Why do so many sweaters languish unfinished, unloved, and unworn? And why do so many knitting machines sit in closets, rarely used? A knitting machine is a wonderful tool, although there are tricks to using it. This book will teach you to leap over the obstacles between lovely skeins of yarn in your arms and one-of-a-kind garments which will warm the hearts and bodies of the people you love. I let the knitting machine do what it does best—make fabric—and I do the shaping with the help of a sewing machine, in a technique called *half-fashioning*. It’s simple and it works—for sweaters, coats, capes, vests, caps, mittens, and gloves. You can make practical, beautiful garments that work—for *any* body. Given a tape measure and a calculator, you’ll discover you can make comfortable and flattering garments for everyone, from elfin newborns to basketball players to lady wrestlers. Garments for children can allow several years’ growth without ever looking like they don’t fit; mittens can be made so hands without fingers can build snowmen; sweaters can be made so the wheelchair-bound can dress themselves. Soon you’ll be able to knit your ideas quickly and have them fit perfectly, so you can move on to the important business of wearing them. *[from the back cover]*