Customer Reviews

Simple Knits for Cherished Babies

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I agree with the reviewer who says this is a beautiful book but the patterns have not been adequately checked. I'm a good knitter, with dozens of sweaters to my credit. If I think it's not right, then it isn't.

The patterns couldn't be more darling. There are several bootie patterns, two blankets, and host of sweaters, from the challenging raglan to the simple garter stitch. All sweaters are for sizes up 1 yr. All call for Debbie Bliss yarns, but substituting is fairly easy since the gauges are given, mostly over stockinette.

The bad news is that the patterns are oddly and inconsistently written. The sweater I just knit is a cardigan with garter stitch edges lined with ribbon trim. The sweater is knit in the usual way -- back, 2 fronts, 2 sleeves, neckband knit on. For the second front, they don't say something economical, such as "work same as left front, reversing all shaping." They repeat and reverse all the instructions. Leaves you wondering what's different. But then for the sleeves, the directions are just plain strange. On most sweaters, the sleeve shaping follows the armhole shaping; on this one, it's different. Since I followed the armhole shapping method, which worked fine, I couldn't tell you whether the pattern would work as written. Second, the instructions simply say to increase one stitch each end every six rows until the sleeve measures 6.5 inches. They never tell you how many stiches you should have when you're done!

Net net -- if you're a confident knitter and you can fix the patterns, buy this book. Otherwise, stay away.

I bought this book because of all the wonderful reviews everyone gave it. The book does have beautiful pictures, and the projects look great.

Unfortunately, the instructions are somewhat incomplete and poorly edited, and some techniques (e.g. decreasing by knitting through the back of the loops) need more than a description in the back of the book. Also, the number of stitches are sometimes incorrect. One pattern omitted instructions to bind off in one section, so I had live stitches on the needle and wasn't sure if I should bind off or put them on a safety pin. In another section, the instructions didn't explicitly say to bind off in rib stitch.

I made one of the sweaters for age 6-9 months. The sweater turned out to have a very short torso (9 inches, per the pattern) and long, skinny arms (12+ inches). My husband commented that it looked like our 2-month-old baby could already wear it. She could barely fit into it. (There was plenty of arm length, though.)

A much, much better book is Melanie Falick's Knitting for Baby. The instructions are extremely clear (and they work). I also recommend the knitting books by Debbie Bliss.

There are so many great patterns in this book, and the photography is amazing. I started with one of the bootie patterns which proved quite challenging. There was no schematic or photo of the work in progress, so understanding the pattern was difficult. I wish there was a little more detail in some of the patterns, especially on the finishing. But the projects I've made are just adorable. I don't think this would be a great book for the beginner.

I highly recommend that if you are a novice knitter DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES purchase this book. You will only end up frustrated and there are so many other quality knitting books out there that you could spend your money on.

On a positive note! The knitted items in the book are exquisite! The photography and the way that they show the unfinished pieces is simply brilliant!

Thank goodness the photographs are done so superbly because you are going to need all of the pictures that you can get to complete any of the patterns. I've been knitting for a long time and if it hadn't been for the photos I would have never been able to figure out the patterns. Listen to all of the people here the patterns are flat out WRONG!!

For instance I started with the booties that are shown on the cover very clearly the instructions say to increase each alternative row IF you do this be fully prepared to undo all of your work because it should say each row. Again, were it not for spectacular and far above average photographs of the unfinished pieces I would have never figured it out.

It is truly such a pity that the company published the book; it's patterns like these that make people think that knitting is to difficult and causes them to give it up entirely.

I have to disagree with some of the other reviewers. This is a gorgeous book, the photos are beautiful, the yarns used are high quality and yet affordable, and the directions are simple.

I have knit eight of the patterns. I have yet to have a mistake that was not of my own making. Even though I am more of an intermediate knitter, this book is just the thing for a quick project for a gift, or even for your own baby!

Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino Dk weight is a perfect substitute for the Jaeger cashmere, if you can't find it at your local yarn store. Plymouth's baby alpaca does nicely for the teddy bear. I used La Luz spun silk for the garter stitch slippers, and they turned out beautifully. The booties are soft and gorgeous when done in Lorna's Laces Angel (an angora/lambswool blend). I also used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Socks yarn for the Mabel dress. I found the hand dyed yarn to give a gorgeous colorway, and the superwash wool to be extra handy for those times when baby spits all over her dress!

My reccommendations for this book are as follows: Make a gauge swatch. Read the pattern BEFORE you start to knit. Make sure you have checked the sizing charts at the end of the book, and remember that what would have fit my sister Sarah at birth (all nine pounds of her), wouldn't have fit sister Ellen (barely six pounds). Make two sizes if you're unsure, you'll find SOME baby to wear them!

Also, remember, it's just knitting, so don't be fearful to branch out! If you have to pull your stitches out, no one has to know!

While I love the book and think that the patterns are beautiful, one of the ones that I have sat down to actually knit required some modifications. Perhaps something got lost in the translation? Knitting terms do vary between the US and England. I had one big issue and one small issue:

1) When knitting the silk booties, I had to keep ripping out my yarn, because the book gives instructions to increase at the end of each alternate row for the sole. Now, to me, "alternate" row means "every other", and following those instructions meant that the sole was becoming VERY large, with increases only at one end. In the picture, it is clear that the sole is relatively narrow, with increases at both ends. When I took it all out and increased at the end of each row, my knitting matched the picture.

2) When knitting a couple of the projects (silk booties, garter stitch wrap top) that give instructions about the number of rows to knit, I originally thought that the instructions were wrong and gave double the needed rows. Turns out that I am just not used to doing a lot of garter stitch knitting, and counted the rows incorrectly. My mistake!

I would recommend this book for knitters who have the experience and confidence to modify patterns as needed, whether it is to match pictures in the book or fit babies that you know. The projects really are very charming!

Sumptuous photography, and wonderful easy projects. If you don't know of a baby to knit for you'll find one!! I can't stop doing all of the projects - and I'm only a beginner. This is one of the best baby knit books out there - and I've looked through lots!

The beautiful photographs in this book caught my eye while I was in the library. What could go wrong with a baby blanket, I thought. I'm not sure how an earlier reader finished the personalized baby blanket without problems, but I've only just finished my first ball of yarn and I can see "trouble." I have no idea how the author believes that only six balls of 50g yarn will complete a 29" x 36" blanket. I can tell I will need at least nine balls of yarn to finish this project. I am using the exact same yarn as recommended (Rowan All Seasons Cotton, which is truly lovely yarn to work with), and my gauge is dead-on, too. I thought I was doing something utterly wrong until I read some of the reviews here. I can understand a [tight] knitter always using an extra ball of yarn, but for an author to publish a pattern that is off by 50% is just plain irresponsible.

I am an experienced knitter, who was drawn to the gorgeous photos of this book. I liked the idea of very simple designs that were also beautiful and could be accomplished by novice knitters. I am very glad I attempted one of the patterns before I had given this as a gift to a new knitter. The errors and ommissions in the pattern for the chunky knit cardigan were outrageous. How they could make so many mistakes in so simple a pattern is nothing short of amazing. As it stands, this book is garbage and should be reissued with corrections and apologies.

My sister in law is having a baby and therefore I wanted to knit the baby some special things. Browsing through the kajillions of baby books out there and this one drew me in automatically. Like so many others have written the pictures were beautiful, clean looking and classic. Anyone would be proud to give these items as a gift.
I so far have made the booties, beanie cap and currently working on the teddy bear. I am an Adventurous Beginner (i love to knit socks), and needed jus a bit of help reading the pattern for the teddy bear as I was counting the stitches wrong.
I like how the patterns are written out in English, full words and no abbreviations in sight. The other thing about being an Adventurous Beginner is that i don't particularly like to purl and this book had some really nice garter stitch patterns. Also the patterns that called for purling were enticing enough to get me to purl...haha....
I would recommend this book and will look forward to any book that Erika has written. I have seen her on Knitty Gritty on DIY and her ideas are great and interesting.