point for making your own sweaters, but only if you have other, better, references at hand.

I was also disappointed by the baby surprise jacket instructions. I thought the adult version was also in the book but it's only got a small mention. Now if I want to make it I either have to figure it out on my own or pay yet more money for another pattern. And I've heard the pattern from Schoolhouse Press for the ASJ is just as vague as the BSJ pattern.

There are a few black and white photos of finished works and a bunch of hand drawn pictures. Would it kill Schoolhouse Press to update the font and photos a little?

EZ is famous in the knitting world. So this book, like all of her books, is worth reading but not worth buying. Check your local library.

I haven't read the book in chronological order, I've just skimmed around for tidbits I needed. I'm not really adventurous when it comes to knitting, I go by the written pattern and that is the main reason I bought the book in the first place - to hopefully add some of my special flare.

The inside of the book is pretty boring (black and white) but anything that EZ has to say is both easy to read and humorous along the way.

All n' all, I like the book and I'm glad to have it in my collection of knitting books.

A great book for a beginner. She calms your fears and helps you complete a project all by page 31. If you take the time you will be a great knitter. She teaches you to take risk and learn new techniques as you go along. I have made the hat several times and still read the book because I enjoy her writing. This book gives you classic patterns you can use again and again. She also gives you free reign to be creative and create your own pattern by giving a basic understanding of patterning for the yoke sweater. This book has it all technique and style.

I would recommend Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop book to everyone with an interest in knitting. My reason for buying this book was to learn how to make EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket. The BSJ is knitted in a unique way. She also has several other knitting patterns that are unique. I learned new and easier ways to knit.

My first EZ was the Optionnated Knitter which is a very good book. This one is the best! More than patterns, you find "the way to"... As for the 1st one, I wish it would be translated in french (and other european langages) so we could all discover the wonderful universe of EZ.

I can't say any more than the other 200+ comments that were made. GET THIS BOOK, it will change the way you knit forever and will turn you into a designer instead of someone that follows patterns perfectly! EZ rules!

Having taken a class with Ms. Zimmermann a number of years ago, the book is an excellent reference.

This is a GREAT basic book when you understand the knit and purl stitches and want to go beyond the patterns that are available. It gives you the understanding of HOW knitting works and allows you to play with patterns and create your own. I have been knitting off and on for 40 years and wish I had discovered this author years ago.

If you have never read any of Elizabeth Zimmerman's books, now is the time. She's a genius - what a legacy she has left all of us who love to knit. Thank you, EZ!

This is great book if you want to read about Elizabeth's life philosophies, but the book has very little in the way of 'patterns'. I was interested in making one of her so-called 'Amazing" toddler sweaters, but it took quite a while to even get to the written instructions. I am sure her in-person classes were wonderful, but on paper I find all of it rather boring. I don't think I would have purchased this book if I had known.

A most interesting book by an expert knitter. The skills here do not age, the projects are timeless.

I liked the book,happy I bought it. The down side, instructions take some getting used to because there is lots of chatter and suggestions in between the lines of instruction.
That being said, it is a great reference for mutiple types of shoulders for sweaters, good glossary for terms used in the book, a garter stitch baby blanket(all knit)for those who avoid purling, and a good beginners round shawl.

I love her writing style and that she gives guidelines, rather than outright patterns. Great book.

I love her writing style and that she gives guidelines, rather than outright patterns. Great book.

I have been knitting for 20+ years, and had heard about EZ's books, but considered myself "beyond" them. Finally I bought this one on a whim, and have since purchased all her others. This book is the answer to the question, "How do I make knitting easy?" Forget the rigid patterns--this book explores knitting as it was probably taught for generations: Learn the CONCEPTS and the details will follow. I think this book is worth the money just for the baby "surprise" sweater pattern alone (a legendary baby sweater knit in one garter stitch piece with only 2 seams). When I learned to knit, it was SERIOUSLY not "hip," so I learned to design projects because I didn't have access to patterns. Now with books being written about how to make garter stitch scarves, I thank my lucky stars I learned when I did. This book will teach you to be an empowered knitter who does not need books and patterns to knit. If you are just learning, I cannot encourage you enough to buy this book & learn the fundamentals of knitting & designing--you can always buy the "fun" books, but you will be so much happier if you know how to alter & edit patterns to fit your taste & style. If you are a veteran knitter, it's still worthwhile. The percentage system for designing sweaters is wonderful! EZ's writing style is personable & funny--how could you not love a knitting book where the author admits that she hates to purl & sew seams???? The pictures are in black & white, but I think they still convey the ideas.

