Customer Reviews

Chic Knits for Stylish Babies: 65 Charming Patterns for the First Year

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book of baby knit designs completely enchanted me. The garments are helpfully arranged in "wardrobes," with each set containing some combination of trousers, overalls, pullovers, jackets, dresses, hats and boots. The photography is a treat for the eyes. The styles are definitely NOT what you see every day on babies; since the author and photographer are French, presumably the designs are too.

I found the directions clear and concise, well diagrammed, with charts where applicable. The designs are all tiny - mostly to 12 months size though a few to 18 months - so if you want to knit for a particular baby you'll need to get an early start. The book doesn't contain any knitting directions (I'm glad they filled it chock-full of adorable garments instead) and some of the patterns could be challenging for very new knitters. These are not drawbacks, as long as the buyer is aware that a certain knitting mojo may be needed to produce these eye-catching garments.

My first choice was the swing top from the "Perfect Little Girl" wardrobe. Much as I want to knit the rest of the pieces to go with it, the llama romper is claiming my attention next.

Infants probably don't care that much about looking stylish. But if you want to please yourself and some new parents or parents-to-be, there's sure to be something in this fantastic book that will send you running for your needles.

This book is full of intricate patterns and a variety of techniques beyond the basic knit/purl combinations, including eyelet edging and hemming, use of zippers, stuffed animals, cable patterns, color work (both intarsia and duplicate stich) and patchworking. The booties and hats are very creative as well as all the little clothes, unlike anything I have seen in other books.

Most patterns, although the pictures are presented in a range of color options, are really for little girls, but there are a good number of neutral choices and a few exclusively for boys. Most use small needles and very delicate yarn but of course, that makes for a finer, more heirloom-quality product in the final result. I have tucked away everything that I knitted for my son as a keepsake.

Only drawback to this book is the patterns are for the first year only--so it is ideal for pregnancy, but after that... these projects are extremely rewarding but VERY SLOW GOING, given the small needle sizes and the fine yarn. I recommend getting whatever you want to have finished for the baby done before he or she arrives.

I knitted from this book throughout my pregnancy and it was very calming and a wonderful feeling to be creating something so special for my little one while waiting for him to arrive. Recommended, just knit fast

This book has some of the most BEAUTIFUL baby clothes I have seen yet. The outfit on the cover is NOT one of them. So don't judge this book by the cover.

A beautiful book with fantastic photography and exquisite modern baby knits. They have chosen probably the most hideous outfit from the whole collection to put on the front, so ignore the cover. Totally worth buying!

Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the designs and color combinations. However, and it is a BIG however...I share other reviewers' reservations and add a few of my own.

1) No real babies wearing items -- leaves practicality of items in question; especially when you add that...

2) NO access openings in any of the patterns, you know -- for diapers, for easy on/off; who wants to wake a sleeping baby by struggling with an adorable but awkward piece of clothing?

3) All the yarns suggested are wool/acrylic blends. YUCK. I can't stand to wear wool/acrylic blends next to my well-aged skin; why would a velvety soft baby want it next to theirs?

So, if you don't mind adding modifications to allow for soft, baby-friendly yarns and access, enjoy the beyond cute and original designs. By "original", I mean that they are not your standard pastel baby colors, in traditional bland baby styles. They are NOT freakishly unique or costumish. The chenille design on the cover is as wild as it gets. Many nice color striping combinations and use of texture.

Enjoy.

This book is just delightful. Each outfit is a winner and you can make the whole one or mix and match. The yarns used are not expensive, but can easily be substituted if you need to. I have made several of these for friends, who were really thrilled with the results, and it's so lovely to see babies looking so cute in something you've created. The patterns are easy to follow, there is something for every skill level, and no instructions on how to knit, which is great if you know already and I guess like most other people, I have books that help with stitches I'm unfamiliar with. All in all, a real treat, and I wasn't disappointed by buying this book 'blind'.

This is a pretty good selection of cute patterns. If you like to see babies in coordinated wear from head to toe, and have lots of knitting time, this is the book for you.

I do have a couple of major quibbles. There is not a single photo of an actual baby wearing the "chic knits". This really worries me, because I have no way of knowing how the clothes will look when worn. Do you really want to spend a lot of time knitting small garments without having at least an idea of how they will look on a tiny 3-dimensional person?

The other complaint is that most of the items are knit with sport-weight yarn on size 3 needles. While this creates small-gauge, refined looking clothes- unless you are a super-fast knitter, by the time you're done knitting the baby will have outgrown what you knit. And nothing is sized for babies older than 1 year- the period of fastest growth (Trust me, I have a 9 month old.)

I would recommend borrowing this book from the library and reviewing it thoroughly before deciding to buy.

A great book with very cute patterns. It's hard to choose which one to make first and my granddaughter isn't even here yet. She will have several of the outfits ready for the appropriate season.

Beautiful fine-knit baby set photos and patterns are found inside. I am working on the Warm and Chic set shown on p. 82. Some of the instructions require re-reading and a bit of interpretation and advanced knowledge, but if taken step-by-step one can figure it out. I only hope my hand-knit set turns out as well as the garments shown in the photos!

This is an axcellent book, very clear and beautiful patterns. I knitted a lot of them easilly.