Knitted Animals (Crafts and family Activities) ebook

by Anne-Dorthe Grigaff

Anne-Dorthe Grigaff Crafts and Hobbies English

Here is an irresistible collection of animals to knit in soft, natural materials: ducklings, teddy bears, lambs, piglets, hedgehog, a handsome rooster, and many more. Most of the projects can be knitted quickly and cheaply with small odds and ends of wool, and many can be completed in an hour or two—ideal for knitters looking for ways to reduce their yarn clutter! The step-by-step instructions for making over twenty delightful, soft, knitted animals are illustrated with beautiful color photography throughout. Knitted Animals provides a good range of projects suitable for older children with basic knitting skills; the finished designs make enchanting children's toys and gifts, decoration for the school nature or season table, and items for fairs and raffles. From the author's foreword: "A good time for children to learn to knit is around seven years of age, when their motor skills can cope with the challenge. The child learns by imitating the adult. At the school where I work, the 14- go 15-year-old pupils are invited to team up with pupils aged 7 to 8 years. The older pupils sit the younger ones on their lap and show them how to knit. In this way, younger pupils quickly learn how to knit and at the same time form a social bond with the older ones, who are flattered by the confidence the younger children show in their abilities. "In learning to knit, the child also practices coordination, fine-tunes motor skills, and uses logical thinking. Modern brain researchers and neurobiologists confirm that practical abilities and cognitive skills are learned through the body: grasping things with the hands forms the basis for later grasping things with the mind, too. But quite apart from technical abilities, learning to knit also develops a child's sense of aesthetics and beauty."

Bludworm

I just got this book two days ago and I've already made the hen, rooster and chicks--yes, they are that simple! I really like the simplicity of the patterns as they lend themselves to adaptation by the knitter to make almost anything the imagination can dream up. Indeed, as the author is a teacher at a Waldorf school, she encourages children to learn to knit and to use these simple patterns themselves.

Increase the gauge and size of yarn and the patterns could be easily felted in the washing machine to create even more sturdy little figures. The size of the finished animals is just right for a child's hands. They're absolutely perfect! I love the fact that the author uses and suggests the use of natural fibers for her projects. I find it absolutely endearing to read that the materials list calls for, "duck colored yarn", "goose colored yarn" and "hairy yarn." With directions like that, the sky's the limit for the knitter's imagination. Such a nice contrast to the typical directions that call for a specific color of a specific brand of designer yarn that may or may not be available by day's end.

Finally, small projects like this are valuable in teaching the new or frustrated knitter to do that finishing work that so many of us detest. These little projects provide a wonderful opportunity for learning to sew invisible seams and create crisp corners.

My only complaint about this book is the price. I've never paid nearly $30 for a knitting book without seeing it first, but this one caught my fancy--what can I say, I'm addicted. Even at the high price, I think this little gem will pay for itself in short order and I'll certainly not return it. Excellent resource as those grandchildren begin to appear in the future!

Sagda

i had hesitated at spending $30 on a book that i could not see. when i received it i knew it was money well-spent.

the 17 patterns of adorable animals (in various small sizes perfect for holding in one's hand and tucking in one's pockets) are so very precious and heartwarming that its hard not to melt before you reach for your needles.

the book is well written with clear directions, drawings, and photos. the author encourages the use of natural fibers like mohair and angora. the patterns require very basic knitting skills - garter, stocking, increase, decrease, pick up 1 stitch. the needle sizes used are from 2-7 (u.s.)

there are cute verses introducing most of the critters. this is my favorite, for the very appropriately named 'cuddly bunny': "Warning! if you begin knitting this toy, you must count on being surrounded by children with a hopeful look in their eyes." this book will give you a case of the giggles.

what i love the best is how these critters are so unique in design. these are not the run-of-the-mill animal patterns that we've all seen over and over again. foxes, chicks, ducks, bears, cats, daschound, bunnies, piglets, horses, and more.--even a little hedgehog! these are very special knitted animals indeed.

Preve

The designs in this book are delightful. But the directions are puzzling. Perhaps because this seems to be translated from Danish, some of the instructions are difficult, if not impossible, to understand. I am not a career knitter - I've done a few Danish-like sweaters, a mess of scarves and comforters - so the finer points of detailed knitting are somewhat new to me. Still, I'm talking about straight ahead language: in the book you are instructed to work X number of rows, but you can't be sure if the row you've just been instructed to make (usually decreasing or increasing) should be included in that number of rows. In the hedgehog, the number of stitches you end up with after following what you seem to be told to do often doesn't line up with what the instructions tell you you should have. I'd like a knitting editor to go over this book and straighten the language out--clarify. I've guessed, and things have worked out pretty well, but I've been very frustrated. If you have uber experience knitting animals, maybe your instincts will get you through where I've had to puzzle through. Still, the designs are worth the effort. It's been called "sweet" by other reviewers, and I will second that. I just wish that, when I read the English, I come away understanding the concept. Maybe a technical editor could help?

Eseve

The animals are adorable, and the patterns easy to understand for the most part. I will have to gain some skills to execute most of them since the book doesn't give directions on the more advanced stuff.

The book relies on cuteness and I think its one of the cutest ones out there. No dragons or people in here, there's kittens and dogs, bears, ducks, chickens, bunnies, and hedgehogs among others.

This book from Denmark assumes that the reader knows a few techniques without ever illustrating them. The animals are darling, but when trying to make a duck's beak, the reader is asked to fashion it out of orange yarn in "overlapping buttonhole stitch so a round duck-like beak emerges."

What? I don't know overlapping buttonhole stitch! Go to the glossary to find out, and there are explanations of garter stitch and stocking stitch, increasing and decreasing.....no mention of the other techniques called for.

This book is very worthwhile, but be ready to look some techniques up elsewhere. Not all of the animals require the more advanced methods, so I can get started right away.

USE WITH KIDS: It is written in a story book voice. There's no story, per se, but the reader is told that the dog may need a collar and leash if he is too wild, and so on.