Book Review
As the weather gets cooler the urge to knit is getting stronger
and this is the perfect book for projects to make to keep your little
ones warm. Baby Knits for Beginners is a very welcome, useful informative
book for the beginner knitter, especially if you want to make something
cute for a special little child. I really like that Debbie draws
on her personal knitting experience to help the reader have the
best possible experience, from first time ever knitters to the knitter
with a few projects under their belts. Photos that beautifully represent
the wonderful knitted items that are plentiful in this book accompany
the projects to give you an idea of what the finished product should
look like.
It is a good idea to read through all the introductory information
in the knitting essentials chapter because it is very educational
and important. There is a handy overview of the tools and materials
you need to make the projects in this book. Especially important
is the section on reading pattern instructions. It includes helpful
tips, abbreviations and definitions for terms used throughout the
book. It may have been awhile since you’ve knitted something
and you need a bit of a refresher so it is a good to read.
I particularly like that the author talks about how to buy yarn
because even if you have knitted a few items, you may not be familiar
with the intricacies of buying different types of yarn. And while
she discusses her own wool and yarn products she first covers the
different types available.
For the true beginner there are step-by-step illustrated instructions
for casting on, knit and purl stitches, casting off, tension, increasing,
decreasing, picking up stitches, seams, fixing mistakes. Projects
start off simple with a simple garter stitch scarf, taking you through
all the steps from casting on once again which may be a bit repetitive
but it depends on whether you read the opening sections. In the
margin of the instructions for the projects, Debbie refers back
to techniques when necessary (i.e. increasing and seams for boat
neck sweater). Measurement charts for different age groups are included
with the patterns for the sweaters and the dress. I also like that
at the beginning of each project there is an introduction that includes
hints and tips about making the projects. |
