Monthly Archives: October 2015

Vintage Knits for Babies by Rita Taylor

This collection of knits for babies features designs based on vintage baby clothes from the 1920s to 1950s.

The patterns are grouped into loose categories (Christening, Out & About, Wrap Up Warm, etc) and are often presented as sets (gown, booties, and bonnet, for example). There’s also a section on toys, including an adorable bunny called the Primrose Rabbit, and a set of building blocks (great for stashbusting scraps).

I count a total of 30 different patterns and pattern sets (the total pattern count would be a lot more).  Unfortunately only two patterns are listed on Ravelry. :/

Sizing ranges from one size only to two or three (including sweaters/garments); one cardigan was offered in four sizes.

Many of the patterns include lace details; the others are textured, including a cute textured sailboat motif.  There are a couple stranded designs, including a teddy bear sweater. Although many of the patterns are modeled by girls, and the styling of the book is very romantic, there are plenty of patterns that are unisex.

I received my copy from the publisher.

Knits for Boys by Kate Oates

I need to preface this by saying I don’t have kids — but this is a great book for your library if you do, or if you knit for someone who does!

Kate’s the mom of four adorable boys, so she knows all the things to consider when knitting for boys: they grow, they have distinct preferences, they play hard. And even knitting a small sweater isn’t a negligible effort — so you want it to be wearable as long as possible. (Of course all that applies to girls too — and I think these patterns and advice are great for girls as well.)

The book starts off with basic knitting info applied to Kate’s “Grow With Me Sizing and Styling”. There’s a quick discussion of gauge and swatching followed by sizing, fit, and schematics.  The next quick section, “How Kids Grow: Growth Patterns”, relies on Kate’s extensive experience for one succinct fact: kids tend to get taller faster then they get wider.  Next up is a larger section on making adjustments for nearly every aspect of the pattern size.

The next couple chapters relate more to tips and customization, including instructions for different types of pockets and for hoods.  These chapters are, I think, the most unique and valuable aspect of this book.

Last up before the patterns is a short section on techniques.

The book subtitle says 27 patterns; Ravelry has 29 separate listings. Patterns range from sweaters and cardigans to bow ties and suspenders.  Sweaters generally are sized 4-12; hats etc are offered in sizes as allowed by repeats. Techniques run the gamut from texture to cables to colorwork.  Cable patterns are charted.

The skiing T-Rex is absolutely adorable; I also really like the Prepster Vest and the Twisty Crew.  Click on the links to go to the pattern pages on Ravelry for pics.

I received my copy from the author.