This is another one for that overburdened coffee table, but at the same time it is a highly informative primer with all the instructions that will enable the reader to make all these lovely figures. Ideal conversation pieces ensuring that it is not just your coffee table that guests will notice but wherever they are displayed, these are not toys suitable for small children. They have wire frames - easier than it sounds to make these - but older children would enjoy their bendy pose-ability.

Everything is explained in here, and there are lots of helpful diagrams as well as a list of stitches (nothing very complicated) at the front so you can bone up on them before tackling anything. This is not a book for beginners, but you don’t have to be too experienced to tackle these little figures that make up encouragingly quickly, and once made up they just look so advanced! The book is divided into three separate sections and the fantasy part does not apply to the whole, as the first project is a fairly modern knitted farmyard complete with base, but the second section is the enchanted castle with all that implies, and the third is an enchanted forest of fairies, gnomes, elves and trees. At the back is a helpful page showing casting on, knit and purl which implies that even a beginner could have a go (not impossible) and at the front is a list of abbreviations and symbols, as well as some of the items you will need apart from just the yarns. This really is a lovely book which deserves to be a classic - another one for the keeper shelf.

If you cannot find yarns locally try SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers. You can also buy this book from this site.