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

1. I purchased this as a gift for my sister in law. A couple of weeks ago i recieved a sample for my new baby and it is adorable. She likes the book, she said many of the projects are hard but she has not had any troubles so far. Other reviews mentioned mistakes in the patterns but she has made 3 different projects ( hippo, giraffe and elephant i think) with no problems



2. 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.



3. I love, love, love this book! Super easy to follow with so many cute, fun patterns and the bonus for me is many are unisex.



4. I have to admit to being a lazy knitter. On numerous occasions I've started a project without finishing it, either because I get bored or become frustrated by confusing instructions. But even so, I love this book. I just finished two koala bears, and I can't wait to start on a bunny. The bears were so cute as they came together that I couldn't put my needles down. (And, I'd never used double-pointed needles before, but the instructions are very clear.) The other thing I like is that so many of the projects are appealing. I rarely buy knitting books b/c usually I only like one or two of the patterns, but I can imagine trying about 75% of the toys in this book.



5. I just love all Susan B. Andersons knitting instruction books. The directions are clearly written, the illustrations or pictures make following the directions so easy. And, the toys are adorable - just the right size for little hands, all of which lend them to the development of imaginative play.

5 comments about Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits.

1. After checking it out from the library, I bought this for my very small knitting book collection. I may never knit a stuffed animal, but the techniques overview at the beginning is equally useful for knitting things like socks.



2. Really great patterns! Like any other knitting book, it takes a few minutes to sort of get used to the author's way of writing, and how she sets up her patterns, but it isn't anything that cannot be easily overcome. (I've found most books are like this). The instructions are fairly straightforward and easy to follow.
   
   I've been knitting for almost ten years and I know I learned a few things from Hansi. The creatures are fun and interesting to knit and definitely provided me the change I was looking for! Each character has a short blurb about it and patterns are ranked on difficulty. I haven't attempted the Jackelope yet, but I am excited to get started!



3. If you have nothing else to knit this is the book for you. What in the world would I do with my own pea pod or eggplant? And where would I use a snail? There is too much other intricate knitting to waste time on veggies and insects.( This was a received as a gift, meant with love.)



4. I would describe most of the designs in this book as 'challenging', but they're also interesting as examples of what can be done with needles and yarn. (Lots of needles, actually: I've knit the 'Sea Star' more than once, and found that the centers were easier using one needle for each arm.)
   
   I'm looking forward to trying the 'Anglerfish' and the 'Loch Ness Monster'.



5. I am only a knitting beginner but this book in my opinion is a must for every knitter - young in spirit. it's funny, well written, it contains genius designs and I am very glad to have purchased it.
   I have only one small remark. In the beginning of the book, there are some terms used in the book which are explained, but for a beginner - some of them are not sufficient. However, today with the internet and all you-tubes small movies, it can be easily bridged.
   
   I do recommend warmly this book to all amigurumi addicts.
   Great Job done by Hansi!

5 comments about Little Felted Animals: Create 16 Irresistible Creatures with Simple Needle-Felting Techniques.

1. Great book easy to follow instructions both written and picture.
   
   Will certainly look for more lkie this one.
   
   Rgds
   Lesley



2. This book has beautiful pictures and gives 3 basic animal-forms, so you can use them to make as much animals as you want. Although the technique is more difficult than it looks on the photo's, I find this book a very good source of information and a musshave in my collection!



3. I'm new to the craft of needle felting, and I found this book to be very helpful. The instructions are very helpful, and the projects are wonderful and well photographed. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in felting toys.



4. I love this book. I have not tried to make one of the projects yet, but I still love the book anyway.



5. ...but there isn't much in the way of serious instruction. She gives the basics and they are basically the same for each animal. There is not a single photo of someone actually felting in this book - just photo's of the finished project, and of the supplies needed for each project. I had to go online to see someone needle felting just to get the, "Oh!" that I was missing from this book - my first on felting. There are no notes or anecdotes on why you should use different needles, tips or tricks to using different types of wool, etc. I really love the photo's and inspiration though, so I gave the book 4 stars - but if I were not as crafty as I am I probably would have been disappointed with the lack of useful information.

