I rented this book from the library, and just came out to Amazon to buy it so I can have it forever. It's the only book that ACTUALLY showed me how to purl in a way that made sense! Cute patterns, great instructions, and small size make this a must-have for the novice knitter in your life!As someone who loves using high-end (expensive?) materials, I guess I didn't have a problem with the recommended yarns. BTW: The person who wrote the review saying that the 1st scarf project required you to buy 6 skeins of $20 yarn was wrong: it only calls for two. $40 for a handmade scarf is a bargain, in my book!