Customer Reviews

Closely Knit: Handmade Gifts For The Ones You Love

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am nothing short of blown away by this book! I had to go through it several times just to absorb it all and I had trouble putting it down. The designs are original and fantastic. I would be much more than pleased to receive any of them as a gift, esp. the Patchwork Blanket (for babies, I love the apple!!), or the child's Kangaroo Vest (can you tell I have two little boys?). I would die for a pair of the socks, esp. the Embroidered Flower Socks. The Pocket Tote and Cuddle Bear are two other things that jump right out at me. (You won't believe the cutness contained in the bear!) The Cabled Cardigan in the "Mothers" section is possibly the prettiest sweater I've ever set my eyes upon. The creativity and sheer beauty of the Bird's Nest Pincushion and Birdie Felted Patchwork Bath Mat are unparallel to anything I have ever seen. How can so much talent fit into one person??! I would have expected this book to have been put together by a think-tank instead of one young lady. I wish Amazon would have included better pages from the book to show in the pictures. You can see the Bird's Nest Pincushion, but unfortunately you will have to take my word for how gorgeous the other projects are that I mentioned. Lastly, I want to comment on the variety this book offers... things to wear, things to decorate with, functional items, even Juggling Balls!! Something for everyone in your life. (Feast your eyes upon the "Table of Contents" to see all that awaits you (click on the picture of the book)). Look no further and purchase this gem! It will keep you busy now and for years to come. But beware, once you give away one of the gifts and the word spreads that you were the giver, you will have people lined up at your door begging for the same gift for themselves!

Everything said in the description is so true!
"Closely Knit takes the guesswork out of knitting for others. Gift giving is made simple with the 30+ patterns, each tailored for a specific recipient and organized by complexity. Readers can now accurately estimate the time required to knit a gift for that special someone and with the wide array of options from special hand knits for mothers to knitted sweaters for men, to accessories such as scarves and hats, the gifting options are limitless. In addition, there are stuffed animals, a selection of home décor items including pillows and blankets. Options are provided for creating last-minute gifts in addition to tips and tricks for quick fixes to avoid the cram knitting that sometimes occurs when knitters are creating a gift for someone else."

Happy knitting!

Knitting gift items is one of those rare handicrafts that is as enjoyable for the giver as it is for the receiver. It is estimated at about one third of what needlecrafters knit they give away to someone else. That is the premise upon which expert needlecrafter Hannah Fettig has used in "Closely Knit: Handmade Gifts For The Ones You Love", a compendium of do-it-yourself projects that range from a men's sweater, to a women's scarf and hat, to a baby's patchwork blanket, to a pocket tote for a friend -- and so very much more!. Profusely illustrated with full color photography throughout, each individual project includes complete step-by-step instructions, along with all the needles, notions, and materials required. Enhanced with Knitting Resources, Quick Reference, Glossary, Resources, and an Index, "Closely Knit" is the ideal gift for any needlecraft enthusiast -- and a perfect guide for knitting that perfect gift for someone special! Also very highly recommended as additions to personal knitting reference collections from North Light Books are Stefanie Japel's "Fitted Knits" (978158180872); Narumi Ogawa's "Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful" (9781581809664); Heidi Boyd's "Soft + Simple Knits For Little Ones" (9781581809657)); and Lisa Shobhana Mason's "YarnPlay" (9781581808414).

I buy a lot of knitting books, and I was disappointed in this one.

Laudable: there are ALL KINDS of different things to make in this book: an unusual, sculptural scarf; a bird's nest with eggs; a teddy bear; juggling blocks; pillows and blankets; the usual hats, vests, and socks; and even a picture frame.

Disappointing: Except for the Vintage Knee Socks and the Cashmere Ruffles Scarf, most of these patterns seemed extremely basic. Yawn. But then, I have been knitting for 40 years. So, for beginners, this is probably a wonderful resource. For more advanced knitters, I recommend The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd.

There's a little bit of everything in this book, a refreshing change! Items for decorative purposes, items to make that would sell well at church, library or other small fairs, a bit of fun, & even some items for MEN, which is something you don't see a whole lot of!

I love this collection of projects. There is a little something for everyone (as Hannah has divided it by family members) and you can easily imagine giving the sweater for mom to mom, grandmom, and a favorite niece. The wedding wall hanging is perfect for any family member or friend, as are any of the pillows. I made the birds nest pincushion for my mom and three friends (and myself) for Christmas this year and the little tiny heart pin works up so quickly that before you know it, everyone you know is wearing one in red, burgandy, hot pink, or multihued shades of reds, pinks and purples left over from great sock yarn or some favorite Manos. The little duck sweater went to a friend's preemie and I really had to restrain myself from working up the little pants. It's not going to take too long before I've done every project in this book. Most of them are marked with a post-it with someone's name on it!
Thanks Hannah Fettig for a terrific collection---I'm looking forward to the next one!

There are so many patterns I want to make in this book! Hannah's designs are useful, like the handsome Rustic Sweater Vest that a man might really wear (as opposed to the way-out ones they usually don't like). There are whimsical patterns like the Bird's Nest Pincusion and darling Heart Pin. The patterns for toddlers are adorable, and the ones for women are lovely.

It's unusual for me to like just about all the patterns in any particular book. But Hannah's sense of style, her great choice of yarns and colors, and the sheer fun factor make this a book I will be using over and over.

For once I was misled by the reviews on Amazon, which lauded this book in so many ways. I agree with another reviewer, who considered the patterns basic and unoriginal -- and, unlike her, I have not been knitting for 40 years (more like 4). The photographs, while attractive, certainly, often failed to show the detail that seemed distinctive in that pattern.

The book could be useful for a beginner; there's a lot of basic information and simple common sense behind "Another Gift Idea." I'm afraid this book will be a gift to my library sooner than later.

The care Hannah Fettig takes in her work is clear simply from the title and theme of this stunning book - but, more importantly, comes through in the patterns she's designed. From the loving rendering of a bird's nest in the Bird's Nest Pincushion to the thoughtful detail in the Embroidered Flower Socks and the meaning of the Tree of Life Wall Hanging, Fettig isn't just offering options in the "what to knit for Mom" category - she's showing us how we express love through handcraft, and how to express even more. Divided into sections by recipient, this book gives a vast array of interesting and exciting patterns for the beginner to the experienced knitter. It's often said of knitting books but never more true here: in "Closely Knit," there's something for everyone - and something for everyone they know!

I bought this as a gift for my MIL, and then my own mother saw some of the projects in it and wanted one, too!
So we bought another. The book is split into sections of things to make for different family members. There is a beautiful women's sweater, and I love the embroidered socks. There is a really cool round pillow with braiding on the edges- what a neat detail. The baby clothes are precious. Truly, there is something for everyone in this book (and things you'd *want* to get as a gift, you know?)

I would rate this as one of the best knitting books I've seen. There are so many projects that I want to do- not just one or two. Thumbs up!

I wanted to love the book. The photography is wonderful, her instructions are clear. There was one thing that I really wanted to knit (the ruffled scarf). I learned the technique and frankly, the scarf looks much better in the photograph than it does in person. I frogged the project. The rest of the projects are not to my taste ... everything's a bit too gamine. This book got donated ...