Itty-Bitty Toys: How to Knit Animals, Dolls, and Other Playthings for Kids

I love this book. I have made the santa and bag. I plan on making the mouse next. My 9 yr old grand daughter loves the santa and he will sit on a shelf of honor in the family room all year.I am not so good at multi-needle patterns. The instructions were simply straight-forward and I had no problems with making Santa. I do enough knitting on a budget that I don't opt for the expensive yarns. I used Red Heart worsted weight yarn purchased at the local Wal-Mart and size 4 needles purchased at a flea market with excellent results. I used round beads for the eyes and pulled the threads taut for a little (needle sculpting) different look.My biggest complaint about any knitting instruction pattern is the loyalty to a certain type or brand of yarn. I always try to adapt the patterns to use the yarn I prefer or have access to. This book adapts well.I am pleased to see so many reviews on this book. Some of the patterns seem very simple, maybe too simple. But I also enjoy this approach because I can take any pattern and add my own touch to create something by my own hand and vision. I have already found a little golden book containing the story of The Princess and the Pea and will make this simple little doll. Many children enjoy a simple toy and again, I can fancy it up a little. The simplicity allows me a spring board of sorts for my own creativity.The baby doll is the cutest I have ever seen in knit. I will have to make that for the fair project of the year.I plan on attacking the bird/egg/nest set for Easter baskets. Those are a bit more challenging and more than cute.I love all the sock yarns but don't make socks (as of yet anyway). So I welcome the idea of making a monkey or bear out of the stuff.Lastly I would like to applaud the size and design of the book overall. The book is easy to hold in my lap and opens flat due to the spiral binding. It is easy to stuff in my rather small to go knitting bag. I actually covered the book in a school book cover to protect the pretty cover and hide my current obsession.

Overall I do like this book, the toys are cute and easy to make. I especially like the reversible toy section, lots of clever patterns to choose from. However, there are several things that I find irksome as I work through some of these patterns. When it comes to sewing the final pieces together the author says to use the photos as a guide but the pictures are really not clear in many places. For example! I am currently making the reversible bird and there isn't a clear photo to help placing the wings. The only picture that even shows the wings is taken from an odd angle and the wings are completely obscured by sunlight and blur. I'm going to have to check ravelry to see how other people placed their wings before I sew mine together. This has happened with every project I have made so far.My second complaint is a lack of alternate yarn suggestions for the projects. Actually just telling the reader what weight of yarn the example is made from would be helpful. As an example I have never heard of O-wool Balance so it's impossible to substitute something from my stash without, once again, heading to ravelry and looking up the particular yarn. Yes, she does give a guage but that isn't nearly as helpful as having a basic weight or a few substitutions listed.The last issue I have is the patterns are written with the assumption that everyone uses dpns. I prefer to use long cables to knit in the round, it works perfectly fine for everything I have ever attempted. It really is irritating to read these patterns written specifically for 3 needles. Every pattern is written this way. It isn't the end of the world or anything, but I find it annoying to mentally divide my stitches, and worry about needle 1 being different from needle 2, which is different from needle 3.

June 25, 2010 Update: It's been several months since I first reviewed this book, and I wanted update my review to show that I'm still incredibly enthusiastic about this book! I've now made several toys from the book, and there are more on my summer knitting list. The patterns have all been well-written and so much fun to finish. I just really like Susan B. Anderson's aesthetic and instructions. The instructions are clear but concise, and they encourage confidence. This is the longest I've kept any knitting book on my "always handy" shelf or in my knitting bag, and I've made more patterns from it than from any other book. It's also fun because the finished toys always get rave reviews and amazed reactions when others see them. This is definitely money well-spent!Original review (October 2009): I love this book! I load up on knitting books because I start projects in rapid succession and also because I like to dream about what I'll make someday, and this book is easily one of my favorite knitting books ever. The toys are fun, and I think they'd be appreciated by kids of any age (and even by the young-at-heart). The toys also seem original and fresh to me. The patterns are well-written and easy to follow. And the first toy that I started (New Sock Monkey) has been knitting up quickly this week, so I may actually finish one of the toys I've started for my 9-month-old! Overall, this is an excellent book and a really amazing price for the collection of toys you get. Oh, and there are five "reversible" toys that are really unique, at least among knitting patterns that I've seen.

I just love this book of patterns!!!!! I started off by knitting a sheep which I showed off to my KP friends who also wanted the pattern (so I hope they all went out and bought the book!!! LOL!) My daughter is (was sorry) pregnant and the toy was for the baby - yay I had a grandson!!!! Baby loves the toy and snuggles up to it - I knitted it in a very soft snuggle yarn and the toy is totally washable. It is extremely easy to knit and I would warn all prospective knitters to be warned! It is soooo cute that orders will come flooding in for friends and children of same friends! The instructions are clear and precise and very easy to follow. I would also suggest a small table top reading lectern to hold the pattern book open at the appropriate page would help you to follow the pattern as you knit. I kept getting distracted by other lovely "to die for knits" that kept popping up as the pages turned, so I pinched my kitchen recipe book lectern to keep the book under control. As a first try at knitting toys this book is a great buy and I would thoroughly recommend it.

Fabulous book lots of great toys to make

Love this knitting book. Can't wait to get started on the characters/patterns. Some really lovely ideas a bit out of the ordinary.

I was very pleased with the patterns in the book. Looking forward to knitting the 'newborn' baby doll pattern with clothes. Lots of projects to make.

Like this book, lots of interesting animals in it, have knit some of the animals for my grandchildren and they love them