New Knits on the Block: A Guide to Knitting What Kids Really Want [Paperback]

Vickie Howell (Author), Cory Ryan (Photographer)

Book Description

Vickie Howell--the popular host of DIY network's Knitty Gritty--plus a dozen contributing designers have stepped out of the box with 25 super-original, funky playtime projects that are as much fun for parents to knit as they are for children to receive.

Not another boring sweater! Vickie Howell, and her group of talented contributors, will make you the most popular parent on the block with the coolest projects for kids' stuff ever. These knits are gifts children will go nuts over, because they include a playful range of costumes and toys. Crafty moms and dads can create such enchanting items as a wizard's hat and princess crown; a super kid cape, mermaid dress up, pirate bath set, alien tooth fairy pillows, bowling ball and pins, and a tool set with pouch. Vickie includes estimations of how long each project will take to complete, along with tips for busy knitters and advice on special techniques, such as felting, tassel making, and edgings. Many of the designers have appeared on her show--but every item is a never-before-seen original.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Howell, who is the host of the TV show Knitty Gritty, offers a number of cool projects for kids. No traditional scarves or sweaters here. Instead, we have costumes (crowns, sorcerers' hats, princess dresses) as well as a guitar pillow, stuffed bowling ball and pins, a tooth-fairy pillow, and a jammie bag. Some of the projects are quite spectacular, especially the mermaid costume. But many are also difficult, with felting or chart work involved, a lot of effort for the end result in some cases. Howell gives an idea of how long each project will take by various amusing designations: a playdate, a weekend, or summer camp. The book is attractively presented, with lots of photos of cute kids, clear instructions, and breezy commentary. This definitely fills a niche in the crafts collection. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Vickie Howell, host of DIY TV's successful Knitty Gritty series, is set to begin a new show on the network, tentatively called Stylicious, about handmade, edgy fashion. In addition to owning her own vintage clothing business, she is a true star of the knitting world, having started Stitch 'n Bitch chapters in her native Los Angeles and in Austin, Texas, where she now lives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402720653
• ISBN-13: 978-1402720659
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #349,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Vickie Howell is a mother, self-taught designer, writer, spokesperson, viral marketing consultant and DIY Lifestyles expert with a focus on the Needle Arts and environmentally conscious crafting.

Vickie is most well-known as the Host and Creative Consultant of 8 seasons of DIY Network & HGTV's show, Knitty Gritty. She was also the co-host of DIY's Stylelicious, Lifetime Television's web series, CRAFTED, and several craft-based TV specials.

Vickie has been featured internationally in numerous televisions shows, radio broadcasts and publications including: NBC's The Today Show, BBC Radio Scotland, E! Entertainment's Singled Out, and Real Simple Magazine.

Vickie's designs and projects have been included in over 100 publications worldwide including her celebrity column for Knit.1 Magazine, the Eco-Craft column she wrote for 3 years for Kiwi Magazine, the 2009 Lands' End FeelGood Campaign (of which she was the spokesperson for), her blog column Craft Apparent for PBS Parents and weekly articles for iLovetoCreate.com. She's also Caron's Celebrity Spokesperson.

Vickie is the best-selling author of several craft books: the 2005 Craft Trends Award Finalist, New Knits on the Block: A Guide to Knitting What Kids Really Want (Oct. '05), Not Another Teen Knitting Book (June '06), Knit Aid: A Learn It, Fix It, Finish It Guide for the Stitcher on the Go (May '08), Pop Goes Crochet (May '09) and, AwareKnits: Knit & Crochet Projects for the Eco-Conscious Stitcher (Oct. '09), co-written with activist, Adrienne Armstrong.


The book behind Vickie's community-driven project, Craft Corps hits shelves in May '10. Until then, she's encouraging artists, crafters and creative types of all kinds to join "The Corps" by telling their stories through profiles on the Craft Corps website: http://www.craftcorps.org

All of Vickie's creative endeavors along with her husband Dave Campbell's movie news site, Smells Like Screen Spirit, are housed under their company Craft.Rock.Love Media, LLC. For more information on Vickie and all of her projects, go to: http://www.vickiehowell.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids (and knitters) will love this . . ., September 22, 2005

By 

Cat Bordhi (San Juan islands, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Knits on the Block: A Guide to Knitting What Kids Really Want (Paperback)

Vickie Howell hosts a knitting show (Knitty Gritty, on the DIY channel) that lives up to its promise of being "fierce, fresh, and fabulous," and so does her first book. I have to admire the editors who had the nerve to use a cover shot showing Vickie holding oversize needles draped with hopeless tangles of yarn - and a "what-me-worry?" grin on her face! Don't you worry either - inside you'll find clearly laid out instructions for some of the most winsome and winning children's gear you've ever seen. This new collection of accessories, hats, garments, and costumes for the young and the young-at-heart will make you gasp with delight.

