Interweave Presents Knitted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make and Give [Paperback]

Ann Budd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2009

Offering more than 30 projects for any occasion—birthday, anniversary, thank-you, get well, bon voyage, new baby, Christmas, and more—this collection focuses on small knitting projects that can be completed in a relatively short period of time. The classic to contemporary projects are from a variety of top knitwear designers, including Nancy Bush, Mags Kandis, Pam Allen, Véronik Avery, Chrissy Gardiner, Marta McCall, Kathy Merrick, and Kristin Nicholas. Sample projects include garments and accessories for the entire family, gifts for four-legged friends, and items for the home, ranging from beautiful hats, bags, scarves, socks, mittens, and gloves to unique gifts such as a felted oven mitt, napkin rings, baby blocks, a hobby horse, a catnip mouse, a car seat–friendly baby bunting, and floral ballet shoes. With detailed instructions and helpful photos, these projects are perfect for knitters looking for small projects to keep or give away.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Thirty-seven patterns. That's huge! And—I can't remember the last time I said this—there's not a loser in the bunch. It's the outside-the-box touches like these that make me appreciate these designs." — KnittingScholar.com

"It's the first knitted gift book to catch my eye in a long time. These projects are classy...they may be whimsical when appropriate, but they're often also subdued and elegant, practical and pretty. They'll stand up tall against any store-bought gift, fitting examples of the full potential of knitted gifts. And best of all, the projects are as knittable as they are attractive. The patterns are well-edited and easy to follow, the photography shows you quite clearly what you're doing, the layout is inviting, and the overall execution is clean and flawless." — Knitter's Review

"Irresistible...There's something here for just about every recipient, knitters of every skill level and projects that need to be completed in every time frame." — About.com Guide to Knitting

"The expected array of outerwear, socks and home decor is all here, but it's the unexpected touches that stand out." — Yarn Market News

"I actually gushed over this book. These patterns are perfect for the woman, man, child, or baby in everyone's lives...A pattern to match virtually every gift-giving opportunity." — KnitPurlGurl.com

"Budd has taken the lesson 'It is better to give than to receive' and done something about it. She has compiled a book of knitting patterns that are irresistible to make and give." — Bangor Daily News

"Quick gratification with stylish, unique projects that run the gamut from simple (scarves) to more advanced (rugs)." — American-Statesman

"5 out of 5 stars. Unusual and inspired knitted gifts for all occasions. I think it should be very popular." — Knitting News

About the Author

Ann Budd is the best-selling author of The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns and The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. She is also the author of Getting Started Knitting Socks, Interweave Presents Knitted Gifts, Knitting Green, and Simple Style, and coauthor of Bag Style, Color Style, Lace Style, and Wrap Style. She is a book editor and the former senior editor of Interweave Knits magazine. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Interweave Press (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596680911
• ISBN-13: 978-1596680913
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann Budd is a book editor and the former senior editor of Interweave Knits magazine. She is the author of Best of Interweave Knits, Getting Started Knitting Socks, The Knitter's Handy Book series, Simple Style, Interweave Presents Knitted Gifts, Knitting Green, and a coauthor of Bag Style, Color Style, Lace Style, and Wrap Style, all published by Interweave Press. Ann lives in Boulder, Colorado. Visit her website and blog at www.annbuddknits.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a Necessity for Your Knitting Library, July 18, 2009

By 

Bonnie Brody "Book Lover and Knitter" (Port St. Lucie, FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interweave Presents Knitted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make and Give (Paperback)

This is a book of little gifts, only a few I'd really want to knit as a gift myself. There are thin scarves, felted pot holders, hats, mittens and even a hobby horse. There is a cute baby bunting but it has a zipper on the bottom. I don't like adding zippers to my finished projects. There are some lovely sock patterns and a nice pattern for a folded tweed bag.

Some of the gifts are just plain silly such as the 'wool lint juggling balls' , the 'texter gloves' (for people who IM a lot) and the 'felted mohair scarves' (which look like moths have eaten them). The other patterns, or very similar ones, can be found in my other knitting books. Besides, and this is a pet peeve, this book uses charts and I am not a fan of charts.

I ask myself the same three questions that I do every time I buy a knitting book:

Will I knit any of the patterns? The answer is 'maybe'.
Are the patterns easy to follow. The answer is 'no'.
Will I use this book as a resource. The answer is 'no'.

This is the kind of book for someone who does not have many knitting books in their library and needs to come up with an idea for a knitted gift. Except for the scarf and felted pot holders, most of the gifts take a long time to make. I'm not saying that the gifts are not nice; it's just that, except for the hobby horse, none of them are really unique enough for me to want to invest in this book. I am usually a fan of books put out by Interweave Press but this is not one that is special.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knitted Gifts makes giving simple and fun, July 23, 2009

By 

Bonnie Iris (Boulder, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interweave Presents Knitted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make and Give (Paperback)

This is a delightful book, filled with 37 different projects -- something here for pretty much everyone on a gift list. Some items make excellent house gifts (such as the coffee clutch, napkin rings, bottle sleeve, felted hot pads, coasters, oven mitts, candle cozy, pillow covers). Others are for women, including scarves and a lacy vest(lace is my major interest now), a felted bag, a catnip mouse for that much-beloved pet, several baby items -- blankets, sweaters, bunting, that above-mentioned hobby horse, and a set of alphabet blocks. I can hardly wait to make the ballet slippers with their beautiful floral toes for myself plus a pair of fresco patterned leg warmers, and I also look forward to making socks, scarves, and mittens for several good friends. Fortunately there's plenty of time to begin these projects for the most special people on my holiday gift list.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FUN, FUN, FUN., September 20, 2009

By 

Sandra H. Elston "Sugar" (Spokane, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interweave Presents Knitted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make and Give (Paperback)

This book delivered just what it promised.Fun to knit and to give gifts. I Knitted "Herringbone Scarf" using a very soft Merino wool and have two neighbors who want one also (even same color). I used a beautiful fuschia RY Cashsoft DK yarn. Was extremely easy. Completed it in one sitting. I just found the perfect yarn (in my stash) for the "cable and twist" pillow. All of the projects are beautiful and directions are very precise. What a perfect way to finally make a dent in my "stash". This book is truly A KEEPER..