Knitted Wild Animals

There are 15 super cute wild animal patterns in this book Knitted Wild Animals by Sarah Keen. The patterns range from the well known elephant, giraffe and zebra to the more obscure wild animals like the warthog, moose and the giant panda. There are many photos of each toy throughout the book plus plenty of general knitting instructions and finishing tips. If you have a child in your life, this book is a must have. Heck, lets knit some toys for the holidays!

Knitting Mochimochi

I've been a big fan of amigurumi for a long time but I don't really know how to crochet so this knitting amigurumi book is right up my alley. Hey...I just noticed there's a slipper on the front of this book too!

There's so many (20 exactly) cute patterns in this book I just don't know where to start, the Petite Pencil? Human Beans? Grouchy Couch? TV Guy? Love Muff? Feet Eaters? Pigs with Wigs? Yes, definitely Pigs with Wigs and when I get around to finishing it there are plenty of instructions with photos for that too. I love giving handmade baby gifts but I get so bored with hats and booties so I love knitting toys. This is a great resource for those 'out-there' types of gifts for all ages.
This book will definitely be staying on my knitting bookshelf.
Order yours today...it's released on June 29th! If you can't wait there is a free pattern available for the baby gators if you click here.
Check out the Mochimochi Land blog too!

The Week of Book Reviews

I've been given a task to review a few new knitting books & they've been sitting on my coffee table long enough so I'm going to knock them out this week.

First on the list is One Ball Knits - Gifts. It's the 3rd in what appears to be a series, the 1st was Accessories and the 2nd was purses. I don't own either of the first two books even though I'm usually a fan of one skein / ball / hank pattern books. Buying one skein of yarn is usually a habit of mine because I want the yarn right now without a long term plan. So I now have quite a collection of 'one skeins'.

Unfortunately this book was a little underwhelming for me. The first 37 pages were full of good basic knitting information if you need this type of help and considering knitting a gift with one skein of yarn is somewhat beginner I think the basic information in the book is well placed. Moving along, there are 20 patterns in the book. My favorite pattern? Toasty Toes Slippers, the slippers that are featured on the front of the book. Other patterns include: a pillow cover, place mats & napkin rings, baby blocks, gloves, socks & a felted laptop back just to name a few.

I definitely think this book is worth checking out, it just all depends on what floats your boat whether or not you think this book is worth your while. I think next time I'm at the bookstore I'll check out the 1st two books in the series to see if they suit me a little better.

Book Review

Recently released in paperback, the Mason-Dixon Knitting book is still one of my favorites but at a more affordable price than the hardcover version. One of my go-to dish cloth patterns came from this book, the ballband dishcloth I think I've knit about 423 of those things. There are so many patterns through out this book but scattered in between those patterns are tip, tricks, stories, jokes and tons of great photos. Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne are long time bloggers who met online and came together in a collaborative effort know as Mason-Dixon Knitting, how can it get any better than that? They have a great wit about them and are very talented knitters. The patterns in the book range anywhere from dishcloths to curtains, nightgowns to shawls, seat cushions to towels, blankets to rugs and everything in between for beginners and the more seasoned knitter. If you don't already own this book it is definitely a good one to pick up. It's more than just a knitting pattern book, it's entertainment.