I have just finished reading through Twisted-Stitch Knitting by Maria Erlbacher. This is printed by Schoolhouse Press, and was originally published in the 1980s as three booklets in German. The Schoolhouse Press version is in English.

It is a fantastic collection of Austrian twisted stitch patterns, all very delicate and intricate. The first half of the book is a stitch dictionary containing 174 twisted stitch patterns, lots of interesting patterns I haven’t seen anywhere else. The charts require a bit of getting used to since they use different symbols to any chart I have used, but there is definitely a sensible logic to them, and they are easy to work with once you get the hang of it. There are nice clear photos of all the stitch patterns too (all in black and white) so you can check that your knitting is coming out as expected.

The second half of the book is patterns for garments, these do require a bit of initiative as they are guidelines only and usually only in one size, but then the idea of this book is to use the stitch dictionary part to create your own garments, so the garments given are really just ideas of combinations you could use. There are some fabulous knee-high socks with calf shaping all covered in twisted stitches. I haven’t worn knee socks since I was 11 but these look quite tempting! The last section is of cardigans, jumpers, jackets and waistcoats. Some great ideas here, and I am looking forward to having a go.