If you're a knitter, by the time you become a grandmother odds are good you'll have a nice collection of favorite knitting patterns to make and give as baby gifts. Such is the case for designer Doreen L. Marquart, who has collected 15 designs (several of which are ensembles) she loves to knit for little ones in the book Grammy's Favorite Knits for Baby.
The projects range from booties, blankets and hats to sweaters, bibs and jumpers, offering a range of options for the little ones you want to knit for.
About the Book
- Pages: 64
- Binding: paperback
- Number of patterns: 15, including 3 patterns that are sets and 1 with 2 bib patterns
- Sizes: newborn to 24 months
- Skill level: 10 easy, 5 intermediate
- Illustrations: full-color photographs
- Knitting lessons: 5 pages of knitting and assembly basics with drawings
- Publication date: March 2011
The Patterns
Grammy's Favorite Knits for Baby covers all the basic bases for items you might want to knit for a new little one, from bibs and blankets to jumpers and hats. They're not all completely basic, as illustrated by the cupcake hat shown on the cover, but most of the projects are rated easy and are relatively straightforward for newer knitters (and quicker knitting!).
The projects are all shown without human models, which is a bit of a drawback, but the photos give a clear idea of what the finished projects look like.
Some of my favorites in the collection are the Modular Cardigan and Star-Topped Hat, a two-color set featuring a mitered yoke on the sweater; the colorful Party Time Jumper, featuring multidirectional knitting and decorative I-cords; the Tricolor Ensemble, which also has a matching blanket, for using dark colors instead of pastels and featuring two-color Stockinette and Reverse Stockinette stripes; and the pretty Comfy Hoodie, which uses a self-patterning yarn to give the sweater a much more intricate look than the easy knitting would suggest.
I've worked up a pair of booties from the Grammy's Favorite Ensemble pattern; the super-long cuffs are designed to help the boots stay on a little one's feet. We'll see. They're cute in any case, and the pattern -- worked from the bottom of the foot up with short row shaping for the heel -- was really quick and easy.
Bottom Line
If you knit for a lot of babies, you probably already have your own collection of favorite knits for babies, but there are some cute projects in Grammy's Favorite Knits for Baby that you might want to add to your list.
And if you're new to knitting for babies and looking for some tried and true projects that aren't too difficult and are sure to be enjoyed by babies and parents alike, this small volume can help you get started successfully knitting for little ones.
