Knitted Animals (Education S.) [Hardcover]

Anne-Dorthe Grigaff (Author), Bjarni B. Jacobsen (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Education S. | Publication Date: November 2006

This enchanting book provides instructions for making more than twenty different knitted animals, including a mother duck and ducklings; a family of rooster, hen, and chicks; a shaggy brown bear; lambs; teddy bears; cat and kittens; dog; squirrel; goose; rabbit; horse; fox; pig and piglets; hedgehog; and mice. These projects are suitable for anyone with basic knitting skills, even children and beginning knitters.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anne-Dorthe Grigaff is a Waldorf teacher in Denmark. She has a passionate interest in handcraft work.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 60 pages
• Publisher: Hawthorne Press (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903458684
• ISBN-13: 978-1903458686
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #370,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so cute i just might pass out, February 25, 2007

By 

J. kingman (new england) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Knitted Animals (Education S.) (Hardcover)

i had hesitated at spending $30 on a book that i could not see. when i received it i knew it was money well-spent.

the 17 patterns of adorable animals (in various small sizes perfect for holding in one's hand and tucking in one's pockets) are so very precious and heartwarming that its hard not to melt before you reach for your needles.

the book is well written with clear directions, drawings, and photos. the author encourages the use of natural fibers like mohair and angora. the patterns require very basic knitting skills - garter, stocking, increase, decrease, pick up 1 stitch. the needle sizes used are from 2-7 (u.s.)

there are cute verses introducing most of the critters. this is my favorite, for the very appropriately named 'cuddly bunny': "Warning! if you begin knitting this toy, you must count on being surrounded by children with a hopeful look in their eyes." this book will give you a case of the giggles.

what i love the best is how these critters are so unique in design. these are not the run-of-the-mill animal patterns that we've all seen over and over again. foxes, chicks, ducks, bears, cats, daschound, bunnies, piglets, horses, and more.--even a little hedgehog! these are very special knitted animals indeed.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a sweet sweet book, February 8, 2007

By 

waldorf_curric - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Knitted Animals (Education S.) (Hardcover)

The newest in my collection is a lovely little book called Knitted Animals by Anne-Dorthe Grigaff. This book includes patterns for duck & ducklings, growly bear, sheep/lamb, teddy bear, cat, dog, squirrel, goose, hare, horse, bunny, chicks, hens, cockerel, fox, pig, piglets, dachshund, hedgehog, and mouse. The bear, squirrel, fox, and hedgehog are the most unusual patterns and make this book worth getting if you need these characters to bring a story to life (I immediately thought about The Tomten and the Fox by Astrid Lindgren).

I really love the tone of this book. It is very warmly written (for example, patterns are titled "Cuddly cheeky dogs" or "Clip, clop, watch the jumping horse") and extremely detailed about how to assemble the projects (often the hardest part). This would be a good book for a parent with a young child, if you want to gently introduce them to the Waldorf philosophy, or as a gift for a 7 or 8 year old who you are teaching to knit. It also contains a handwork verse

Train your hands
Make busy your arms
Practice the clear power of thought
With the warm-heartedness of art
In your hand sleeps the spirit

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pricey but very nice, March 28, 2007

By 

fiber farmer (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Knitted Animals (Education S.) (Hardcover)

I just got this book two days ago and I've already made the hen, rooster and chicks--yes, they are that simple! I really like the simplicity of the patterns as they lend themselves to adaptation by the knitter to make almost anything the imagination can dream up. Indeed, as the author is a teacher at a Waldorf school, she encourages children to learn to knit and to use these simple patterns themselves.

Increase the gauge and size of yarn and the patterns could be easily felted in the washing machine to create even more sturdy little figures. The size of the finished animals is just right for a child's hands. They're absolutely perfect! I love the fact that the author uses and suggests the use of natural fibers for her projects. I find it absolutely endearing to read that the materials list calls for, "duck colored yarn", "goose colored yarn" and "hairy yarn." With directions like that, the sky's the limit for the knitter's imagination. Such a nice contrast to the typical directions that call for a specific color of a specific brand of designer yarn that may or may not be available by day's end.

Finally, small projects like this are valuable in teaching the new or frustrated knitter to do that finishing work that so many of us detest. These little projects provide a wonderful opportunity for learning to sew invisible seams and create crisp corners.

My only complaint about this book is the price. I've never paid nearly $30 for a knitting book without seeing it first, but this one caught my fancy--what can I say, I'm addicted. Even at the high price, I think this little gem will pay for itself in short order and I'll certainly not return it. Excellent resource as those grandchildren begin to appear in the future!