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The Illustrated Dictionary of Knitting, by Rae Compton (Interweave Press; 1988)

FROM ABB WOOL to Zip fasteners, this book defines just about every knitting term, with clear, concise entries and more than a few instructions. Under “diamond and bobble pattern,” for instance, is a definition--and a pattern for that stitch.

There is much, much more here than just knit and purl; Compton also includes various national knitting styles, including Austrian and Estonian as well as the more familiar Icelandic and Fair Isle. This is a great book for any beginner (6 1/2 pages are devoted to increasing the number of stitches), but I don’t know many experienced knitters who couldn’t learn a thing or two. There are a few photographs, but this is definitely not a picture book; instead, practical diagrams and illustrations fill most of the pages.

My only quibble is that the book’s British origins remain firmly intact. (For instance, nobody even bothered to change colour to color for U.S. publication.) This might cause some confusion in terms and abbreviations, but there is a chart, under “American knitting terms,” showing correlations between U.S. and British terms. ($18.95)