Patterns Books

I found this book helpful in understanding why I get angry and how to deal with situations that cause me to become angry.

Wow! When I bought this book I thought it was going to target a hot temper or a nice lady who suddenly blows from holding it in. It's soo much more. It is a must read for so many women. I would do so much for people & then get aggrivated when I'd ask them to do something for me & they wouldn't. I'd get so hurt. It was so unfair, I do so much for you... This book really opened my eyes to why am I doing things for others & not expecting anything in return but then would get upset when I would ask a favor every once in a while and it wasn't granted. Nobody told me to be overfunctioning. I just wanted to be nice. The end result was I was putting me last then get upset when others that I put before me put me last. It's so much easier and more peace of mind to put me first. I can't believe how clear this book made me see that and changed my everyday life.

This book helped me realize things that didn't even cross my mind! I recommend this for every woman, even if you don't think you have problems in any relationships!

This book has literally changed my life for the better. My husband and I have been having difficulties for the past four years and I had been trying everything I was able to think of to change the relationship for the better while he has made clear that he is not willing to change. The Dance of Anger explained how we got stuck and so polarized and for the first time I was able to see how I had been contributing to our difficulties while trying to protect him from his anxieties. I have listened to the audio version several times now, which reinforced my new behavior; it has broken the old dance. I feel much better about myself now and have noticed that my husband has become less tense and reactive as well. I highly recommend this book as well as The Dance of Connection.

I have never said this about a self-help book, ever. It changed my life, and is still changing my life, and I will be reading it more than once. I have released so much anger from my life, and what I have left, I am learning to use in a positive manner, for change in me.

This is a very good step-by-step guide to knitting socks, but be careful; the instructions for the five-stitch pattern, toe-up sock contain a number of mistakes and omissions, particularly in the section on the heel. In this part, instructions for the instep and sole are reversed, and (as another reviewer noted), there is no accounting for the two remaining wraps. If you have made socks before, or if you have completed the book's "class sock," you can figure out what to do. Still, it is odd that a book with such detailed and clear directions for the kitchener stitch and for the class sock becomes so utterly confounding in this section. I haven't tested other sections yet.

Well, with all the reviews, I don't need repeat what everyone else has said. I bought the book based on these reviews. When I first got it, I was a little disappointed. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was a little let down.

But, as I flipped through the pages, and began to let all the information sink in, I began to see just how great this book is. I am finishing my first pair of socks right now with the guidance of this book and Antje Gillingham's Knitting Circles Around Socks. I love this book for the freedom it gives you to use the yarn and stitch pattern of your choice. I do think that Gillingham's book is the best to learn knitting with 2 circs though. I just ordered More Sensational Knitted Socks and can hardly wait to get it.

So, let the book grow on you, I think you'll find it a great reference.

Got this book in the mail two days ago and am already well on my way to finishing my first pair of socks from the book. Brilliant doesn't do this book justice ... genius. No matter the tension of the yarn or the size of the foot the socks are for, this book will be all that you need to successfully knit a spectacular pair of socks ... and comfortable too judging by the first one finished. Loads of tips for successful picking up of stitches and achieving visually pleasing increases and decreases, as well as tips for eliminating those nagging holes that can appear when picking up along the heel flap. I have never knit such a beautiful pair of socks as I have with this book and I am not a newbie. I am using plain yarn (no self striping or variegation, so every stitch shows!)and I am thrilled with the result. Bravo Charlene!

I had knit a pair of plain socks from a pattern book before finding this book in the store. I had been looking for a book that would give me skills to custom fit my socks. I was in the mood for numbers, not just a pattern to blindly follow, and this book changed my knitting life for the better.

The book is divided into sections based on the number of stitches in the pattern repeat and toe up/cuff down knitting. There are two sections for toe up socks, and three colorwork sections (fair isle and mosaic knitting). There are a good number of stitch patterns in each section, some more than others (the toe up sections didn't have as many choices as the others).

This book is great for figuring out just how many stitches to cast on, and eventually, you'll get a good feel for how many to cast on for a particular wearer. It is also a good jumping off point for making your own plug-n-play socks (fitting a stitch pattern into the sock you knit). If you don't have a separate stitch dictionary, the patterns in here will keep you busy for a while.

The only complaint I could have about the book is that the while there are different heel and toe shapings in this book, they are in different sections of the book, and there are no illustrated instructions that might help someone new to sock knitting. For example, in the section for toe up socks with a heel flap and gusset, I had a hard time visualizing the technique, since I was doing it for the first time, and wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly, and was eventually abandoned that particular project. If I could have seen what my progress should have looked like, things may have gone a little smoother. If you get stuck on one of these shapings, you may have to look up a tutorial on the internet to supplement this book. There's enough to play with that you can probably skip anything that downright confuses you (and the heels and toes are pretty interchangeable, of course!)

