Product Description

A collection of thirty knitted patterns that can be completed in a minimum of time features instructions for creating such classic gifts as baby booties and bonnets, as well as newer ideas including a tea cozy, a felted yoga mat bag, and floor cushions. 15,000 first printing. Crafter's Choice Main.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17111 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 144 pages

Customer Reviews

Not a bad book, but ...
I like knitting and I love giving handmade and homemade gifts to friends, so when I heard of Joelle Hoverson's book "Last-Minute Knitted Gifts" I was very intrigued. Sadly, the book proved to be less intriguing than I had hoped.

Looking at the title, I would assume the operative word here is "gifts", and maybe my definition is different from Hoverson's, but the "gift appeal" of some of the featured items is more than debatable. Essentially, Hoverson offers an eclectic selection of small, easily made knitted items, divided into different chapters, according to roughly how long it will take to make them. There are 32 projects in all (not counting variations of a basic pattern, like the selection of hats or the soft toys). This number, though, sounds more impressive than it actually is. 8 of the projects are scarves, that old, old stalwart of knitted gifts, last-minute or otherwise. Another 8 are presents for babies and small children, from angora baby booties to a snuggle blanket. Baby clothes, by merit of their size, are always quickly made, and they even might come in handy as last-minute gifts if you suddenly found out your dinner hosts have a baby and you are tired of bringing a bottle of wine. Still, these particular items are best described as listless - we've seen it all before, and a lot better. And that, exactly, is the problem with this book: Most of the designs are just that little bit too simple, and even though Hoverson uses beautiful, colourful and exquisite yarns (most of them not readily available in the UK), most of the items are lacking that certain "wow" factor which would turn them into desirable gifts, and not just last-minute products of sheer desperation.

Yes, there are some lovely patterns, too - a truly beautiful silk camisole, for example, and the hand/wrist warmers have proved to be in great demand among all my friends. On the other hand, you have such ridiculous items as pompoms and linen tassels and "sweater and stocking minis" which, according to Hoverson, have almost unlimited decorative uses - most of them in the bin, I fear.

The other parts of the book fail to impress, too. There are the prerequisite sections on "knitting basics" - yarns, needles etc. - and a supposedly new approach to colours, but most of it is just so much hot air, or rather, an exercise in belabouring the obvious. Mind-numbing sentences like, "a row counter is a tool that keeps count of the rows worked," abound, and the revolutionary new perspective in regard to colours boils down to a simple "you don't have to stick to the colour stated in a pattern, you can use any colour you like." There is also a list of Hoverson's favourite (knitting) books, and a section on suppliers - which should come in handy if you are ever in the States, or New York in particular (where you will also find Hoverson's own shop). If, like me, you are knitting in the UK, it's simply two wasted pages.

"Last-Minute Knitted Gifts" does contain some nice designs, even some useful ones. Its inspirational value is limited, though, as none of the projects offer any real creative twists or anything out of the very ordinary. Make sure to have a look at it before you buy, otherwise you might be disappointed.

Ideal
I like this kind of book, it does exactly what the title suggests, gives you a whole host of patterns that can be knitted up quickly and given to people (or kept for yourself). With scarfs, little bags, toys and soft furnishings as well as baby stuff there should be something to suit pretty much everyone, with the patterns laid out clearly with good photographs. Best of all, the projects are divided by time, so you can pick something fast or a little slower depending on your deadline, and there are nice extras like the article on colour combination and useful hints on wrapping and presentation. The airy scarf is my favourite thus far, but I'm sure my friends will be receiving many of these items as time goes by. An excellent mix of the practical and fun, with things suitable for the beginner as well as more advanced knitters.

a reader
This is a wonderful book, I'm really glad I bought it. There is a wide variety of projects, most of which are straightforward. I'm working on the chevron scarf at the moment. It looks amazing, and I'm finding it very easy once I interpretted the abbreviations. This is the 4th scarf pattern I've made, all good enough to give away as gifts, which has boosted my confidence no end. I've also made the bag illustrated on the front cover, just out of ordinary craft cotton, rather than the recommended silk. One area where I have struggled is in replacing the american yarns which aren't available over here, for example with the chevron scarf, but I think this is just my own inexperience. Next I'd like to knit the baby bootees but I don't understand the instructions, so it may take me longer than the guideline 2 hours. I would recommend this book to any knitter, especially novices like myself, as I'm finding it a great way to expand my skills.