Essential Baby: Over 20 Handknits to Take Your Baby from First Days to First Steps [Hardcover]

Debbie Bliss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

A complete knitwear collection for every new baby, this guide includes 20 must-have designs for babies ranging in age from zero to 18 months. Divided into three main sections—Coming Home, On the Go, and Downtime—the author has carefully considered the needs of any new parent and devised an assortment of essential projects for their newborn.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Presenting twenty-four patterns, Bliss offers some usual suspects—but knits up some surprises too. Stash this tome for your next baby boom."  —Vogue Knitting

 

 

About the Author

Debbie Bliss is one of the foremost designers of hand knits. She is the author of Debbie Bliss Home, Junior Knits, Simply Baby, and Special Knits.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books; First Edition edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570763682
• ISBN-13: 978-1570763687
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 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

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars over simplistic and derivative, November 10, 2007

By 

nybiblio - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Baby: Over 20 Handknits to Take Your Baby from First Days to First Steps (Hardcover)

This is a disappointing book. On the positive side, the first portion of the book is dedicated to teaching knitting, from casting on to instructions on reading patterns. The explanations and accompanying graphics would be helpful to a complete newbie. However, all this information is available for free on knitting help websites and they have video.

The patterns are nice, but nothing spectacular nor even very creative. Garnstudio has a website which provides hundreds of free patterns for knitted baby items. You can find every one of the the 22 items in the book at that website or other sites, such as Knitty.

The photography for this book is quite lovely, but focuses on the baby rather than the project. The babies are adorable, but this is a book about knitting for babies, not babies in knits. Thus, we never see one blanket in it's entirety, just the bits which are visible while it is wrapped around the baby. The lace pattern on that blanket is given as text, with no accompanying chart.

Also, as with all knitting writers these day, Debbie Bliss has her own yarn line, so all the patterns call for her yarn, with no suggestions for substituting.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Debbie Bliss Does It Again, October 10, 2007

By 

Caroline (New Jersey, Vermont USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Baby: Over 20 Handknits to Take Your Baby from First Days to First Steps (Hardcover)

Pure heirloom but easy to knit, not the usual run of the mill type of creation that most babies are wearing. Debbie Bliss really does rock as usual.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!!, June 11, 2010

By 

Amber S (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Baby: Over 20 Handknits to Take Your Baby from First Days to First Steps (Hardcover)

I love the patterns in this book! I took it out from the library originally and found myself renewing is way to much, decided to finally buy it. The patterns are easy to follow(as long as you are experienced at reading them) and offered many size options. I seem to have a lot of people around me having babies right now including myself and a homemade sweater is just a really great gift. Most of the sweater patterns can be used for boy or girl with yarn color choices. I have been very happy with this purchase, I have not used so many of the patterns from other books in the past. It was good to find one that I have made so may things from.