This book really got my sock knitting habit off to a good start!

In my ever-so-humble opinion, this is the way ALL sock patterns should be written. It is so discouraging to find a great pattern and then realize it is written for someone with teeny tiny feet! Other books suggest using larger or smaller needles to adjust the foot circumference, but with many patterns the use of larger needles wreaks havoc on stitch definition.
So thank you to Charlene Schurch, who understands!

The ideas in this book will forever change how you look at city and building design. Urban planners, architects, builders and interior designers who want to keep their jobs-- read up! This book will help you create low-cost solutions to the real estate downturns in your area. You have unprecedented opportunities to rethink your cities, towns, strip malls, etc. to make them more user-friendly and inviting while trimming the ugly wasted space that fills so many of our urban centers and McMansion neighborhoods.

More careful expansion of the cities along logical pathways, with rainwater harvesting, edible self-managed self-watered landscaping, and tree-shaded roads with neighborhood shops and small industry woven in would have created more jobs and more meaning plus kept people together in sustainable neighborhoods at a much lower cost, both initially and long-term. Now we face the prospect of bulldozing entire vacant blocks and turning them into the rural spaces that so many longed to be near to begin with. This is not good business sense-- it's pathology.

'A Pattern Language' is the perfect medicine for this sickness. Like a healthy diet, it gets down to basics: how the human body relates to space; how people 'feel' in certain environments; the criteria of places that draw people in as opposed to others that are left usused or avoided. These principles are classic patterns that have stood the test of time, and Mr. Alexander gives numerous examples from around the world, from entire regions down to the height of windowsills and the best designs for office space.

Anyone planning their own house needs this book! I designed a big house in Arizona for my large family using these principles and it's amazingly light and functional while being cool in summer and warm in winter. The kitchen is smaller than most custom homes, yet eight people can prepare food together comfortably while 3 more surf the internet and Dad reads his paper.

It's really awesome, this book. I experience how dense it is, the work of Christopher Alexander and other writers. Above all, it's extremely practical and helpful. This book does affect the way we mind about our lives and our world, positively.

Okay, the title implies another book by this author, "A Timeless Way of Building," but personally I think Pattern Language is a far superior book. I admit I was a bit skeptical when I picked up this book (about 10 years ago) and thought, "What could the 70's possibly offer about modern building concepts?" Probably not much, but what makes this book work so well is not the study of building types per se, but rather the study of human beings and how they interact with spaces. I think this is a must own book for anyone in the architecture profession.

If you think this book will make you a designer well you are wrong. It is a great piece in the myriad of books on architectural theory and certainly a good read. However, this book is intended for architects and urban planners to read and to use as a reference. If you are not one of these people or even if you are, do not think that this is the only valid book by which to base your designs. Also this is not the greatest book on architecture ever written. If you think so then you have not read very many books. It is just the most popular because uneducated people think that they can pick it up and know how to design houses, buildings, and cities by looking at all they pretty pictures. Believe me when I say that it was not Mr. Alexander's intention to make the average person with no experience what so ever be able to design things.

my purchase arrived when it was supposed to, and was exactly what i ordered (quality and edition). No problems.

I loved this book. I spotted it while purusing the shelves in the business section at Barnes and Noble the other day. When I opened it up and skimmed the Table of Contents I found starting an online virtual assistance company requires the same skills and talents as starting an online coaching, teaching, or consulting practice. Even though at the time of my writing this review there are already 69 reviews posted for this book, I am writing this review because none of the reviews point out that this is wonderful book for anybody who wants to offer a service via the Internet. Sure, you can offer your services as a virtual assistant. But the advice offered in this book applies equally to people who offer their services through a Web site and email and provide coaching, teaching, and/or consulting pointers and advice. And providing these other services online will probably take just as much time as providing virtual assistance services, but pay a whole lot more.

I found this book to be well outlined and well written. It will definitely be a worthwhile tome to add to your library as you investigate and research the business plan you need to write in order to start your freelance operation regarding services you plan to sell online. So read this book with an open mind and do NOT limit you thoughts to just becoming a virtual assistant. There are all kinds of opportunities today to work from home in your PJs providing so many different kinds of services via the Internet. Forget about commuting. Forget about getting dressed up or maintaining a healthy wardrobe. Just worry about being expert at something and selling your time, knowledge and advice. 5 stars!