5 comments about Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals.

1. I'm an experienced plush maker but Double Scoop has me stumped. The bottom "scoop" is way too small to fit the diameter of the cone's top, and the "drip" that goes in between the cone and the scoop wasn't long enough to go around the diameter of the cone! Fixing this is going to require some serious work on my part and I don't know where I went wrong.
   
   "The Lookout" was easy to make, but it was much simpler to make: just sew 2 identical pieces of fabric together!
   
   To improve this book, I would add more images of the steps. Some of the directions were confusing without an image to accompany. There's plenty of cute eye candy in this book, but I get the feeling they didn't really test the patterns before including them.



2. Cleverly packaged, and the photographs are well done, but the softies are unappealing, dull, and worst of all not something I would waste my time and materials making. This book will gather dust though I may use the envelope attached to the back cover to store patterns from "Stitched Toys" now there is a book that is worth the money. Softies is just a bore. Bargain book or not, Amazon ovvers many many better alternatives.



3. I'm a complete beginner in the field of making stuffed toys, so I was looking for a book that even I would be able to use. I love that every project is rated by the level of difficulty: easy, moderate, challenging. So far I've made 4 toys, and they all turned out very cute. I don't own a sewing machine, and it was a huge plus for me, that all of the projects can be made by hand. The instructions are good, and there are patterns for all the projects at the end of the book.
   I didn't give it 5 stars, because for me this book doesn't answer a few questions that every beginner would have. Like, hiding knots, etc. But I would definitely buy this book again.



4. This book is so cute. I give it a 5 stars for content, photography, ease of use, etc. But, after completing one project, the Portuguese Plaid Dog, I am not impressed. The neck gusset is completely the wrong size for the dog, and the under-gusset for the legs does not match the outer body - seems about 20% too large. The top head gusset is enormously wide and about 1 cm too long. Also, the lettered markings on the patterns do not match up correctly. I am an experienced hand-stitcher, and I have made several soft toys with gussets for my children, but this dog had me stumped. I have redrawn my own patterns to get it to fit together properly. It's a shame, because this dog is the cutest thing ever, with a clever use of color and fabric. The other items in the book seem far easier! Just curious if anyone else has made the dog?



5. This book is a collection of 25 softie projects designed by artists from all over the world that were compiled by Therese Laskey. In case you are not familiar with softies, they are plush toys that first became wildly popular in Japan; soon after, the craze spread to the rest of the world. Softies are like cute, squishy zombies aiming for world domination. They eat brains only in the sense that once you make one, you can't think of anything else.
   
   Before I talk about the actual content, I want to mention one thing that I love about this book. It is spiral bound so that it lays completely flat when it is open. This comes in so handy when you are working on projects and you need to follow the instructions as you go. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to prop a book open while you are trying to figure out how to put something together.
   
   The first section discusses the making of softies and includes clear and concise explanations of various assembly and embellishment techniques including illustrations of all of the embroidery stitches that are called out for in the individual instructions. Even if you are a beginning crafter, enough information has been provided for you to be able to work your way through the simpler projects.
   
   The second section is devoted to the softies themselves. The project pages are well done and are fun to read. The introductory page has a bubble at the top that shows the difficulty level, finished size of the softie and the assembly method. Below that, there is another bubble that calls out the materials and embellishing methods, if any. So, at a glance, it is easy to select a project that is right for your skill level and available materials. The detailed instructions are shown on the pages that follow and include a full page photo of the finished softie. Each project also includes an entertaining blurb about the artist that created it.
   
   At the end of the book, there is a resource list for materials and an index for easy searching. On the back cover, there is a pocket that holds full size patterns printed on a nice weight of white paper (*not* tissue) so there is no need to enlarge or trace patterns. You just need to choose a project, cut out the pattern pieces and you are ready to go. The techniques used are sewing (by machine and/or hand), needle felting or crochet. Projects include dogs, a whale, a robot, an ice cream cone, teeth, an elephant, even paper doll dresses (which I think would be adorable to hang in a sewing room) among others. The hardest part might be choosing which one to do first.
   
