Fill a child's room with these cute knitted and crocheted animals, or use them as droll and eye catching conversation pieces. From tiny amigurumi style beasties to use as charms to puppets and soft toys there is something for a variety of tastes, ages and abilities to make. Originally published in France, this is an imaginatively different set of stocking stuffers and larger gifts that goes beyond the standard as many of these creatures have been "reimagined". This is a lovely way of saying that, for example, Antoinette is not your average hen with her rakish comb and frilly cancan skirts nor is Felix the Martian dog exactly the sort you might find burying a bone in your garden. Some are in funky colors, others sport clothing items or have interesting new shapes. Not all the knitting is done on needles either, and you will need a knitting nancy/dolly bobbin for some pieces. The key ring charms make great gifts for anybody, and the glove puppets encourage all sorts of imaginative play. The first part of this book shows, in full page photographs, all the projects along with symbols indicating how they are made with a brief description of the method and what yarn was used. The second part has the projects themselves complete with written instructions and diagrams of the sections you need to make. These are squared, need to be enlarged by 333% before use, and do not come with instructions on how to work the stitches as this is not a book for beginners. Anybody who can do basic knitting stitches and work out the grids can tackle these without too much trouble however, and this book will make a different and lively addition to anybody's library of soft toy patterns.-Myshelf.com The zebra on the cover of this book is just the start of it - once inside the knitted and crocheted characters just get cuter and cuter! There are larger soft toys to create, as well as hand puppets and mini amigurumi-style keyrings and bag charms - 35 fabulous projects in total. The book is beautifully presented, with avant-garde photography and clear, concise instructions. It's the sort of book that's a pleasure to look through, even when you know you don't have time to start a new project. Some of the toys make use of templates, which are also included in the book, and there are straightforward instructions on the basic knit and crochet techniques used, too. A smashing book!-Knit Today All 35 creatures featured are fun and easy to make using crochet and hand knitting, as well as French knitting applied to a fabric base. There are clear notes on how to assemble the pieces and the stitches used. Each creature has its own set of step-by-step instructions, together with templates, and these are wonderful for us to use and adapt for machine knitting. If you like making toys, it's definitely one for you.-Machine Knitting Monthly
