Reviews

I've made several of the garments in this book and like them very much. Once in a while the instructions seem to be missing something, though, as another reviewer pointed out. Near the end of p. 70, for instance, you're instructed to knit a RS row and then immediately afterward another RS row, and then to repeat those two rows until 5 sts remain. Two problems: this is not on circular or DP needles, so there can't be two RS rows one after the other; and there's no way to get down to 5 sts. You can get down to 6, and then the next time you follow the instructions, you're left with 4. Both are minor points--I figured out that there must be a P row missing, and I worked around the 4 sts vs. 5 sts problem, but it does shake my confidence in the accuracy of the instructions.

I agree with the other reviewers in saying that this book is full of beautiful patterns. The photography is done very nicely too. I would definitely consider making every project in the book, which is somewhat of a rarity in pattern books anymore. True to the title, many of these little items have the vintage feel to it (such as the wavy cashmere blanket and vintage pixie cap) and are very cute. Vintage isn't always the best though; I've looked through my share of patterns from the 40's & 50's and so on and have found the vast majority of them don't appeal to me, are outdated and old looking, you wouldn't want to put them on any baby today. But this book does a wonderful job of featuring patterns that are vintage but at the same time perfectly wearable and still modern enough to give to a child now. I have been finishing other projects and waiting to start on a pattern from this book. However, the 1st thing I have attempted to do had me a little confused and this is why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5. It isn't my own error, I've double checked and read the instructions carefully. The instructions on the Pom-Pom Booties tell you to follow a round with some increasing, and then to repeat it again once more and is followed by the number of stitches you should have. You're supposed to have 31 stitches, which you do, if you count everything. But you've only been instructed to work 29 of them. The other 2 stitches are still on the left needle. There is no instruction on what you're supposed to do with these remaining 2, the round just ends with the completion of repeating the instruction for the second time. There isn't something like "K2, or K remaining stitches" or any little note in the beginning of the pattern that you would go back to. This irritates me. I assume by looking at the picture of the finished product that I probably do knit the remaining stitches. This situation is the same on the other lines of the pattern (complete an instruction another time and only get the stitch count, not what to do with the few remaining on the left needle). This is the first book I've come across that just flat out doesn't tell me what to do with stitches. The book seems to think the knitter will just know to knit the stitches, or know what to do with them. I don't want to have to assume. Maybe it's a minor thing, but a person could assume the wrong thing and not know. I'd rather just have a spelled out "K2, K remaining stitches, etc....' or some type of instruction that makes what you're supposed to be doing very clear. This is the first pattern I've tried to do, I haven't tried any others yet so I don't know if the same thing happens in any other patterns. Besides the issue of unspecified instructions, I'd still say the book is a really great buy, worth the money, and full of great little projects for knitters of different experience levels.

I really like how this book has classic patterns that are simple, yet have refined details that will knit up quickly. I love difficult patterns, yet I am totally looking forward to knitting up many of these beautiful, quick knitting items.

This book would make a spectacular gift for any knitter who loves creating beautiful, unique garments for children. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving! Author Hadley Fierlinger offers this introduction: "Most of us knit for babies today because we want to, not because we have to. We knit for them, as our grandmothers did, for the love of it. We knit because nothing else can give us the same soothing texture and emotion as a garment created by hand. While we sit and knit, our hopes and dreams are wrapped in every stitch." For me, this really sums up what knitting means to me and serves as the perfect opener for this book. And oh, what patterns! These are beautiful, simple affairs that were inspired by vintage patterns. The finished garments have a look of grace about them, thanks to their simplicity. Twenty-five patterns are presented, from booties and bonnets, to sweaters and jackets. Each one is representative of classic knits. You almost get the sense that you are recreating heirlooms - but with better yarn! No matter your experience, you will most definitely find items that are a good match for your skill level. No guesswork is needed as each pattern is indicated with one of three skill levels, or a blend of two levels. Beginners can start off with the Organic Heirloom Blanket or Tiny Trousers, moving onto Cabled Booties as they gain confidence. Experienced knitters will no doubt want to try their hand at the oh-so-sweet Ballet Blossom Cardigan or impressive Double-Breasted Car Coat (wow!). I think everyone should knit up a few pair of Wee Mittens, as they are just too irresistible to pass up! As soon as I started leafing through the book, I just knew my first project would be the Ruby Slippers. These are small ballet type slippers with a cross strap right over the top of the foot, secured by a button. They are dainty and just all-together perfect. The instructions were easy to follow, and I had the right slipper knitted in no time (ahem, one episode's worth of Glee!) at all. I was very pleased to find my slipper had turned out just like the photo in the book. If you are a knitter of baby items, or know someone who is, I urge you to take a look at this book. Definitely visit Hadley Fierlinger's Flickr account ([...])to check out a great bunch of photos. These should give a good sense of what the book offers and if it would be a good fit for you and your needles. Personally, I love it! P.S. You may also want to take a peek at Hadley's blog - http://shescraftyness.blogspot.com/ - she offers free patterns ....