Other books I highly recommend you consider reading along with this book include:

>>Riches in Niches (EasyRead Large Bold Edition): How to Make It BIG in a Small Market
>>Start Your Own Information Marketing Business (Start Your Own...)
>>Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Your Own e-Learning Business (The Startup Series)
>>Start Your Own Coaching Business (Start Your Own...)
>>Four Steps To Building A Profitable Coaching Practice: A Complete Marketing Resource Guide for Coaches
>>Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Web Sites That Work
>>The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist, Second Edition
>>Coaching Millions: Help More People, Make More Money, Live Your Ultimate Lifestyle

I decided to purchase book because I had seen it on military.com's military spouse career center. It does have quite helpful information for beginning a virtual assistance business.

not finished yet ..... need more time for something like this ...
have only briefly leafed ... that's how i gave it the three stars..

After having worked in the administrative support field for over 20 years, the entrepreneur in me was longing to get out. I figured with my skill set and having managed other administrative personnel, becoming Virtual Assistant (VA) would be a great way to start my own business on a part-time basis and, a perfect way to supplement my current income. I began browsing a number of VA and work-at-home websites to try to find out more about how to start my own practice. While the websites were helpful, I had yet to find a site that really got into the nuts and bolts of how to start your own business without having to pay for an expensive training course.

Then I stumbled upon a website called the Rat Race Rebellion. This is a great website packed with TONS of information and resources. That's where I first saw a link to The 2-Second Commute, written by Christine Durst and Michael Harren. I ordered the book from Amazon and was immediately impressed with the structure of the book which is straight forward and very well organized. This book is a "must have" for every aspiring Virtual Assistant!!

Durst and Harren do a magnificent job of explaining what a VA is (and isn't), how to build a successful VA practice brick-by-brick and how to navigate the work-life-balance of working from home. The assessment tools and resources alone are worth the books weight in gold. If you are an administrative professional who is thinking about starting your own VA practice, The 2-Second Commute is the perfect start-up manual.

This book had tons of useful information, written in a way that kept me wanting to turn the page. I will certainly keep this book for future reference -- I've dog-eared, highlighted, used post-its -- on so many useful topics.

I am thoroughly enjoying thumming through this book and enjoy the history the author provides for each of the patterns.

If this was the only book of knitting patterns I ever purchased, it would be enough to last a lifetime. The pictures are clear and the author adds commentary to the different sections and to most of the patterns. This is helpful in choosing the appropriate pattern for the project.

The 'Treasury of Knitting Patterns' is a must-have for all knitters. Ms. Walker has covered so many types of stitches in this book that it is amazing she has been able to accumulate even more to publish the follow-up books to this extensive bible of knitting stitches.

Ribs, lace, cable, simple and complex stitch patterns are all included. Most importantly, the patterns are written out, line by line. I prefer this method to charts as I find charts difficult to read. All of the patterns in this book are interesting and sometimes I find myself leafing through the book just for fun. I am continually amazed at all the beautiful patterns that can be created by knitting.

Ms. Walker's compilation is a great reference and as a knitter I would not be without it!

The patterns and instructions that are in here are helpful, however, pictures used to show what a given stitch will look like are much less helpful when they are black and white only. There is no reason, with today's technology, to not provide color pictures. Far more helpful are The Harmony Guides: Knit & Purl: 250 Stitches to Knit edited by Erika Knight (and the other books in that series), and 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar. The pictures in this "treasury" are so poor that I would consider it to be equivalent to getting written instructions without pictures at all.

A lot of patterns in this book had been published before, notably by Burda, Harmony guides and Mon Tricot. Burda pattern books are highly superior, because they provide excellent charted instructions (as I have seen in the two last Treasuries, Ms. Walker does not really understand how knitting charts should be made, so perhaps it is better that she sticks to basic text). Mon Tricot books contain also text, but in a more messy format, and often with mistakes, so here Barbara Walker does a better job. Harmony is so similar as to look almost like a reprint. Of course, we know that SOME patterns will be reprinted, so no big deal, and it is very convenient to have them in one book and not in three or four. Altogether, though, I would not miss this book terribly much.
But if you are unfamiliar with other books I quote this one should be very instructive, so I still give it three stars.

For a beginner like me, I found this book to be a good instructor and guide

I got exactly what I ordered and in a timely fashion. Great service. Good savings.

Thank you for the sale. This book made a great gift and the receiver was very happy!

This big book has tips and helpful guides for every step of quilting from start to finish. Highly recommend

I love this book. It really does cover the step by step, beginning to end. You can basically get everything you need from this book. There are a few areas (i.e., more pics or more detailed terminology) that you might need along the way. I did want a little more info about machine quilting. So, I just purchased one more book "The Quilters VIsual Guide..." to use as a second reference. I paid $7 for a used book...including shipping. It was "brand new" when I got it. So, if you don't want to pony up the money for it....get it used.

This book will provide the info you need to actually get started.

