The Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits : Patterns for Babies and Toddlers

Rating:
Summary: Excellent kids' patterns in bulkier yarns--fast and fun
Review: This is a welcome book with patterns for children in bulkier yarns, including chenille and trims with the new fun fur yarns. Most kids' patterns use thinner gauge yarns for baby and toddler, so if you don't enjoy knitting with baby or fingering weight yarns, this book should light up your knitting life. And if you deplore the fact that fine gauge knitting takes time--while Junior is rapidly growing out of the knitting project on your needles, these projects are pretty fast. Most are done in plain stockinette or garter stitch, fast and easy, but effective in the decorative yarns used. The patterns are for infant to about three year old. No reason, however, you couldn't adapt these patterns for school age kids by adding on some rows and stitches to make them larger and longer.

The patterns include basic pullovers and more elaborate ones, cardigans and variations, v-necks--cardis and pullovers, hats, ponchos, dressing blankets and snuggies. There is a section on fundamentals of knitting for the beginner and a glossary as well.

Grammies and friends-of-babies take note: there is an adorable coat and hat set in chenille that works for boy or girl. A poncho in varigated yarn with a fun fur trim for a girl--in simple stockinette stitch. One cardigan is simplicity in itself, in plain knit in vivid purple--but a contrasting light color single crochet trim makes it look finished and very stylish. This is a very fun book of patterns for kids knits that will have you diving into your fancy bulky yarn stash with plenty of new ideas for children's knits.

Joanna Daneman

Rating:
Summary: WOW! Great patterns!
Review: This is the ultimate best children's knitting pattern book I have seen yet!
I loved the first yarn girls' book, but after a while found the patterns to simple and the gauges to big, but this one has something for everyone. From a basic pullover to a complex cardigan in a range of guages from 2sts/inch up to 20sts/inch. Not to mention sizes from 0-3 months up to 3 years, though I think they'll fit an older child too.
Any newby to knitting could pick up this book and make a sweater, and the more experienced knitter will still find something in the great variety of the patterns. All kinds of yarns and styles and no dorky pictures in the middle of a sweater, just great knitting.
In addition, the patterns are well written, and I love the stories(some continued from tha last book) about the knitters who inspired the patterns. This book sent me into my stash to start knitting for my kids ages 2 and 4, and hoping that my friends and family have a baby soon, so I can make a tiny little baby set for them from this book.