A review by jsargey
The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook: How to Write Great Patterns that Knitters Will Love to Make by Sarah Walworth, Kristina McGrath

informative fast-paced

5.0

If I was suddenly granted access to a time machine, one of the first things I'd do (for my business at least) would be to bring this book to myself in 2021 when I first started tech editing. In just a couple hundred pages, Kristina and Sarah give a comprehensive breakdown of everything that goes into pattern writing, from the various components that need to appear in a pattern to how they should be written.

There are other resources out there that say what should go into a pattern, and I feel this takes it a step further by going into why things are done a certain way and giving advice on how to best do things.

There is even a whole section on common fit issues in sweaters, which I would have loved to read two years ago when I was starting out and trying to wrap my head around everything. If you are designing garments, this book is a must read. Actually, this book is a must read for any designer or tech editor. If I had this resource back when I started tech editing, it sure would have cut down on a lot of trial and error and learning as I went! (And trust me I’ve been eagerly waiting for this book since they announced it, which feels almost as long ago.)

After the main part of the book, there are also several helpful resources, like a sample style sheet, a pre-edit checklist, a reading list, and two size-inclusive size charts, one for women and one for men. The women’s chart covers chest circumferences from 28-66” and the men’s goes from 32-64,” and these are much wider ranges than are typically found online. There’s also a chapter on size inclusivity, which I really appreciated because it’s something that’s been absent from this industry for so long and I’ve always admired their dedication to it. Everybody deserves clothes that fit well, regardless of their size. 

If you remember the early days of Tech Tip Talk where Kristina and Sarah were still doing Instagram Lives before they started bringing on guests, that’s what this book is. They were just two tech editors sharing their experience and knowledge with the world, and now they’ve put all that knowledge into a book. They used to joke in their videos that they’ve got a lot of opinions, and that couldn’t be more true! 

Definitely recommend picking this book up. My job as a tech editor would be much, much easier if every designer I work with reads this book before sending their pattern on to me.