JOMO Knits Book Review

Today, I’m sharing a review of a knitting pattern book focused on the joy of making. The excerpted sweater knitting pattern for Breakfast in Bed was available for free through September 30, 2025.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. The Guild of Master Craftsman (GMC) Publications provided me with a free review copy of JOMO Knits: 21 Projects to Celebrate the Joy of Missing Out (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon). Although I accept free products for review, I do not accept additional compensation, nor do I guarantee a positive review. My reviews are based entirely on my honest opinions.

Today’s book review includes the Breakfast in Bed pattern, which is the tenth pattern in the Christmas in July Make Along! To join the Christmas in July Make Along:

  • Visit this blog post for links to each pattern as it goes live, and to enter the giveaway by Friday, August 4, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern for your chance to win one of nine prizes from Eucalan, Fox & Pine Stitches, GlassEyesOnline, Hartiful, KennyClayCo, KnitPal, Knitter’s Relief Balm, and seashellcrafter.
  • You can join in by crocheting, knitting, sewing, or making the projects as you have time.
  • Share your progress and post pictures of your finished projects. Tag your projects and posts #CIJMakeAlong2023 on all social media.
  • If you’d like to chat with other crafters, join the Underground Crafters Facebook group.
  • If you need more handmade holiday inspiration, check out the weekly roundups with even more free patterns for gift ideas.
  • By the end of the Make Along, you’ll have up to 31 awesome projects. Get ready for the handmade holiday season while having fun with us!
  • Use this button below on your Ravelry project pages or elsewhere on social media. Right click (on desktop) or tap and hold (on mobile) to save.
2023 Christmas in July Make Along with Underground Crafter square

Book Review: JOMO Knits

JOMO Knits: 21 Projects to Celebrate the Joy of Missing Out (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) by Christine Boggis is a collection of knitting patterns with an emphasis on the joy of creating. Christine opens the book with an introduction – What is JOMO? – that describes JOMO as the joy of missing out, and as the opposite of FOMO (the fear of missing out) which emphasizes competition and “constant consumption.” Christine explains that

JOMO is about something slowly, so that you or someone you love can treasure it forever, or making for the sheer joy of making. It’s about making something that suits your body shape, whatever that may be. It’s about fudging together something that might have a few mistakes but is perfect in its own way, or about knitting up and ripping back the same thing over and over again until it’s exactly how you want it. It’s about sitting at home content that, if you are missing out on something, it’s not as good as what you’re doing right now.

Christine Boggis, JOMO Knits

In this section, Christine also explains that the patterns are knit in chunky (bulky) yarns and that all are achievable for beginners, though also interesting for more advanced knitters. 

The book is then divided into three sections of patterns: Nest, Explore, and Share. The patterns in the Nest section are “designed for cocooning and comfort;” the patterns in the Explore section are about “tak[ing] time to explore yourself;” and the patterns in the Share section are designed as gifts. (The sweater knitting pattern for Breakfast in Bed, excerpted below, opens the Nest section.) Each pattern includes:

  • An introduction, describing the project;
  • Sizes, including measurements in both inches and centimeters;
  • You will need, including yarn listed by brand but also fiber type and yardage/meterage, recommended knitting needles sizes, and other notions;
  • Tension (gauge), including the pattern repeat required to check tension; 
  • Abbreviations, including special abbreviations, if any; 
  • Pattern note, which provides construction details and referrals to special techniques used; and
  • The written pattern using abbreviations. Some patterns also contain charts and/or schematics.

Each pattern includes at least one full page photo and multiple smaller photographs. The book includes patterns for: 

  • 4 hats;
  • 4 sweaters;
  • 2 blankets;
  • 2 pairs of mitts/mittens;
  • And 1 of each of the following patterns: bag, booties, cardigan, coat, cowl, pillow, scarf, shawl, and a pair of socks.

Each section also includes side bar sections such as An Introduction to Modern Literature, which shares favorite fiction and non-fiction knitting books; 5 Ways to Find More Time for Knitting; and A Knitting Night In in the Nest section; 5 Inspiring Knitters; Craft Yourself Well, which provides tips for mindful knitting; and Places You Can Knit in the Explore section; and Knit For a Cause; Find Your Tribe, about connecting with other knitters; and 5 Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Knitting in the Share section. Additionally, there are tips and tutorials interwoven with the patterns, such as how to crochet a zip (zipper), how to wet splice yarn, how to make your own beaded stitch markers, and how to work out decreases.

After the pattern sections, there is a Tools and Techniques section that includes: 

  • Tools of the Trade, explaining needles and notions; 
  • A Yarn to Spin, describing different fiber types; 
  • Is This a Wind Up?, explaining how to wind yarn; 
  • Before You Begin exploring taking measurements for sizing, and creating and measuring a tension/gauge swatch; 
  • Casting On Techniques, with written and photo instructions for holding yarn using both the English and Continental methods; long tail, knitted-on, garter stitch tab, and Judy’s magic cast on methods; 
  • the Knit and Purl Stitches with written and photo tutorials for knit and purl stitches and working through the back loop; 
  • Shaping Your Work, with written and photo tutorials for increases and decreases including knit front and back, yarn overs, make one left and make one right, knit two together, slip slip knit, and slip one knit one pass slipped stitch over; 
  • Knitting In the Round, which provides written and photo instructions for the magic loop method of small circumference knitting in the round on circular needles and the jogless join; 
  • Cables, with written and photo instructions for two types of cable patterns; 
  • Fairisle or Stranded Knitting, with written and photo instructions for holding yarn and working stranded colorwork; 
  • Brioche Knitting, including written and photo instructions for one-color brioche knitting worked flat, two-color brioche knitting worked flat, one-color brioche in the round, and two-color brioche in the round; 
  • Useful Techniques, which includes written and photo instructions for the Kitchener stitch join, picking up stitches, and shadow-wrap short rows; 
  • Casting Off, including written and photo tutorials for the standard cast off and three needle cast off;
  • Crochet Techniques, with written and photo instructions for the slip stitch, chain stitch, UK double crochet (US single crochet), and UK half treble crochet (US half double crochet); and
  • Finishing Techniques, with written and photo instructions for weaving in ends, blocking, mattress stitch join, duplicate stitch, and making pom poms.

The book closes with a list of UK pattern abbreviations, conversions between UK and US measurements for needles and hooks and UK and US knit and crochet pattern abbreviations, a list of suppliers, acknowledgements, and an index. 

While I described JOMO Knits as a pattern collection, as you can see from the list above the Tools and Techniques section is more detailed than what you would find in most pattern books. Additionally, because the instructions include progress photos rather than solely written instructions or written instructions with illustrations (which some folks find challenging to interpret), this book has a lot of additional elements that could make it ideal for the beginning knitter would would like to transition their skills to a more advanced level. Additionally, there are lovely photos throughout which make the book great “eye candy.” Although it is a paperback book, it has flaps on both the front and back cover to make it easier to hold your place while knitting. I recommend this book for newbies to intermediate knitters who are eager to join the “slow fashion” movements, who are looking for ways to build a knitting community, who enjoy accessories that are classic and timeless looking, or who enjoy knitting with bulky yarns. Since this post is part of the Christmas in July Make Along, I should also mention the book would make a great gift for another knitter, and there are also many gift ideas inside if you’d like to buy it for yourself. You can find JOMO Knits: 21 Projects to Celebrate the Joy of Missing Out sing Out through independent booksellers or on Amazon.

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