Erika Knight

There is s good variety of stitches and the section of borders is really strong, but there the organization of the stitches is lacking. Beyond the three large sections - basic stitches, motifs, and edgings & trims - there is no numbering, no grouping by stitch height or complexity, or no grouping by texture. However the "getting started" section is very clear and the inclusion of both charts and written instructions is very nice. The couple of stitches I've tried from the book have turned out well.… (mere)

The designs look rather nice in sizes 2 through 5, so basically toddler and preschooler sizes. The book contains enough patterns for a basic wardrobe of classically attractive pieces plus a few extras (pajama bag, toy dog, dressing gown). I expect these patterns will never go out of style. They would have been lovely in 1950 and they are lovely today. The photography, however, is terrible. It may have been intended to be artsy or atmospheric, but it's just plain out of focus most of the time, to a greater or lesser degree. For grandmas of a certain age, or concussion victims, this is deeply disconcerting and one finds oneself constantly bringing the book up to one's face or checking the clarity of the text to confirm that it's the book that's blurry, not the knitter's eyesight.

Knitting books need a plethora of clear, in-focus pictures to clarify details of construction and give an accurate idea of the finished object. This is just one of many books to prioritize the photographer's and book designer's muddled aesthetic sense over the needs of the end user. And to do them justice, it's far from the worst example I've seen. Many of the details here are actually in focus and just fade into blurs elsewhere in the image. And you can frequently get an idea of how the garment actually looks (looks to a myopic person without their glasses anyway) from the photos provided. But still. There's no reason for most of the fuzziness.

Having checked the Amazon reviews of this book, many or most of them seem to be for a different book. The Ikea tub chair covered in Aran knitting is not in Simple Knits for Little Cherubs!

Despite the plethora of practical patterns, I've done so much knitting for my grandchildren over the last 15 years that even the one who's small enough for these lovely clothes really doesn't need any of them, and I'm passing this book along to someone who has more scope to knit for little cherubs.… (mere)