I like it, , , for what it is.

This 1987 book with a plasticized soft-cover has 96 semi-glossy pages. Like all of her other books, this is a collectible.

*Note: This is a specialized book about mosaics and their Fair Isle 20 and 40 stitch patterns. It does not contain garment patterns or teach how to MK. Therefore, this book is not for beginners; it is for specialists. Kathleen Kinder has other books for sale for teaching buyers how to MK.

“Mosaic Floatless Fair-Isle (20 and 40 Stitch” (MFFI) contains over 50 patterns for Passap Duo 80 (double-bed) Deco and Forma attachments, and knitmaster (500/560), and Brother (910/950) KMs. These KMs employ ‘electronic’ KMs (with ‘selectors’) with single or double color changers.

On almost every page is a black and white photo of mosaics. Kinder begins by discussing HK mosaics and then bringing them to the MK world, describing how to create the mosaics on the KMs listed above. In the first half of the book, Kinder presents the mosaics and describes how to create them on the KM. The last half of the book contains only photos of mosaics.

Note that the KMs in use in the late 80s were pre-electronic, with ‘selectors’, meaning that MKs used hand yarn pattern manipulation and punch cards to create designs. Then, starting in the early to mid 90s, fully electronic machines were marketed and sold; these KMs like the Passap E-6000 (E-6) had automatic patterning computer software programs pre-loaded in them, so with a ‘flip of a switch’ or an inputting of a pattern design number, designs were uploaded into the machine and used to add the pattern design element to the garment. As time went on, companies like DAK added even more possibilities.

Kinder has later books that also tell buyers how to use the computerized patterns on the E-6.

The publisher is Kathleen Kinder, North Yorkshire, UK.

The author Kathleen Kinder, started MKing in 1960, taught adult education classes, courses and seminars in the UK, NZ, written numerous article for various MK magazines – and is an author of acclaimed books on MK.

This book is more like a compendium of mosaic pattern designs instead of a formal book. For example, there are no Table of Contents, Chapters, Index, Resources, etc. The book, however, starts with a Foreword, then continues with a background of HK mosaics and finally transitions into creating mosaics for the KM.

This means that if the reader wants to look something specific up about Mking mosaics, it must be done by flipping through the pages.

This book, MFFI, should be on the library shelves of machine knitters because most KMs now aren’t manufactured anymore and the existing ones are tenaciously kept, with some resold over time to a new gaggle of people who are interested in learning how to use their KMs.

In short, the dwindling numbers of KMs, like the limited copies of good MK specialty books like this one, are treasures. Buy them while you still can!

Book was in excellent condition. The subject matter written well.... learned what machine knitting was. Diagrams useful for hand knitting mosaic patterns