Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions [Hardcover]

Melanie Falick (Author), Kristin Nicholas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

In Knitting for Baby, knitters at all levels will find everything they need to create handmade expressions of love for those special babies in their lives. Master hand-knitting designer Kristin Nicholas and best-selling author Melanie Falick offer 25 fresh, irresistible designs sized for infants to two-year-olds, complete with step-by-step instructions and illustrations. From booties and blankets to toys and sweaters, the exquisite projects showcase contemporary colors and luscious natural fibers that are as soft as a baby's skin.

Each of the patterns is clearly written and thoroughly tested and is accompanied by beautiful, hand-painted illustrations of the skills required, from casting on the first stitch to color work, cables, and finishing details. Engaging color photographs by acclaimed baby photographer Ross Whitaker show the finished garments and accessories being worn and enjoyed by a charming cast of babies being their naturally delightful selves.

-- Available for Mother's Day

-- Authors have more than 25 years' experience in the knitting industry and have published four books on knitting with combined sales of 200,000 copies

-- Knitting is on the rise, especially among young women: An estimated 38 million American women knit or crochet

-- The patterns, straightforward and accompanied by how-to illustrations, are for beginning as well as advanced knitters

-- Features fresh, up-to-date designs and contemporary colors

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With a knitting renaissance well underway in the United States, many books targeted to beginners are hitting the market. Although Falick (Knitting in America), editor of Interweave Knits magazine, and prolific knitwear designer Nicholas (Knitting Today's Classics) here offer a pattern book of 25 knitwear designs for infants to two year olds, theirs is also one of the best books a public librarian could recommend for the novice knitter. It covers in detail every aspect of knitting that could possibly interest a new knitter: casting on, knitting, purling, shaping, color knitting, circular knitting, cables, binding off, and finishing. The projects, which include colorful stitch-sampler baby blocks and felted balls, as well as larger projects like sweaters, blankets, and a felted diaper bag, are presented roughly in order of difficulty. Instructions are complete, illustrations abound, and each project is illustrated in full-color photos by well-known baby photographer Ross Whitaker. For all knitting collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Melanie Falick, publishing director of STC Craft, is the author of Weekend Knitting, Handknit Holidays, and Knit: A Personal Handbook, (all STC), plus Kids Knitting and Knitting in America—with more than 400,000 books in print. She lives in Dutchess County, NY.

Kristin Nicholas is the author of Kids’ Embroidery (STC), as well as Knitting Today’s Classics, Knitting the New Classics, and Colorful Stitchery. She was named one of Vogue Knitting’s master knitters of the 1990s and is one of the foremost hand-knitting designers and colorists in the country. For 16 years, Nicholas was the creative director of Classic Elite Yarns. She lives on a sheep farm in western Massachusetts with her husband and daughter.

Ross Whitaker has specialized in photographing children for 17 years. His work regularly appears in national advertising campaigns and editorial publications. He maintains a studio in New York City.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584790873
• ISBN-13: 978-1584790877
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book got me addicted to knitting, March 4, 2005

By 

R. Spaulding (Providence, RI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions (Hardcover)

Every project in this book is attractive, tasteful, and adorable! (Well, almost -- I don't love that weird half sweater dress thing toward the end.) I have completed several of them already and can't wait to do others. So many knitting patterns are tacky and overly busy, but not so in this book.

If you are a beginner and want progressively more challenging projects that are clearly explained, this is a great book. The instructions are clear and if you were to complete the patterns in this book in order, you would emerge a very capable, skilled knitter! It starts with very basic knitted rectangles, adds purling, then shaping, then multi-color (instartia and stranded), then cables, then felting...it has a little bit of everying! Also, because these are baby projects (that is, quite small), you finish quickly and can move on to the next thing.

This is my favorite book in my knitting library.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the BEST knitting for baby books available - for beginners and intermediate beginners, January 3, 2006

By 

Becca "Be Happy: Knit!" (Western, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions (Hardcover)

I work in a baby and kids, only, yarn shop. And, let me tell you, I LOVE this book for customers and students. For the advanced student, there's only a few projects in there that really challenge the knitter, but they are some of the greatest patterns out there!!! (For instance, babies go ga-ga, literally, over the felted balls. I keep some in the store for the babes to play with, and many of the little ones barely let them go. Customers tell me this is true for the balls that they've made for their own children. ALSO - that little aran is one of the best patterns out there, in my opinion. It's accessible - I taught a customer how to read and understand cable patterns using this pattern as the guide.)
As for beginners, this book is fantastic. Because I deal with a lot of moms and grandmoms, I've had many students learn to knit directly from this book, and then to continue to use the book as a reference source, and for continually challenging patterns.
I won't hide my adoration for Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas. In my opinion and experience, they are 2 of the most understandable and creative women out there in the textile arts publishing business. Melanie for her editting skills (she brings together some greeat designers) and her writing skills (great at clarifying things and making them fun to read). And, Kristin is a fabulous illustrator. Between this book and KIDS KNITTING, I have taught dozens of people how to knit, how to increase their skills, and then sent them off with a reference book I feel confident in; Kristin's images are easy to read and her patterns are cute and fun!!

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Knitting Book I Use The Most, July 23, 2005

By 

Anne (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions (Hardcover)

I have had this book for a few years and whenever I hear that a friend is pregnant I pick it up and choose a project for the new 'addition'. This book is great because it gives good instructions for beginners, starting with basic stitches, then keeps adding on with more advanced techniques. I feel that you could use this book as a beginner and learn most everything you need just by progressing through, from casting on an knit/purl to cables and felting. The best part is that all of the projects are very cute and doable. These are things you actually want to complete (unlike my first ever knitting project, a dumb old washcloth, which I did so I could learn the basics, all the while feeling like I was wasting my time).

The only negative about the book (and this is only a negative if you are a more advanced knitter) is that the patterns are too wordy! It would be nice if they kept the wordy part for those who like specific, conversational instruction but also had a 'quick' version of the pattern, showing just the stitches, so it wouldn't be so tedious for more advanced knitters to get through the instructions. That said, I would recommend this book above all others for beginners.