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Book Review: A First Book of Knitting for Children

June 1, 2021 by Sarah White

Most people of any age, when they learn to knit, learn the rhyme that goes with forming the knit stitch. It’s a great way to remember the basic motions that go into forming the stitch.

Maybe you’ve wondered if there were other rhymes you could use to remember other parts of the knitting process. Bonnie Gosse and Jill Allerton have lots of great rhymes to help kids and others learn to knit, as well as lots of easy and skill-building projects to try, in their newly revised A First Book of Knitting for Children.

This expanded edition includes more instructions and more complex patterns for kids to try, including colorwork hats, socks and more.

The beginning of the book includes lots of photos and rhymes to help kids learn how to cast on, knit, do basic shaping, find and fix mistakes and bind off their knitting. Then there are many projects that just use the knit stitch and basic shaping such as a rabbit, pig, horse, basic doll and elephant.

The book goes on to teach purling and has a couple of patterns that combine knitting and purling (I made a cat from the original version of this book and it’s adorable).

The “more skills” section includes tips on reading a pattern, knitting in the round, different ways to increase and decrease stitches and working with color. Patterns in this section include a different cat, a few dolls, a couple of hats, a hand puppet and slipper socks, among others. Check out the full table of contents on the publisher’s website (the book is British; you can buy it from Amazon if you’re not in the UK).

This book is inspired by the Waldorf tradition of teaching kids to knit when they are young, and there are lots of photos of kids knitting and playing with the projects to show your young knitters that they can do it, too. This is a great book for little ones (and others) to learn the basics and beyond and get inspired by simple but cute and fun toy sand other projects to knit.

About the book: 168 pages, paperback, 26 patterns. Published 2021 by Wynstones Press, suggested retail $24.95.

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Fun Tank Top Knitting Patterns

It seems like every summer there’s a new crop of tank top knitting patterns, and what I noticed about a lot of the new releases this year is that they have fun little details that make them a little more interesting both to knit and to wear. 

Like the Sailoress Top from Joji Locatelli, which has a pretty cable worked up the center from and back, with shorter sections of cable work on the shoulders. It uses DK weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes up to a bust circumference of 72 inches/ 158 cm. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Combine lace and cables in an allover pattern on the Mountain Laurel Top from Andrea Gaughan. This sport weight pattern is worked from the bottom up in the count and has 10 sizes. It’s available on Ravelry.

The Vienna Textured Tank Top by Sarah Hatton has wide ribs broken up by eyelets. There’s very little shaping so it’s a pretty easy knit worked in fingering weight yarn. There are nine sizes available and it’s a free download on Ravelry.

Make a tank with a boho vibe perfect for festival season with Mary Beth Temple’s Tropical Sunset Tank Top. Worked in worsted weight cotton yarn, it’s knit from the bottom up in pieces to make it more stable. The coloring changing yarn is perfect for this one, or you can make it solid or work in your own stripes. You can get the XS size free on her blog, and other sizes are available on Ravelry.

Looking for a cropped lacy V-neck top to knit for summer? Jessie Maed Designs has the Sundae Swirl Tank, worked in DK weight yarn in the round with a fun combination of lace and cables. The ribbing under the arms helps give it a great fit. There are six sizes up to a chest measurement of 62 inches/157.5 cm. You can find this one on Ravelry.

How about a tank top with buttons? The Ridge Tank Button Down from Bluebird Pine Shop could double as a vest in cooler weather. This one is made with light fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Grab a copy on Ravelry.

An otherwise simple top can be made a little more interesting with the addition of a fun edging, like on Sarah Opie’s Seashell Tank. Worked in fingering weight yarn, it has a whopping 24 sizes and lots of customization options for making it fit the way you want. The edging is crocheted. Learn more on Ravelry.

7 Tank Top Knitting Patterns

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A Great Tank Top Knitting Pattern for Summer

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