Topsy-Turvy Inside-Out Knit Toys: Magical Two-In-One Reversible Projects

I am very impressed with this book. It includes a lot of patterns, with clear, easy to understand instructions. I would highly reccomend it to anyone interested in knitting fun toys for children.

Haven't knitted anything yet but it looks interesting and maybe a little bit complicated for a not very proficient knitter but I'll see

I preordered this book and was thrilled when it was finally released. It arrived today, and I can't wait to knit something from this. The problem is that I love all the designs so much that I really have no idea which to knit first. Susan comes through once again with clever, adorable designs with instructions that are easy to follow. Acknowledging that most knitters dread the finishing work that toys require, Susan has thought through each design to alleviate as much finishing as possible. Clear step-by-step photos show tutorials for many techniques that are useful beyond the scope of the toys in this book, or beyond toys in general. Some of the tutorials include casting on a small number of stitches for working in the round, picking up stitches on a stuffed toy, working duplicate stitch and stem stitch, embroidering faces, stitching on an appliqué, attaching doll hair, and more. The basics of the book are great, too. The hard cover protects the pattern pages, but the covered spiral binding allows the book to lie flat while you're knitting. The cover also features a "pull and smile" tab, a nod to children's books, that reveals the reversible nature of the toys inside. The table of contents features small photos of each project next to the respective chapters--a nice touch. The narrative of the introduction to the book and to each pattern reveals the down-to-earth nature of the designer and gives a more personal connection to the designs. The photography by Liz Banfield is excellent. There is a great balance of close-up stitches-on-the-needle shots, pictures of the toys in transformation, detail shots of each toy, and kids actually playing with the toys. I love that the kids are oftentimes slightly out of focus but the toys are showcased in the forefront. Cute illustrations by Mariko Jesse fill in the white space and add to the whimsy of the book. This isn't a learn-to-knit book, and Susan doesn't waste expensive pages teaching you to knit and purl. She assumes you know the basics, but even a beginner could handle a good number of these patterns. Bottom line: If you are a toy knitter or a knitter who wants to learn to knit toys, buy this book. Just don't let your kids look at it. You might be hounded to knit every toy in the book for them!

An excellent book full of ingenious designs for knitted toys, each of which transforms into something different, guaranteed to please a small child. A kennel turns into a dog, a fairy hides in a flower, a bunny becomes a lamb - and many more. The instructions are detailed and well illustrated, and there's almost none of that fiddly sewing up at the end because the toys are knitted in the round on double-pointed needles. Although the specified yarns are upmarket American, I'm using bog-standard cheap acrylic dk to make the traditional topsy-turvy dolly, and it's working out fine. If you've ever knitted socks on four needles, you'll enjoy creating these clever toys, and any small child of your acquaintance will be enchanted.

The knitted toys in this book are delightful and imaginative: a baby alligator inside an egg, a puppy in a dog house, three pigs in a blanket, to name a few. There are twelve patterns for reversible knitted toys with detailed instructions and beautiful photography. The patterns are introduced in order of difficulty, from easy to more challenging. Knitting on double pointed needles is required throughout, so Although there are tutorials for some finishing techniques, and the instructions are clear, the knitting is not for absolute beginners. I am enjoying knitting these toys so much, that I wish I could knit them all!