Booties, Blankets & Bears: 20 Irresistible Hand Knits for Your Baby [Hardcover]

Debbie Bliss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Nursery essentials that will delight new parents and their babies are showcased in this lovely collection of knitted heirlooms. Based around a trio of core baby items—booties, blankets, and teddy bears—these patterns from bestselling knitter Debbie Bliss offer a range of toys, garments, and other accessories. Each project is beautiful in its own right, while reoccurring themes link projects for creating the perfect baby bundle—such as pairing the stitch blanket with the matching booties, blocks, and bunny. Photographs complement the instructions, and an introductory techniques section illustrates knitting basics. Stylish, creative, and beautifully presented, these hand knits are perfect for new parents and parents to-be or for any knitter looking for a charming, hand-made baby gift.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The 20 projects in this book include not only the title items, but sweaters, a floor cushion and toys, all appealingly photographed. A knitting-basics section, combined with the elegant simplicity of the majority of the projects, makes this an ideal book for new knitters as well as a quick-gift reference for everyone."  —Creative Knitting

"In typical Bliss fashion, you'll find nothing twee here, only clean, beautiful, covetable heirlooms."  —Vogue Knitting

About the Author

Debbie Bliss is one of the foremost designers of hand knits. She is the author of numerous books, including Classic Knits for Kids, Debbie Bliss Home, Essential Baby, Essential Knits for Kids, and Simply Baby, as well as the producer of the recently released Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570764387
• ISBN-13: 978-1570764387
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Expert Advice > Debbie Bliss

More About the Author

Debbie Bliss is the foremost knitwear designer for children. With a string of bestselling titles to her name, she regularly tours the US, Canada and other countries, giving lectures and doing workshops and has her own Debbie Bliss branded yarn range which is sold worldwide. Debbie lives in London with her husband and two children. Her website is www.debbiebliss.freeserve.co.uk.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Each of the twenty showcased projects feature Debbie's own special machine washable yarns, August 16, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Booties, Blankets & Bears: 20 Irresistible Hand Knits for Your Baby (Hardcover)

Needlecraft expert Debbie Bliss is justifiably considered to be one of the country's foremost designers of hand knits and is the author of several highly acclaimed needlecraft project books. "Booties, Blankets & Bears: 20 Irresistible Hand Knits For Your Baby" is her latest collection of superbly crafted projects suitable for even the most novice knitter and elegant enough for the most sophisticated needlecrafter. Each of the twenty showcased projects feature Debbie's own special machine washable yarns that are ideal for newborn skins. The six blanket patterns (including reversible and hooded varieties) are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. The seven types of booties, socks, and sandals are utterly charming. Superbly illustrated in full color throughout, the step-by-step instructions for each project are thoroughly 'user friendly', ideal for the novice and experienced knitter alike. "Booties, Blankets & Bears" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, But...., January 23, 2010

By 

M. Summers "glade runner" (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Booties, Blankets & Bears: 20 Irresistible Hand Knits for Your Baby (Hardcover)

I really love Debbie Bliss patterns. I have made a couple of things from this book now, and they are all darling. One thing keeps from giving the book 5 stars: if you do not use the Debbie Bliss yarns (recommended by the book) it can be very difficult to knit some of the patterns; although gauge is given at the beginning of each pattern, as is standard, the patterns themselves typically state things like: "knit 36 rows in st st", rather than the more common (and much easier to follow) phrasing of "knit until piece measures 5 1/2 inches in length". The novice knitter may find it very difficult to substitute yarns for these patterns. I prefer to buy local yarns, rather than mass-produced yarns, so I end up doing alot of substitutions (read: math). Debbie Bliss's patterns are among some of the harder ones for me to substitute simply because of how they are written. But they are beautiful, and so usually worth the effort...

One other thing: the title of this book says what it's all about: booties (I think there are 4-5 different bootie patterns), blankets (3-4), and bears, both as a motif in booties and blankets, and as a knitted stuffed bear. Darling, but if you are looking for sweater and hat patterns, this book is not for you; go for Debbie's Special Knits instead.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The bootie pattern is impossible, February 1, 2010

By 

Beth A. Morris "BAMknit" (Woodbury, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Booties, Blankets & Bears: 20 Irresistible Hand Knits for Your Baby (Hardcover)

I have been to my yarn store three times and none of the experienced knitters has been able to help me figure out the bootie pattern. The pictures in the book are the same as in her other books and are only basic things like casting on. There is not a single drawing or picture of the bootie construction. There are photos of the finished booties so I know someone finished them, but I can't figure out how. Insanely frustrating. If this book requires special skills, it should say so on the cover.