Knitting for Little Sweethearts

by Hanne Andreassen HjelmAYs and Torunn Steinsland

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: my link textNonstop Reader.

Knitting for Little Sweethearts is a collection of attractive practical and ever-so-slightly whimsical knitwear for small people. Written by Klompelompe designers Hanna Andreassen Hjelmås and Torunn Steinsland, it was released 28th Oct 2018, it's 168 pages and available in hardcover format.

I live and work much of the year in Norway. There's been a huge resurgence of classic handknitting here especially in the last decade. Norway is a lovely country very far north and very full of mountains. And sheep. And many many Norwegians who spend (to my American sensibilities) an insane amount of time on skis running around in the snow. This leads, not unnaturally, to an appreciation for wool clothing which can absorb a pretty stunning amount of water without feeling wet to the touch and insulates very very well when one is running around in the snow.

This book is chock full of really pretty and sensible designs. They're classic and are honestly heirloom quality. You could use these patterns now and 25 years from now. They're not going to go out of date.

The book itself is translated for North American audiences. I'm not 100% sure about the availability of the yarns. Most of the yarns in the book are Norwegian or at least European suppliers, for example Sandnes Garn (one of the major Norwegian wool manufacturers and widely available here in Norway). There are certainly universally available substitute yarns available worldwide, but there is no 'built in' converter in the book. Needle sizes are converted to US measurements, but the gauge swatch measurements are in metric.

The patterns themselves run the gamut from very simple to more complex. Most of the designs are knitted, but there are a few crochet pieces. There are hats, mittens and other accessories as well as larger pieces such as jackets and pullovers.

This is not a learn-to-knit book. There are no stitch or shaping diagrams. Those can be found elsewhere or as the authors suggested, at your local yarn shop.

I loved that the authors gave a shout out to local yarn shops. Yarn shops are a golden resource for people learning to knit and are full of people who are invested in helping their customers become the best knitters they can become.

This is a lovely book and will become a standard go-to for anyone needing gifts for expectant friends or future family members. I've knitted several of these as gifts for expectant colleagues and have found the patterns mistake free and easy to follow.

Five stars. Very very good knitting book for the small humans in your life.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.