Natural Nursery Knits, by Erika Knight
Quadrille Publishing Ltd, UK 2009
This book, subtitled "Twenty handknit projects for the new baby", combines the recent trend for knitting with eco-friendly fibers with timeless designs that are sure to be warmly received. The projects presented by Ms Knight go beyond the traditional blankets, hats and booties, although those are here too. Some of the more unusual patterns are those for a stuffed giraffe, a bird mobile, a rabbit-shaped rattle, and a cot cover that combines sewing and knitting. I particularly like the pattern for the teddy bear and plan to make it for myself.
The book not only explores a wide range of patterns, but a variety of natural fibers too. Many people immediately think "eco-cotton" when green fibers are mentioned, but the book also has patterns written for baby alpaca, bamboo, milk cotton (casein-based yarn) and hemp, among others. The suggested colors are all natural plant-based dyes as well.
The photography in the book is gorgeous and serves very well to show off the appeal of the finished items. The patterns are written in a clear, non-verbose style. British terms and metric measurements are used throughout (as to be expected) but shouldn't present any real problems to North American knitters.
Recommended.