I have two personal favorites which I would wear together were I still of trick-or-treating age, and call myself a sea-horse: designer Tinna Marrin's mermaid costume (which has to rank among the top five renditions of mermaid costumes ever designed by human hands - this one is elegant, convincing, and ever so mermaid-like, with the most life-like tail you can imagine, except that it makes you want to cuddle it) and the felted unicorn hat (not just a spiraling horn, but also two totally horse-like ears, all perfectly sculpted in felt), designed by Christina Benedetti.

Bev Galeskas designed the felted wizard and princess hats, sure to please the Harry Potter fans in your life. If you've ever wanted to try needle-felting, the book offers clear instructions as one method of applying stars to the wizard hat. I'm sure that when J.K. Rowling's seventh book comes out, there will be hundreds of these wizard hats topping the heads of young and not-so-young wizards in bookstore lines.

Vickie thinks out of the box - that's for sure - in this case the card box. She's designed a knitted version (backed in fabric) of the classic memory card game, offering a knitter who's never worked two-color knitting before a chance to try it on these small squares. She also offers a knitted, squishy bowling set which can be played harmlessly (and in theory anyway, silently, early Saturday morning while the parents are still asleep) in the house.

Lori Steinberg designed a pirate bath set which will make your little rascal walk the plank right into the foamy sea of the tub. It includes a friendly sponge-stuffed parrot, a Jolly Rogers washcloth, a fine hat, and best of all, a black eyepatch. You may need to design and knit a large shark to throw into the bath if your pruny little pirate refuses to get out.

Kids revel in fantasy play and nowadays have less and less time for it because of their busy schedules, TV, computers, and the academic demands that are put on them at a younger and younger age. The knitted things in this wonderful book (which I hope is the first of several) can change that for the child in your life. Let them watch the costume or plaything or garment come into being in your hands and on your needles, endowing the completed object with your love and a special enchantment to be carried into fantasy play. Some of the simpler pieces would be good starting points for a child who wants to learn to knit - casting the spell of knitting over them for a lifetime. I think this book lives up to its subtitle: "A guide to knitting what kids really want." Go for it!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great patterns, so-so yarn choices, February 19, 2006

By 

P. Walsh (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New Knits on the Block: A Guide to Knitting What Kids Really Want (Paperback)

First, let me say that I love the patterns in this book. My kids made a list with me of the ones they wanted and it amounted to at least half the book. This book will keep me busy for a long time. I've already started swatching for my first project. I've carefully read through several of the patterns and I think they'll be easy to follow.

Second, I think it's only fair to warn knitters who like to follow patterns exactly or who don't have kids to two (very small) problems with the yarn choices. As much as we all prefer to knit with wool yarns, the yarn choices tend to be relatively expensive and/or not washable. If you have kids, you know you like your stuff to be washable. If you're on a budget, you know you like to have a less-expensive option. It's time-consuming to find and swatch a cheaper yarn, and Ms. Howell could have made her book even cooler by including a "cheap mama" option for some of the pricier yarns (yes, I think $11 per ball for something that I'll need 5 or more balls for is expensive). It would save the cheap among us some time. Since the cheaper yearns tend to have some acrylic in them they are often easier in the washability department as well. Yes, they aren't as nice as the 100% wool yarns, but if you're gonna spend weeks working on something that your kid is just going to dump pasta sauce on, you want to be able to wash it.

So, if you're scared to substitute yarns, find a friend who will help you instead of being scared off. You'll learn a lot and the kids in your life will love you for all the cool stuff you can make them.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In a word....RAD, October 22, 2005

By 

Christine R "Knitter and mama extraordinaire" (Austin,TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Knits on the Block: A Guide to Knitting What Kids Really Want (Paperback)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. Not only do I know my two year old will like the swamp thing monster hat (and hopefully keep it on), but my husband wants a Jolly Rodgers washcloth! And both of them want super kid capes (or in my husband's case a super Dad cape). There are so many fun and fantastic patterns I can't decide which to make first! I also like that there are plenty of patterns for boys and girls. While I only have boys in my house, there are girl cousins, neighbors etc that I can make those patterns for. All around it is a well written book with easy to follow directions. I look forward to Vickie's next book!