Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kids (and knitters) will love this . . ., September 22, 2005
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!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In a word....RAD, October 22, 2005
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!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great patterns, so-so yarn choices, February 19, 2006
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.
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