Book Review: Never Knit Your Man a Sweater (Unless You've Got the Ring) by Judith Durant

I thought I would write my first book review on something appropriate for Valentine's Day.

If you spoke to my hubby, he would probably tell you that the title of this book is wishful thinking in that it took me forever to knit him a sweater even after I had the ring. It doesn't mean that I don't think about, plan, or have the yarn to knit him a closet full of sweaters. In fact I have two on the needles in the time out bin as I write. What it does mean is that I have found the same sources that produce interesting sweaters for women produce absolutely boring and uninspired sweaters for men. When I saw Never Knit Your Man a Sweater (Unless You've Got the Ring) by Judith Durant, I loved the concept.

Most of us who have been knitters since before the raging hormones of puberty can testify to the fact that the same hormones that make us into women and men also do something horrific to our brains until we are at least 25. Although, there are those among us who have been exposed to such toxic levels that it takes much longer. One of the particularly nasty side effects of these hormones is to make us fall in love so hard that we lose all reason, to the point that the most illogical endeavors seem the only way to proceed - like sex in the back seat of a car in the driveway under your parents' window with no birth control. (According to the television ads, us post adolescents need a different type of pill to get the action going. Thank god for mini-vans.) This same insanity also propels the knitting adolescents among us to procure enough yarn to knit our beloved a token of our undying love. It can't be just any token. No. It has to embody the enormity of our emotion and knitting ambitions. It must be a sweater.

The older, wiser knitters pass this bit of wisdom to our besotted friends: If you knit your beloved a sweater, he/she will surely flee from thee.

So how do you channel this instinct to knit for a beloved without cursing the relationship? Judith Durant has some very clever suggestions.

Taking the approach that the investment in the knitting project should reflect how much the object of affection has invested in the relationship, Ms. Durant offers projects from little tokens of affection like coasters and I-Pod sleeves to an Aran cardigan for one's betrothed.

I enjoyed looking through the projects and liked the projects included in the book. I even knit the watchcap for hubby for Valentine's Day.

The projects are laid out in a logical, systematic manner. The instruction outlines are very good. I am a proficient knitter and in most cases can engage in a Vulcan Mind Meld with the knitting pattern author. For a novice knitter, like the novice Vulcan Mind Meld practitioner, this can prove deadly. Stitch counts and explanations are helpful for novice and pro alike. A fair amount of space is dedicated to sidebars and inserts explaining new techniques, tips and troubleshooting. Ms. Durant wants the knitter to feel confident in her/his ability to complete the project, even if the project includes techniques the knitter has never attempted. This instruction is most helpful and written in a very non-threatening manner.

On the whole, I would rate Never Knit Your Man a Sweater (Unless You've Got the Ring) by Judith Durant as better than average. The one thing that keeps this book from getting 5 out 5 instead of a 4.5 is the the materials used for some of the projects. I could envision several of the projects being accidentally felted by one's beloved. A token of love that is destroyed, either through ignorance or negligence does not bode well for the relationship.

I think there is something for knitter's of every level and inclination from plain to colorwork and cables. Having said that, if the knitter falls more on the novice end of the scale, I would make sure that she/he has a more experienced knitting friend to help interpret and guide them through some of the instructions so as not to be disappointed with the outcome.