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I’ve often pointed out that knitting isn’t just for grannies and moms-to-be anymore—and books like this one prove my point. Shannon Okey’s first KnitGrrl book was so popular that she put out a second knitting book for teens, KnitGrrl2. I can’t say much about the first one, since I only flipped through it briefly when it arrived at the local yarn store, but KnitGrrl2 is, to put it plainly, an excellent knitting book—and you don’t have to been a teen to enjoy it.
KnitGrrl2 has a little of everything, crammed into one small, inexpensive book. It starts with the knitting basics—the tools, the yarn, and the stitches. Instructions are given in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step manner, illustrated by big, detailed photographs. If you’ve never picked up needles before, I still recommend learning from another knitter—but if you’re determined to teach yourself, this book will be a big help. It’ll also be a big help when you’re sitting at home alone, without anyone nearby to help you, trying to remember how to purl.
With each chapter of KnitGrrl2, you’ll learn new techniques before trying them out on a few patterns. After you learn the basics, you can knit a book cover. Then you learn to increase and decrease, so you can make a water bottle holder. As the book continues, you’ll learn to pick up stitches, knit in the round, and even knit with beads—to make some really cool knitted jewelry.
Even though I’m well beyond my teen years, I was excited about several of the patterns in this book. They’re cool—but do-able—projects that aren’t exactly like the projects in every other knitting book. But I didn’t want you to have to take just my word for it, so I tested it out on the book’s audience. Each week, I lead a knitting group for kids—so I brought the book with me to get the reaction of the kids in the group. As Heather (who’s 14) flipped through it, I watched her eyes light up. Sure, there were some projects that she didn’t really like—but, for the most part, she liked it. Most of the projects, she pointed out, wouldn’t take forever—which is a bonus for teen knitters, who tend to like quick projects that give them almost-instant gratification. She loved the scarf. She loved the beaded projects. And although she once had a bad experience with a poncho, she told me that she might even give the poncho in this book a shot.
The verdict: KnitGrrl2 is a great knitting book for teens—as well as for older knitters who are looking for quick, easy, cool projects. If you’ve got a teen-age daughter who wants to learn to knit, pick up a copy of this book—you’ll both enjoy it.
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