This is a lovely book, well written, well researched, beautiful pictures and super easy patterns, with yarn that is readily available. A credit to Hadley Fierlinger. Well done.

Reviews

I love this book. I'd consider myself an intermediate knitter. I find the instructions easy to follow and the selection of patterns charming. Nicely laid out book. I've completed the Stella Pixie hat, which was very fun to knit. I'm working through the Bobby Kimono now. I have about three more items from this book I plan on making. I can see the Stella Pixie hat becoming a staple baby gift! Love it!

I received a copy of Vintage Baby Knits for Christmas, and immediately started making the Betty Lou Lace Cardigan on page 48 as a gift. I can't believe the glowing reviews for this book, and can only think that most the reviewers haven't actually tried to knit anything from it yet. I was extremely disappointed that the pattern contained MAJOR errors in the very first row. There is no way this cardigan could have been knit from this pattern, as the increases to this symmetrical garment are shown as happening only at the beginning of the row. As a very experienced knitter, I believe I know how to fix it, but even had the increases been placed correctly, the resulting quality of the pattern would have been very low. For a garment with 8 stitch markers, there should have been more of an attempt to explain where the increases should be relative to the stitch markers after completing the row. Needless to say, my confidence in the quality of this book is gone. I'm terribly disappointed by this disaster of a pattern. After checking the publisher's errata web page online, I'm even more disappointed. It doesn't show a correction for the pattern I tried, but for 3 others that I haven't even looked at yet!

I found this book very charming-- instructions are simple to follow. Photographs are true to finished projects. I have made three swaeters and the toddler dress so far, I will probably knit every pattern in the book (except the soakers-- other reviews have that one right). The patterns will be simple for a knitter with experience, I would not recommend this for your first foray into baby knitting. Overall great book!

I love this book. The designs are fresh yet classic. As a knitter with over 40 years of knitting experience, I found this book to be quite possibly my all-time favorite for babies. The patterns hold my interest - they have enough complexity that I don't get bored. They're challenging, but not to the point of causing me to break out in a knitting fever. It's a book I'll use again and again, which is more than I can say for most knitting books.

I bought this book after seeing all the samples on the author's book tour. The garments are even more adorable in person than in the book's lovely photographs. There are a lot of patterns in this book, with many different kinds of garments, making it a very good value for the money. Texture patterns, colorwork, cables, lace patterns, and garments with interesting construction make for a varied knitting experience. The use of lighter weight yarns makes great use of all the unique sock yarns out there. The author is very knowledgeable about vintage knitting and clothing styles, and provides interesting overviews of the styles and trends that influence her work. All in all, a very beautiful, useful, and satisfying book.

Reviews

Made the cover sweater for my mom. She really liked it. I'll be making several more patterns from the book. The instructions were very understandable. Also, these patterns are easily adapted to personal preferences. Akin to the shawl pattern it must be based on, the cover sweater dips up in the back and comes to a point. My mom preferred to have more of a sense of coverage. I easily added onto the back without any problems.

This is a delightful book and filled with loads of interesting patterns. I'm not sure if I'll actually knit anything from it, but for a pattern collector it's great to see the old patterns jazzed up and brought to life for a new generation to have a go at.

I bought this book because I liked the garment on the cover, but the directions for making (crocheting) this garment are totally off-base. I tried for hours to make the stitch count increases match up with the directions given and it just didn't jive. If anyone else has tried to make this pattern and succeeded, I would greatly appreciate hearing how you did this. [...]

I'm drawn to "vintage" like a bee to honey. I went to the library today and checked out this book and Vintage Knits: 30 Exquisite Vintage-Inspired Patterns for Cardigans, Twin Sets, Crewnecks and More, so a comparison is inevitable. Personally I find this book less appealing because the designs have been tweaked so much they've lost their "vintageness" or they were unattractive to begin with, and because nearly all of them use heavyweight synthetic yarn. Some of them are boring or similar to what's available online. The publisher should have let people view this book on Amazon so potential buyers can see what they're getting. Nonetheless I found a few interesting items, such as All-Seasons Cardigan, which actually looks better than the original; and the Look-Back Jacket, which has side slits and a wide belted back. Some of the designs have Zimmermann-type construction--made in one piece and then seamed into a garment. For example, a cute Sailor Sweater is unfortunately sized for children, but since it's constructed in one piece, sizing up should be a matter of simple math. Each pattern includes a photo from the original publication and the modern reworking, a difficulty rating (most are easy or intermediate), and garments have a schematic. Projects include sweaters, shawls, hats, and scarves for men, women, dogs, and children; baby items; gloves; slippers; and blankets. Based on the artwork, the originals are from the late 19th through mid-20th century. If you like the designs than this book is worth the money. I'm glad I didn't buy it based on the title.

This book surprised me. I was not expecting it to be all that useful. A young friend wanted me to make one of the patterns so I purchased it. Low-and-behold it's full of fun ideas. Being a pattern tweaker from way back I can see all kinds of possibilities. This book is worth shelf space.