The Penguin Knitting Book

The Penguin Knitting Book by James Norbury is a charming how-to-knit classic packed with delightfully vintage advice.

Knitting fills a fascinating page in the human story. I know of no home-craft that enjoys the universal popularity of hand-knitting

James Norbury’s The Penguin Knitting Book, first published in 1957, is a how-to guide for the experienced knitter as well as the beginner. Full of wit and charm as well as tips and techniques for the contemporary knitter, The Penguin Knitting Book entertainingly illustrates all things vintage in the world of wool.

Along with telling you how to knit, The Penguin Knitting Book includes original vintage patterns for every member of the family. Babies’ coats, pullovers for father, sweaters for the teenager, dresses, jumpers, coats and cardigans, you will find them all in this charming aid to better knitting.

‘James Norbury was the strongest single influence in British knitting during the twenty-five years after the Second World War’ Sir Bishop Richard Rutt, author of A History of Hand Knitting

‘[In the late 1960s] there was a chap called James Norbury, who had his own knitting show on the BBC. I sat in on some of the programmes, and good stuff it was, too. I learned lots of racy stuff about ‘knit one, purl one’‘ Sir David Attenborough

‘Knitting is the saving of a life‘ Virginia Woolf

James Norbury wrote The Penguin Knitting Book in 1957. He travelled extensively throughout the world, studying every aspect of the knitter’s craft. A knitting historian, teacher and designer as well as a television star on his own BBC knitting show, he was Chief Designer for Patons and one of the foremost authorities on the history of knitting.