Knit Baby Blankets!

From bumblebee booties and ladybug socks to a jester's hat and a striped stocking cap, Steege presents 15 knitting patterns for babies 0-12 months in this illustrated how-to. The patterns range from the fussily difficult (a five-color, three-dimensional hat with dangling ducklings and eggs) to the more basic (a simple and sleek chenille hat), with most falling in the intermediate range. (The petite size of baby knitwear, she notes, makes for a minimal investment of time and money, but a greater challenge when tackling complex designs.) A variety of techniques, including felting, yarn wrapping and turning, knitting with double-pointed needles and making bobbles, are explained in detail throughout the volume. The introductory material is very thorough, but too advanced for the novice knitter. As is typical for this type of book, the designers are affiliated with pattern companies whose particular product and aesthetic they promote. The directions for each design are laid out in multi-page, easy-to-follow charts that take knitters step-by-step through the knitting process, including stitching instructions for a range of sizes. Lack of breadth and the difficulty of some designs prevent this volume from being an essential reference, but many knitters will find must-knit precious items for the newest little ones in their lives. Knit Baby Blankets! will be published simultaneously with this volume. Color photos throughout.