Great Book that has very cute items to crochet for the children in your lives!

Ana's signature ami style is instantly recognizable, and her creations are super cute. The patterns are all written out, no charts, and she gives a great "how to" in the beginning to teach you the basics of amigurumi creation. While it's not an intro to crochet book- if you have a basic knowledge of the craft you'll be making super cute ami's in no time.
I'd recommend this to anyone starting out- it's ease of use is perfect. While her ami's aren't heavy on the details, I prefer the simple adorable nature of each pattern. You don't get bogged down in creating tiny little accessories for each ami, which makes them kid friendly without tons of little parts- and just overall delicious! The simple nature of each pattern also gives you the opportunity to change and add as you please.
Overall one of the best amigurumi books available! I can't wait for her next book to be released.

Very cute designs, nice photos of finished projects. Made me confident enough to start designing some of my own.

Lots of cute patterns, easy to do! I was especially grateful her having a source for ordering the eyes in the book, since I could not find appropriate ones at the stores here!

I was given this book as a gift. All of the animals are adorable, I especially like the mommy/daddy and baby sets. That said, there seems to be quite a few mistakes in the book. I just started crocheting the cup of coffee and the instructions for the cup only go up to round 7 which is mostly just the bottom of the cup. Also, most of the animals have round heads in the pictures but if you make the patterns exactly as written, the heads are very oblong.

This book has some really wonderful ideas and instructions to make quilts from jelly rolls (2 1/2" strips). It gives cutting instructions also incase you want to use just yardage. The pictures of the quilts are quite good.

Here's a fun, simple way to use your jelly roll quilts. There are some quilts that are quite pretty, even though simple. I'm glad I added this one to my book stash.

Although I haven't tried making any of these quilts, I found it inspiring. There are alternate colors and set up designs for each of the main quilt patterns --- that changes the entire "feel" of each quilt.

As soon as I opened the pages to this book I knew it was a good one. The quilts shown are not only colorful but can be made up quickly. And the instructions given, if you don't have a Jelly Roll, are fantastic. All quilters are always looking for ways to use their stash in creative ways and this book provides many opportunities to to just that.

This is the best jelly roll book I have found thus far. It has really great patterns. The font are large and the color photos are good.

Others have already written quite comprehensive reviews, so I'll just say that I'm so glad I got this - it has everything you need to dive right in and teach yourself this relatively quick and easy skill. With skeins of embroidery floss going for around 37 cents apiece, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of this purchase!

This little kit was exactly what I was looking for.
I think it really does a good job at explaining how to get started (and in a fun way too). The patterns are great and make it easy for one to create a successful project on the first try. I have since bought more patterns from Jenny Hart and use the little book that comes in this kit as a guideline if I get stuck.
It was a good buy for me. I am inspired to make my own designs and try them out as well!

I purchased this kit to be given as a gift to a child who is just starting sewing. It would also be good for a beginning adult, but if you have experience, you will still appreciate the enclosed patterns.

This is a great kit for beginners. I sewed my first patterns easily and plan to do more.

I LOVE the stich it kit... I got one for myself back when they first came out.
This one is a gift for my neice. She opeend it the other day & we started right away, she loved the kit. The book has great stich diagrhams & the patterns are fun & up to date.

I bought this for a loved one who enjoys knitting and it was incredibly well received! :)

Excellent book with easy directions and fast delivery. I look forward to making some lovely knitted shawls.

This is one of those books I have looked at over and over. The photos are beautiful and I drool over which shawl I want to knit first.

The shawls are a collection of ethnic patterns representing countries all over the world: The Faroe Islands, Ireland, Japan, The American Heartland, Iceland, England, Russia, Scotland, South America, Norway, Native America, the Himalayas, and Spain.

This book is for intermediate to advanced knitters and for those who can work with charts. It is way too complicated for a beginner. Most of the patterns are lace.

I recommend this book for any lace knitter who wants to knit a shawl and for others who want to look at beautiful knit items and find inspiration.

Folk Shawls (Folk Knitting series)This is an awesome book. I can't wait to dig in. I wish it would include the standard yarn weights for each shawl because I am allergic to wool and consistently have to change the yarn used to make the shawls. I'd love it if the numeric yarn weight system were included to help with this.

I've only been knitting for about a year so I wasn't sure if this book would be way out of my league. I think it's going to become one of my favorite pattern books. All of the shawls are gorgeous and the instructions are great for an intermediate knitter like myself. It has a wonderful mix of easier up to more challenging patterns. Right now I'm working on the Victorian Wood Peddler's Shawl. I cannot wait to wear it, and I'm sure at some point I will have made one of each pattern in the book. It's a must have for the shawl-knitter's library.