   I have to take a moment here to give kudos to the photographer, Laurie Frankel (her website is at http://www.lauriefrankel.com). The photographs are delightfully done. Instead of putting the softies against a static background in a studio, she has artistically posed the softies in locations and with props which imbues them with personalities. One of my favorite shots is the photo of three soft-sculpted molars posed in a dental office on a tray with dental tools. The photos make the projects irresistible.
   
   My only complaint, and it is a very small complaint, is that the text is a bit small in certain areas. But, fortunately for these aging eyes, the font style and color compensated for this by being easy to read. It was not unbearably small, but I did have to look a bit closer than I would normally.

5 comments about Stray Sock Sewing: Making One of a Kind Creatures from Socks.

1. This book is so cute and really good. The directions are clear and easy to understand, there are also nice clear pictures to help you get through the directions if you don't understand the text. There are tons of pictures to inspire you with other ideas besides the directions for the ones he gives you. I would recommend this to anyone who loves hand sewing crafts. Great for making gifts for kids!<3
   Shipping was also Extremely fast, I got it in 3 days with the free super saver shipping.



2. The book is well illustrated and charming. The instructions are clear and the creative ideas are unique. I am happy to add this to my collection of projects I wish I had time to complete.



3. This book was in excellent, like new condition, packaging was great, shipping time was a little slow but ok.



4. There are 2 of these, this is the first book and he has a second book which I actually bought first since I saw that in a bookstore and was able to flip through it before buying. Stray Sock Sewing, Too: More Super-Cute Sock Softies to Make and Love I actually made more from that book, you can see images I uploaded on that book. I liked it so much I decided to buy this first book for more ideas and uploaded what I made. I only started with this book. I think its great. Now I am always looking at socks when I shop!!!



5. I like this book but I was hoping it would have more instruction on all the photos. There are some great creatures but no specific instructions on how to make those....

5 comments about Wool Pets: Making 20 Figures with Wool Roving and a Barbed Needle.

1. I just love all the projects in this book. The instructions w/photos help make the beginning felter (such as myself) more comfortable on getting started with these projects. I have another felting book, which I also like but this book with the photos gives me more of an idea on how much felt I should be using. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to start making thier own felted critters.



2. The pictures in this book are Great..the best yet ive found on needlefelting..I was quite surprised by how much detail they give for each project....I can jump in and just do any of the animals...they are very nice..with detial..I have 4 of these animal felting books and this one is the BEST.....B.W.



3. Last Christmas I met the author, bought the book and also bought a few of her kits for the holidays. Wow! What a fun and creative way to enjoy being housebound during the winter. It's really fun, easy and gratifying to make these little animals for ornaments or for gifts. Even my normally grumpy teenagers enjoyed making the projects. This is also a great thing to do with sick friends while you visit or old friends who can't needlepoint anymore. A wonderful present for young and old.



4. Beautiful, hardcover book. Excellent for beginners, especially (which I am!) Explains different types of needle felting tools and wools/fibers. This book covers just what it says - pets and small critters with a mermaid or two thrown in for good measure. No purse patterns, here :)! Many projects with very detailed color pictures for each step of each project. Starts with easier projects and builds up to small dolls at the end of the book. This book was an excellent confidence builder for a new needle felter, like me - it's given me confidence and skills to branch out and try my own designs.



5. I have dealt with Laurie before on Etsy and when I stumbled upon this book I just had to have it! It is a really great book all the things you get to make are fabulous! And the price is really reasonable! She comes up with the cutest ideas and her directions on how to make a creature are really simple, easy, and always turns out really cute! I am going to get some more for presents for my friends over the holidays, I will definitely buy more! Keep up the good work!

5 comments about Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves.

1. Oh my goodness this charming little book is adorable!! I couldn't wait to start making my softies! Just as the author noted, I found cotton work gloves at my local Home Depot, and they were unbelievably soft, which only added to appeal of my softies! The gloves were cheap, too, only $5 for a dozen. I made a couple of dogs like the one on the cover immediately and my stepkids *loved* them!
   
