Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Giveaway: Animal Knits for Kids Books

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wina copy of two sweet animal knits for kids books

Congratulations to Patty!

Kids in garments that look like animals are always really cute, and this week I have a couple of fun animal knitting for kids books, perfect for a new parent, grandparent or someone who just loves to knit for little ones.

Gramma Nancy’s Animal Hats by Nancy Nielsen includes patterns for hats and booties inspired by animals. They range from bears and bunnies to monkeys, turtles, chickens, cats and dogs, and they all use pretty simple techniques and Vanna’s Choice yarn, so they’re a good value and machine washable.

And Animal Knits for Kids by Amanda Berry has 30 projects for babies and little kids inspired by the zoo. It starts with an adventurer outfit and goes through the jungle, reptile house, polar regions, tropical seas and forest. Garments and accessories are included, such as the tiger jumper on the cover, a coiled snake toy, penguin mittens, a shark hooded vest and a hat with reindeer antlers, to name a few.

For a chance to win both of these books, leave a comment on this post. Why not tell me what your favorite animal is, or whether you’ve ever knit an animal-inspired project. (When I was a kid leopards were my favorites, and my daughter has a fondness for penguins, in case you were wondering.)

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Comments

  2. I love penguins, my granddaughter loves monkeys and I am hoping to be able to knit her some fun hats with a monkey or something else cute! thanks 🙂

  4. I’m currently working on a fox hat for my grandson. These books are full of fun things I co knit for Jaxon.

  6. I’ve crocheted a couple of the cute hooded cowls with fox ears. But I’m a new knitter and would love more cute patterns like this.

  12. My favourite animals are otters and snow leopards. My daughter adores owls and my son, penguins!

  15. I like cats, dogs, foxes, pretty much anything furry. I knit a fox hat for my younger daughter last winter. I also knit a cow-spotted sweater for the same daughter when she was a baby.

  16. I have needed crochet an animal themed item. I think I would enjoy doing a lion when I was a kid.. My granddaughter would want me to make anything that looks like a house cat.

  17. I knit foxy-scarves for our two older DGDs in 2014. They looked wonderful and were scarves they loved to wear. One of our DDs loved black and white animals (penguins, killer whales, zebras, pandas, etc.). She was torn between two careers–concert pianist or accountant. Both black and white occupations!

    from too darn cold VT,
    the Vermonster

  18. Have never anything with an animal theme. So many really cute patterns to choose from now. My daughter would love to have a fox hat.

  19. I knit a couple of animal sweaters for our son when he was little: one had a whale, wrapped around the sweater’s body with the tail on the back of the sweater and then a dinosaur sweater. Now it’s bunny hats for the granddaughters! Would love more ideas!

    Favorite animal? Probably a cat; one that’s past the kitten stage.

  21. A giraffe … they’re just cool! Can’t recall knitting a animal anything, but I could be forgetting!

  22. I like cats, bears, hedgehogs, pandas, really any animal! I’ve knitted a few cats but I haven’t do any other animals yet. But some parakeets are up next on my list.

  23. I love cats and knitted a little cat toy for my cousin’s baby. I should knit more of them for the new babies in my life.
    wahoomerryf on Ravelry

  24. My fav is definitely chickens (or exotic birds in my case as you aren’t allowed to have chickens). I’d make adult sizes of the cover hats.

  25. I love all animals ,but I have to say that horses are my favorite.
    I do and will alway knit animal inspired projects. I’d love to have these books to use.

  26. I have done a zebra. And many kinds of creatures – but not many animals!! So many to try… not enough time to do them all!!

  27. I think the animal hats I make are cute until I see someone else’s…this is definitely a “gotta have” to add to my cache of ideas. Turning a spider man one over in my mind now, and I will figure it out…soon I hope. :>)

  28. I like elephants and knit my grandson an elephant lovey. It turned out pretty cute. I think that kids respond well to animal knits.

  29. I regularly crochet small animals as soft toys to give away and would love to branch out into these sweet hats. The chickens are so cute!

  31. I am a beginner knitter so I haven’t the knowledge to make fancy animals. Ready to expand my horizons!!

  34. My 9 year old is currently obsessed with anything to do with racoons because of Rocket, and my toddler loves hats of all kinds. I totally want to make those chicken hats!

  35. My husband and daughter are obsessed with red pandas. I am planning on making both of them hats when I find a pattern that I can modify (my daughter is 22 🙂 )

  37. I’ve just finished little booties for my unborn niece. I’d love to make an animal hat to match and these are cute!

  38. As I have a new grandson (first grandchild) and I know my daughter-in-law would love an animal hat for him, these books would be inspiring and I’d have fun knitting him one – well, one every year until he refused to wear them!!! A koala hat would be fun.

  39. I would like to make a sheep hat and chicken one for my Grandson but he loves animals so would like them all

Have you read?

Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.