Book Review: Knits for Kitties

The image of a cat playing with a ball of yarn is cute, but it’s not actually safe for cats to play with yarn because they could eat some of it. Better to use that yarn to make toys that are a little harder to tear apart than a single strand of yarn (though it’s still probably a good idea to supervise play with knit cat toys, just in case).

Sara Elizabeth Kellner has made a fun collection of cat toys (or tiny toys for humans) in her book Knits for Kitties: 25 Knit Patterns for Making Cat Toys.

Many of the patterns are inspired by creatures her cat likes to chase, including mice, birds, snakes and grasshoppers. There are also more whimsical designs, such as doughnuts, mittens and petit fours stuffed with catnip for special occasions.

There are ladybugs, lizards, shrimp, flowers and more. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry. A roundup of finishing and embroidery techniques at the back of the book will help make your projects a success.

These projects are really cute and fun to knit, whether you’re new to knitting toys or love this whimsical genre. And the adorable photography, featuring cats interacting with the toys, is sure to delight any cat lover.

About the book: 112 pages, paperback with interior flaps, 25 patterns (7 rated for beginners, 10 intermediate and 8 advanced). Published by Baron’s Educational Series, August 2016, retail price $16.99.

Next Pattern:

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

Next Pattern:

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