knitting for idiots. help.

[DisasterEggs]

I can knit. I can purl. I can even cast on and decrease and K2Tog if the whim takes me.
That's about it though.
Is there a really really simple book I can buy to create fabulous sophisticated things with really simple instructions?

i don't know what slipping stiches means, or turning over, or bringing yarn over or forward or whatever.

should i stick to scarves?

Absolutely not! Knitting is easy, honestly. You've already mastered the hardest bits.

Debbie Bliss does some good beginners books for babies, nice simple stylish things.

For adults, I really liked the first Stitch n Bitch book - clear instructions, funky patterns etc and it's aimed at beginning knitters.

Don't forget online resources. www.knittinghelp.com is great for videos.
Knitty.com is a wonderful magazine with a very helpful and friendly forum.

And then there's Ravelry.com which is a giant pattern resource with lots of forums. It can be a bit overwhelming at first as you can do so much with it but have a play with it and see what you think. Don't be put off by the need to be invited, just put your name down and you'll be accepted in a week or so - it's nothing sinister!

knitting pattern central is great for instructions and patterns too.

Slipping stitches just means you move a stitch from the left needle to the right needle without actually knitting it. Often you then knit the next stitch and then pass the unknitted stitch over the top of the knitted stitch, thus decreasing one stitch (called psso -pass slipped stitch over).

I agree with HensMum, you have learnt the hardest things. Everything else is just a variation of the basics you already know.

I also second Ravelry if you need other people for inspiration/ideas.

I second pretty much everything HensMum says. The first Stitch & Bitch book by Debbie Stoller is great for techniques and explanations; I almost entirely learned to knit by using it, although I was never a great fan of the patterns (I don't think I actually made any of them, nor those in the second, Stitch & Bitch Nation).

With the skills you have, you can really embark on any project, and use Ravelry to ask for help in figuring out the bits you can't yet do. Ravelry also has thousands of lovely free patterns, as well as many to purchase and download. There are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful knitters on there; I've learned so much from them. Knitty.com is great for resources and lovely free patterns, written clearly and with lots of guidance.

look at the videos on here.

best book i've ever bought was any elizabeth zimmermann book. she explains the principles of design, rather than step by step instructions that often don't make sense. this is the best one, i think.