Handknits for Kids: 25 Original Designs for Girls and Boys [Hardcover]

Lucinda Guy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2005

Designer Lucinda Guy presents 25 fantastic hand-knitted designs for girls and boys, ages two to five, with something to knit for every season.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This vibrant collection is filled with knitted items the children in your life will love to wear and use. These designs are all about brilliant color and fun-filled styling, and there are garments, accessories, blankets, and toys for every season of the year. From sweaters, dresses, and jackets, and scarves, mittens, and hats, to blankets and toy animals, all the designs are suitable for the average knitter—and the above-average knitter, of course! A fabulous, must-have collection for all who knit for kids.

A Crafter's Choice Book Club Selection

About the Author

Children's knitwear designer Lucinda Guy's most recent book is Kids Learn to Knit.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570763100
• ISBN-13: 978-1570763106
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #948,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than five stars!, May 16, 2006

By 

Katherine Maddox "katebeth" (Littleton, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handknits for Kids: 25 Original Designs for Girls and Boys (Hardcover)

This is by far the best children's knitting book I've seen in a long time. My three-year-old son wants every boy's sweater in the book and trust me, he's never taken an interest in my knitting before. And why wouldn't he want them when one sweater has a dinosaur, one a truck, and the other a dog? And the little girl sweaters are equally wonderful (the dress on the cover is actually my least favorite).

There are just the three boy sweaters in this book, although there are also a couple of hats and a scarf. There are four girl sweaters (well, one is a dress and one is sort of a coat), three hats, a scarf, and a purse.

Besides the patterns being so original and fantastic, there is something especially thoughtful about this book. The patterns are grouped by season, and each season calls for only one type of Rowan yarn (wool cotton, cotton glace, 4ply soft, or kid classic). Since there is a LOT of colorwork in this book, the little bits of color left over from one sweater can be used up in another, or in making an accessory (like a sweet little flower posy pin), or in toy (there's a dog, a mouse, a cat, and a very funky bird). When you buy a bunch of colors for some intarsia, it's nice to have a project ready made to use up the left over yarn.

Honestly, I want to make everything in this book (except the four blankets - I'm just not in to blankets). And how often does that happen?

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very clever book, great patterns, May 5, 2006

By 

A mom from Atlanta... (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handknits for Kids: 25 Original Designs for Girls and Boys (Hardcover)

I was convinced I wasn't going to buy this book (add yet ANOTHER children's knitting pattern book to my library??). Well, I was wrong. This book grabs you on the first page. The art work is a treat, and seeing the sweaters, etc. on the whimsical characters is actually very charming.
Now to the patterns: The designs are unique and playful - not babyish. I found no errors and the patterns were very concise and easy to follow. Great book for knitted gifts. I'm eager to see her new book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable handknits, July 21, 2007

By 

Linda Bulger (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handknits for Kids: 25 Original Designs for Girls and Boys (Hardcover)

This sweet book delighted me at first glance in December 2005, so I put it on my "Santa list." The next day I went back to the shop and bought it for myself -- Santa's usually good to me but why take chances? I'm cautious about books featuring a specific brand of yarn but Rowan's so luscious and children's knits use smaller amounts, so it seemed worth using the real thing.

I chose the Wildflower Sweater for my 2006 Knitting Olympics entry and enjoyed every second of the project. Nine months later I had the pleasure of seeing my granddaughter dig deep to find her pretty "flower jersey" and pull it on over her pajamas on a cool Australian autumn morning. Priceless!

I'd happily knit anything in this book -- the plump, abstract little animals, the gorgeous blankets, the hats and bags, dresses and pullovers. My only reservation is the crocheted picot edgings, which are perfect finishing touches but challenging for me since the crochet hook is not my friend. It's a skill worth cultivating, however, and this book is great motivation. I found all the instructions clear and fault-free.

Lucinda Guy's inspired designs are a pleasure for the knitter and a treat for the lucky little recipient.