The Knitter's Dictionary made my day when it arrived: a book designed to help me pursue a favorite hand craft but also designed to be well-used and well-loved. It's literally "as easy as ABC" to use this reference -- it's small and sturdy enough to travel in a knitting tote, and everything is in alphabetical order (of course) and very clearly illustrated where necessary. The illustrations, in fact, are clearer than many photographs found in other guides, and it's much easier to decipher the complexities of the illustrated stitches in appropriately shaded technical drawings than in pretty pictures. Kate Atherley's background is in math, and this shows in the precision of the examples she presents for the "mathy" parts of knitting: adjusting gauge, metric/imperial conversion, and so on. Techniques such as tassel making and seaming also become clear with exact instructions. Throughout the book, tips and charts enhance the reader's understanding of the "why's" and "how's" behind many knitting patterns. In short, this book is the "knitting buddy" I've been waiting for!