Susan B. Anderson's first book, Itty-Bitty Hats, quickly developed a following for its creative twists on hats for babies. Her second volume, Itty-Bitty Nursery, presents knitting designs with the same unique style but an expanded scope. Anyone knitting for little ones will definitely want to make this book part of her library, both for the designs themselves and the clever techniques they employ.
The Layout
The book begins with some basics (how-tos on casting on, the knit stitch, and others), and then launches into a chapter made up of beautiful designs that can be made with the knit stitch alone (the cover photo, in fact, is one of them). The rest of the book is organized by category: sets for babies, items for the nursery, bags and garmets, and toys. The projects range from the very simple (like those garter stitch projects) to fairly elaborate, and from traditional (an all-white layette suitable for framing once worn) to quirky (pillows shaped like peas and carrots). The yarns are moderately expensive, but many overlap each other so waste is minimized.
Throughout, Anderson's voice is evident. Her introductions are all in the first person, and each is peppered with stories from her own life and explanations of her design inspiration. Pattern instructions are clear and thorough, and the book concludes with illustrated tutorials on various techniques used in the projects. The book's photography is truly gorgeous, showing many of the projects in action.
The Designs
What really sets this book apart is the way Anderson merges beauty (the projects are all adorable--just the kind of thing you'd want to put your baby in) and creativity. There are hundreds of baby sweater patterns out there, for example, but Anderson's designs are all truly unique--one is fleece-lined and hooded with a new embroidery technique, another flower-embellished design uses the stem as part of the closure. It's clear that each pattern comes from careful thought and creative inspiration. Some highlights:
- a book pillow and matching sweater and slippers in bright alpaca
- a mobile cover with tiny mice (which can be detached for play once the mobile has outlived its usefulness)
- covers for tissue and wipes boxes
- a whimsical clothesline, complete with tiny jeans and a parasol
- pacifier clip ornaments including an elephant and a frog
- a beautiful cupcake hat, mitten, and scarf set, complete with cherries
- a felted diaper bag that will work as a purse once diaper days are over
- a 25 piece tea set with golden spoons, sugar cubes, and sequin-filled tea bags
- a set of finger puppets based on the Three Little Pigs, complete with huts and kettle
These designs, along with the other patterns in the book, make it an essential that's worth every penny.
Pattern errata can be found on Anderson's blog.
Itty-Bitty Nursery is published by Artisan Books, ISBN-13: 978-1-57965-334-7