   I wanted to make the pig but couldn't find pink gloves anywhere...then in an epiphany it occurred to me to dye the cotton gloves I already had...a couple of bucks on pink RIT dye later, and I had the perfect shade of pink for several gloves. I made two pigs and by this time was familiar enough with the instructions (very well written!) that it only took me about a half hour each.
   
   I am a very visual person--I do much better with picture instructions than written, and this book was the perfect combination. It was easy for an amateur sew-er like myself to follow the directions for a nearly perfect result, even on the first try. Really these things are so cute they would be hard to mess up!
   
   I highly recommend this darling little book! My stepkids are in love with their softies and I can't wait to make more!



2. With the economy the way it is now throughout the world, how wonderful to find a book with such simple and endearing ideas. The fact that everything can be made from recycled materials just makes it that much better.
   I have already started work on loads of little Christmas presents for my friends and family from this one little book!
   This is one of my favourite craft books in years!



3. I came across this book today at a local bookstore, I really wanted it but didn't want to pay the price they were asking so I was really excited when I found it here at half the price. I haven't began any projects yet, but I have 3 orphanages and these would be great!! (Anyone want to help?)



4. I LOVE this book. So cute and fun, and easy. My first sock dog was pretty frightening in a frankenstein kind of a way but I did use red thread..Hah hah.
   
   I modified the designs to make a mouse, and the most trouble I have had is with the ears. They are a bit of a pain.



5. I just noticed this book was released on my birthday in 2007, which is wonderful appropriate because I got it on my birthday this year from my son.
   I love it so much. None of the projects are really complicated or require specialized skills or equipment. If you can hand sew a good seam, and embroider, you can do everything in it and the projects are adorable.
   What makes it really special is the introduction, which takes up most of the book to all the animals in it. It's sweet, and the photographs are fantastic.
   I think my favorite project is the zebra made from a striped sock.
   The construction ideas and tips will give a lot of crafters other ideas for things to do with socks and mittens. I think a lot of the stray socks accumulated in my family will start finding their way into my sewing basket and my daughter's sewing basket after reading this instead being used to dust. I highly recommend it.

4 comments about Knitted Toy Tales.

1. I am very happy not only with the product but the fact that it arrived on time and was packaged very well. I will definately buy from Amazon again.I found it good also that I could purchase without using paypal, as I seem to have a few problems with that and I cant get them to contact me to work it out. Any suggestions?-



2. I love this book! I want to make everything in it! All the designs are so sweet and so cute! There are beginner projects as well as intermediate. The photos are beautiful and showcase the projects very well.



3. This is a wonderful toy book - I have made mama bear, a mouse and a bunny and all turned out as shown. Easy directions. The only drawback is the finishing does not have very explicit directions - for instance mama bear just says to sew up the legs and attach. The toys are all beautiful and well shaped. A lovely book, much better than most out there.



4. This is a great book for all ages. There are things easy enough for a beginner and some more complicated. My ten year old granddaughter made the cat first. I'm sure we're going to enjoy making many more together. The really nice thing is most can be made from left over scraps of yarn we all seem to have plenty of.

5 comments about Fleece Dog: A Little Bit of Magic Created with Raw Wool and a Special Needle.

1. This is the best book of this kind I have ever found lots of information well illistrated easy to understand instructions



2. Wonderful full of colour pictures to help you get the colours right can't wait to put the illustrations to good use and become proficient as I am a newbie to needle felting the illustrations make it look easy ...recommend if you are a dog lover



3. This is a fun little book with great instructions, and wonderful ideas for making fleece/felted dogs. Making felt animals is all the rage (have you seen how much people want for the finished product??) and this book will have you doing it before you know it. It takes very little product to produce one of these darling dogs, and they are the perfect "accessory" for those of us who set up dioramas with our dolls, and need "pets"!



4. Needed a book to show me how to make this cute little one. I am glad I got this book as a reference guide.



5. I bought this book thinking it would be full of techniques for making fleece dogs. that part covers a couple of pages. the rest is devoted to a gallery of the author's dogs. there is nothing wrong with 'gallery' books, i find them an inspiration in many of my crafts. but that's not what i paid for. i actually sent this book back, i was feeling so deceived.

No comments about Crafting Tilda's Friends.