This book is an awesome compliment to the Workshop series that aired on PBS. It is the perfect book for both some one starting to knit and for those of us who are advanced. EZ's instructions and explanations are straight forward and insightful. I only wish I could have met her in person. A great buy for anyone who knits or wants to learn.

Having used Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop in knitting classes I have taught, I now bought one for my granddaughter who is trying her hand at teaching knitting. The book answers so many practical questions that come up when knitting, and along with Elizabeth's wit, it is a must on any knitter's bookshelf.

Just by doing a few patterns, I have expanded my knitting skills. I love everyone of EZ books for that reason, I learn something from every pattern. She certainly had a huge gift for teaching and I am overy happy she put most of it in writing. You won't regret owning this book.

After finally getting a copy of this book for myself, I'm sorry I wasted my money/time on the other knitting books in my collection. Elizabeth Zimmermann has a way of explaining the mechanics of knitting - even the most complicated techniques - with a conciseness & a simplicity that astounds, and her personal warmth & sharp wit come through on every page. I'd thought that I'd mastered the basics, but Elizabeth had a few IMPORTANT tricks to teach me. Her 'percentage' approach to pattern interpretation means that you will NEVER have to struggle adapting patterns for your exact measurements again. The included patterns are enduring classics that knitters have been making & remaking for decades now, & will likely continue to do so for decades to come. If you don't have a copy of this book in your collection of knitting, you MUST get one. If you don't feel inclined to get it for yourself, drop hints to your friends, lay a guilt-trip on your family - do whatever it takes. It's worth it.

If you want just patterns that tell you exactly what to do stitch by stitch, this isn't the book for you. If you want to everything necessary to learning how to design your own garments, along with a generous helping of commentary and lots of fodder for your imagination to spin off and invent your own "knitting workshop," then GET THIS BOOK. The seven separate sleeve shapings and how they can be done on a circular needle alone are worth five times what you're going to pay. The garter stitch chapter doubles that to ten.

Seriously -- get Barbara Walker's stitch collections, a fair isle chart book or two, and this. You literally do not need anything else to be knitting sweaters that you yourself designed for the rest of your life. Then, when people ask you what pattern you used, you can smile subtly and say, "Oh none, I just made it up." You and Elizabeth Zimmerman. :-)

I am a huge Elizabeth Zimmerman fan, and I love this book. The baby garter stitch surprise jacket is an icon of knitting. Everyone who saw the first one I made went completely gaga over it. I was embarrassed at a baby shower when I gave one and everyone went nuts over it. One caveat: EZ gives the pattern in a 7st/in guage, which makes a VERY tiny sweater. I would recommend going up some needle sizes.
I like the directions for the seamless shoulder shapings in this book better than the directions given in "Knitting Without Tears" because there are more of them, the pictures are front and back, and I feel the directions are more clear. Of any of EZ's books, this is the one with the most projects I want to make. I love it, and I frequently refer to it for techniques I want to use in my own projects.

There are 4 great books by EZ (Knitting without Tears, Knitting Almanac, Knitting Workshop and Knitting Around.)

This one has the famous "surprise" sweater which looks like a rumpled bathmat and magically transforms, with a few deft flips and a bit of legerdemain, into the cutest baby sweater you ever saw. It can be modified to make an adult jacket, too.

It also has plenty more useful and adaptable patterns--sweaters, hats, you name it. And since the patterns are adaptable to many kinds of wool, this is one knitting book that won't seem dated five or ten years from now.

The book was written to go with a video series. Some of the videos are still available from the publisher. The book, however, stands alone as a great knitting classic, and one that I reach for all the time when I need to make a gift.

This is my least favorite of EZ's books -- which is a little bit like saying that I prefer prime rib to lobster. It's still a great addition to a library but if money is tight, you may want to give priority to EZ's other books.

This is the book based on the PBS series she did about twenty years ago. It goes from the very beginning of knitting - how to cast on to some fairly sophisticated color stranding (aka as fair isle).

The bulk of the instructions are pure EZ -- no conventional patterns for her. Instead she teaches you how to measure the body in a few key places and "design" a sweater based on the proportions indicated by these measurements. Learning how to THINK like a knitter is an invaluable skill. And for the faint of heart, more or less conventional directions are provided in an appendix.

Some of the patterns are a bit dated but some are classics. This book includes the famous baby surprise jacket - knit in one rather strange looking glob, a couple of key seams and you have a great baby coat. There's also a good section on shawls which seem to be back in fashion in 2001.

Bottom line: A good book for your third dozen books as you put together a knitting library.

This excellent text goes beyond the usual knitting cookbook. Zimmermann teaches how to knit without patterns and without fear. With humor and directness she instructs in use of color, pattern and design