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(More customer reviews)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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Vickie Howell--the popular host of DIY network's Knitty Gritty--plus a dozen contributing designers have stepped out of the box with 25 super-original, funky playtime projects that are as much fun for parents to knit as they are for children to receive.Not another boring sweater! Vickie Howell, and her group of talented contributors, will make you the most popular parent on the block with the coolest projects for kids' stuff ever. These knits are gifts children will go nuts over, because they include a playful range of costumes and toys. Crafty moms and dads can create such enchanting items as a wizard's hat and princess crown; a super kid cape, mermaid dress up, pirate bath set, alien tooth fairy pillows, bowling ball and pins, and a tool set with pouch. Vickie includes estimations of how long each project will take to complete, along with tips for busy knitters and advice on special techniques, such as felting, tassel making, and edgings. Many of the designers have appeared on her show--but every item is a never-before-seen original.
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