The Knitted Odd-bod Bunch: 35 Unique And Quirky Knitted Creatures
My Review
What a FUN book. These are not realistic animals that you are creating (but then again, how real can a knit toy really look?) The author takes the standard animal shape, and the stretches and squishes the form to create new, unique, re-invented shapes. Some creatures have multiple heads, some have necks that are super long, or have legs that are super short. In some cases, you can tell what existing animal provided the inspiration, whereas others were clearly born in the imagination of Donna Wilson.
Two of my favorite patterns: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fair isle detail on the Owl. I plan to make this sometime in the near future. The Raccoon-Fox makes me giggle with delight.
Designing your own knitting patterns is a self-taught process. When you are dealing with toys, you have to consider the 3D shape and how you are going to form that. For me, as I try to make examples of existing creatures, I try to make things as realistic (or recognizable) as possible. This book inspired me to let the shapes that I accidentally create help drive the design. I think that I will try knitting some free form shape, without having an idea of what it will look like at the beginning. Once I have that base, I can figure out a way to turn it into a fabulous toy (that hopefully all of you will want to knit!)
Flipping through the book, you feel as though you are reading about a cartoon that you never watched on TV. There are stories behind each of the characters that really bring even the strangest looking toy personality. These stories are just as delightful as the patterns, and would make this a book that you could share with young children as you knit. (Actually, I like the idea of having a child tell you a story that you would then attach to a pattern. What fun!)
Reading this book really brought a smile to my face. I recommend that you head to your local library, curl up in a chair and take your own look at it!
The Knitted Odd-bod Bunch: 35 Unique And Quirky Knitted Creatures
The cartoonish nature of these characters make them feel like they stepped off of TV.
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Donna Wilson's official site - don't miss it!
- http://www.donnawilson.com/
Donna Wilson's official site