Kids Can Knit: Fun and Easy Projects for Small Knitters [Paperback]

Carolyn Clewer (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Today, an ancient and venerable hobby is gaining popularity among kids. It's the craft of knitting! These days, our youngest knitters are discovering that they can do it anywhere, and make everything from handbags and belts to scarves, hats, sweaters, bracelets, and fun toys. Starting with simple finger knitting, the author goes on to instruct on how to use straight and circular needles as kids master a variety of different stitches. Clear, full-color, step-by-step line art is supplemented with color photos of finished pieces. Kids will also find information on knitting materials and equipment along with methods for knitting different shapes. The author gives directions for completing sixteen projects, including a funny-face drawstring bag, a super-size name scarf, a matching head scarf and belt, dolls with floppy arms and legs, a plaid poncho, and even a cozy mohair-and-wool sweater. Here's the latest, greatest kids' craze--and here's an easy and fun way to start knitting.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8--This clearly written book begins by discussing types of yarn, needles, and other knitting equipment. The author explains the basic techniques of finger knitting and spool knitting, casting on, knit and purl stitches, combining stitches to create patterns, increasing and decreasing, binding off, and picking up dropped stitches. Instructions on how to make pompoms, fringes, and braiding are also provided. The 16 eye-catching projects are arranged in an orderly progression of difficulty and include friendship bracelets, a large scarf, a Peruvian pompom hat, and a mohair sweater. One activity involves creating yarn from rags, plastic, or nylon, followed by instructions for making a rag rug and bag. Though the typeface is small, the step-by-step directions are easy to follow. The materials lists give measurements in both English and metric systems. Full-color photos of boys and girls knitting as well as holding or wearing the finished products appear throughout. Advice about what to do when things go wrong, how to care for and store knits, and how to read patterns and decipher abbreviations is also included. This useful and attractive resource is appropriate for a younger audience than Melanie Falick's Kids Knitting (Artisan, 2003), is more visually appealing than Peg Blanchette's Kids' Easy Knitting Projects (Williamson, 2000), and can supplement Judy Ann Sadler's Knitting (Kids Can, 2002).--Diane Olivo-Posner, Long Beach Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-7. Knitting is not just for adults. This inviting compendium gets kids started with the simplest of techniques--knitting on a wooden spool--before moving to projects that use needles and the garter stitch. More difficult projects in stockinette stitch follow, and the book does a fine job of incorporating new techniques as each project becomes more difficult. Clewer shows readers how to get really creative at the end of the book, demonstrating how they can use rags, unraveled yarn, and even old videotape for knitting. The instructions and illustrations make getting started easy, although it's doubtful that children can learn to knit from a book alone. Still, any kid who understands the basics will find enticing projects here, from belts and scarves to clutch bags, ponchos, and hats. Readers will be enticed by the book's attractive format--clear, crisp photographs featuring both boys and girls are set against bright shapes and colors. Great for a new generation of knitters. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 1 edition (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764127187
• ISBN-13: 978-0764127182
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great introduction to knitting!, March 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Kids Can Knit: Fun and Easy Projects for Small Knitters (Paperback)

This book covers the basics, and takes kids far beyond the ordinary. Projects include flower pins, a kerchief and belt, knitting with rags, and even videotape! My daughter is definitely interested in several of the projects, and they've given me ideas for several projects of my own.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of options and fun projects, February 9, 2008

By 

JoAnne Zoller Wagner "knitting teacher" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kids Can Knit: Fun and Easy Projects for Small Knitters (Paperback)

Kids Can Knit! has a lot of strengths to recommend it:

1. It's got huge illustrations of the cast on, knit and purl techniques. You couldn't miss what's going on.

2. Nearly all the projects are small things that kids would enjoy making--friendship bands and chokers, flowers for adding style to your clothes, "floppy dollies," a Peruvian Pom Pom hat, and a mohair sweater. My favorite project in the book is the Desert Island belt and scarf, stylish and hip with beads. I know some girls who would love to make that set!

3. Finger knitting and spool knitting are both included, in addition to two-needle knitting.

4. The author gives options whenever possible--how to hold your needle, which hand to hold your yarn in, two ways to increase, two ways to decrease, two ways to cast on (simple and cable). That makes the kids aware that there's more than one way to do things, and they can choose.

5. The author even explains ways to make your own yarn from rags, plastic bags, and various kinds of string, wire, and ribbon. Some kids would enjoy that.

6. Two of the "big" projects in the book--a sweater, and a scarf, use super large needles and super bulky yarn--a really good idea for kids who knit.

I only have a few quarrels with the book. One is the miniature knitting required to knit miniature pins (the kind you wear). The kids would have to knit on super small skewers--very short, and narrow diameter. I would think this would be too difficult for beginners, though it is included early in the book. I would like to try making the pins myself, but I would be careful about introducing the project with beginners.

And I have found that the "simple cast-on" (made with the left thumb) does not work well with the kids I've taught. Though the casting-on is simple, knitting the first row is devilishly difficult. I don't recommend beginning with that cast on for kids--or adults, for that matter.

If I were Clewer's editor, I would ask her to ditch the poncho project. It's a full poncho knit on size 6 and 4 needles. I don't know one kid who would ever finish it.

Finally, the projects are mostly girly girl projects. Not much there for boys. There's a boy pictured with a knitted "silly sausage," and a few other boys pictured throughout, but most boys wouldn't be caught dead with the other projects.

All in all, I plan to buy a copy of Kids Can Knit because the projects are so kid-friendly and imaginative. I can live with the rest.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Kids and Adults, February 17, 2006

By 

N. R. Johns (Oak Hill, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kids Can Knit: Fun and Easy Projects for Small Knitters (Paperback)

Clear step-by-step photos and instructions. The book is colorful and easy to read. The projects are creative. We like it so much, I decided to learn how to knit with my daughter!