Book Review: Adorable Knitted Animals

I’m just going to say up front that Adorable Knitted Animals by Hiroko Ibuki is not for beginning knitters. There are some relatively easy projects, but even the simplest designs have a lot of pieces and require a lot of finishing that a new knitter might not be ready to do.

The animals are indeed adorable and if you have the patience for knitting all the little pieces and putting them together with care (as well as using Japanese style knitting instructions) this is a great book.

There are 25 different animals included, from a relatively simple pig to a seal, penguin, cats and dogs to a leopard, zebra and more.

The author spent a lot of time looking at photographs of animals and experimenting with different stitch patterns to make the knit versions as realistic as possible.

Thus the many pieces that each project entails. It’s almost as if you were making toys out of fabric except you have to knit all the pieces first.

To take an example at random, Benjamin the Donkey is worked in eight pieces: the underside of the body, the left and right sides of the body, head gusset, outer ears and inner ears. The mane and tail are made of yarn and attached separately, and it has plastic eyes. It’s adorable and totally worth the effort but it is good to know what you are getting into before you choose this book.

The patterns are presented in Japanese style, which means each pattern piece has its own chart that is shaped like the knitting and shows you where shaping, color changes and other steps of the knitting are completed. If you’re new to Japanese knitting patterns, there is one design that includes step-by-step photos to make it a little clearer how to read and interpret the patterns.

Again, none of this is bad. These projects are so cute and no doubt would be loved by anyone you made them for. But it is a level of detail and different techniques that it’s worth noting those differences. Knitters who are comfortable with Japanese patterns or working from charts and who have the patience for a lot of little bits of knitting and finishing will be well rewarded by trying out these adorable projects.

Check out the preview on Amazon, which shows a lot of the finished projects as well as the style of the patterns, for more information.

About the book: 112 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2021 by Tuttle Publishing, suggested retail $15.99.

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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