some knitting books

Would it surprise you if I said I'm quite fond of knitting books?

Today, I thought I might review a few of my favourites, but with a little twist.
These are knitting books that we share as a family, that we read together. We are big readers here in this household and we do like knitting books!

(I should point out here that it is not unknown for my kids to take one of Barbara Walker's stitch dictionaries to bed to look at. )

But you guessed it, I am talking about our favourite knitting picture books.

I'm sure I'm not alone and quite like it when I find a portrayal of someone knitting in a kid's book. Just tonight, Lily was reading Roald Dahl's 'Danny the Champion of the World' and she very excitedly read me a passage about his mother knitting.

Have you read any of the books above?

We've had 'Milo Armadillo' the longest. I was quite excited to find a picture book about knitting with the name Milo in the title, I have to say.  I bought this for Toby for perhaps his first birthday.

I love the illustrations in this. I love the way the illustrator captures the fabric of both knits but also other textiles.  Have a look at the clothes and the backgrounds, it almost feels like you can touch and feel them!

'Milo Armadillo' tells the story of a little girl who desperately wants a pink rabbit. Unable to find one anywhere, her grandmother franitically knits her one.  It doesn't quite turn out right as you might expect...it's more of an armadillo than a rabbit.

It's a beautiful story about learning to appreciate what you have, and that sometimes being a bit different is a bit better.

I so love that there is even a link to the pattern to knit your own Milo Armadillo.

I love this picture of the grandmother knitting.

'Knitting Nell' reminds me a bit of our Lily.

Not that Lily can knit that well though.

'Knitting Nell' tells the story of a wee girl, who at the start of the book is perhaps a bit shy, doesn't like to speak up too much in front of others. Through her talent, which happens to be knitting, she learns to do her own thing and also develops a sense of herself and her confidence in who she is. This is something we've really watched Lily come to terms with over the last year or so.

I love the juxtaposition of these two images from the near the start and end of the book.

The final book, is, I think my favourite.

It's just stunningly beautiful.

I love the fairy tale nature of this story about a young girl who finds a box of yarn and starts knitting from it. and knitting. and knitting. and knitting.  It's bottomless. Of course, a bad man comes to steal her box of yarn but it is worthless to him and so he throws it away. It finds its way back home to her.

I think what I really like though, is that the little girl runs out of people to knit jumpers for so she yarn bombs the whole town. Ok, they don't call it yarn bombing in the story, but that's what she's doing.

Do you have a favourite knitting picture story book?

I'd love to hear about it if you do. 

Christmas is not far away and traditionally my children always get a couple of books each. If I can sneak in a knitting related one, all the better!

ANNNNND, before I finish up. I'd like to introduce you to my second sponsor for my Spring has Sprung KAL.

Yay! for yarn is an Australian based on-line store that stocks some fabulous yarns that you don't find in your normal LYS. Ella Rae, Cascade, Noro and Dream in Colour are just a few.  Kiri also stocks the Knit Pro range of interchangable needles.  

Yay! for yarn has generously donated a $40AUD gift voucher to her store.

I asked Kiri what Spring meant to her and this is what she had to say:

Hmmmm, Spring nights, there is something special about those warm evenings when the days start to get a bit longer and you linger in the gardern a bit longer than you should before starting dinner/baths/dishes/stories (all those joyful chores before that wonderful moment when the kids are in bed!). What else, I'm looking out my window and even though it's actually raining today (yay!) everything is various shades of yellow, brown and yellowy-brown greens; dusty, dirty and dry. 

Spring in Brisbane is hot and dry.