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Knitting for babies is so much fun—those teeny, tiny little sweaters and booties and those big, cozy blankets. But there comes a time when kids are no longer thrilled by (or at least tolerant of) knitted sweaters as gifts. They don’t want sweaters; they want toys (and if you dare to give them a sweater, they will most likely scowl and explain it to you, in no uncertain terms). So, to thrill the lovable little monsters in your life, you might want to opt for something from Rebecca Danger’s book, The Big Book of Knitted Monsters, instead.
You won’t find any patterns for hats or sweaters or baby blankets in this book—just a whole bunch of knitted monsters. There are big monsters and little monsters, skinny monsters and fat monsters, striped monsters and spotted monsters, monsters with big, floppy ears, and monsters with no ears at all—and each and every one is sure to put a smile on your face.
Each monster is also given a short introduction—so you’ll know a little bit about its personality. Baldwin, for instance, is a bathroom monster who enjoys unrolling rolls of toilet paper. And Petunia is a patio monster who loves soaking up rays. Though the write-ups aren’t long, they add a little bit of character to the book and its projects.
Knitted Monsters is filled with creative and quirky designs for toys that will satisfy (and maybe even delight) every kid on your gift-giving list—and, as an added bonus, the patterns are simple, flexible, and endlessly adaptable. No need to make a special trip to the yarn store; you can knit them using whatever yarn you happen to have lying around the house. Danger includes a few yarn selection tips—and each design shows samples made using at least two different gauges of yarn (resulting in monsters of different sizes). But, really, gauge isn’t all that important here. As long as you have the appropriate needles—and plenty of yarn—you can follow the patterns to make monsters of all shapes and sizes and colors.
On the other hand, while the patterns offer some variations—different body shapes, different legs, different ears—the designs are generally quite similar. So more advanced knitters might find that an entire book of knitted monster patterns is overkill—especially if you’re adept at making up your own patterns.
Still, if your kids (or your nieces and nephews) have gotten to that age where knitted clothes just won’t cut it, give these knitted monsters a try. They’re quick and easy to knit—and they’re so cute that you might just end up knitting a few new friends for yourself, too.
