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Loom Knitting For Babies and Toddlers
Isela Phelps

Search Press
15 February 2013 ISBN: 9781844489305
How-To Books/Loom Knitting
Amazon US - UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

If you made those long knitted tubes with a knitting nancy or dolly bobbin as a child, you will enjoy making these clothes and toys for youngsters as an adult with a knitting loom. No prior knitting skills required!

I like the way this book opens with a good detailed guide on exactly what you need to be a loom knitter and why. As with the rest of this book, there is plenty of wit in the author's descriptions of the items, many of which most people will already own. There is a section on buying yarn and understanding ball bands, getting tension right and stitching up etc. You can even do cable on modern looms, and of course there is plenty about how the various knitting stitches are done on a loom, complete with clear diagrams.

You can learn how to embellish, embroider and more, read the charts, and there is even a handy chart showing baby measurements in metric and imperial. In short, there is a lot to get through before any actual knitting takes place, so maybe if you just want to learn a little in order to make something -- anything -- in order to see what loom knitting is all about, you might want to do your actual learning elsewhere. Also, the projects are not all made on the same loom as there are many different sizes and shapes, so you will need to invest in more than one if you want to make quite a few of the items in the book.

If you already know the basics or have the right kind of mind for a lot of theory, dive into the projects. There are thirty of them, and although there are a lot of baby knitting books on the market. this one does have more imagination than most. As well as clothes, hats and accessories, there are some neat toys, including several dinosaurs, and a pirate eye patch and sword for backyard toddler fun. Add in novelty pacifier holders, sleeping bag, bibs and my own favorite, a ballerina dress, and you have a nursery full of fun items that look quick and interesting to make. All that dense theory might look a bit daunting, but the end result is impressive and shows how versatile a loom can be.

UK Reviewer: Rachel Hyde's work can be found in Sewing World, Sew Hip, Popular Crafts and other magazines. Her craft blog is Green Thoughts
Reviewed 2013
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