Craft with Me is a series of craft book reviews done by our very own NYPL librarians. We pick a craft book currently available within our collection and try a few of the projects to see how feasible they are. 

If you are looking for gifts to make for the little ones in your life, then you’re in the right place! These projects are perfect for babies, toddlers, and older children as well. While these patterns are pretty easy to follow, we recommend you be at least an advanced beginner in crochet before attempting them. 

In this edition of Craft with Me, we're bringing you some of our crochet projects that were inspired by our picture book collection. While looking at craft books to review, we came across  patterns that reminded us of some familiar cartoon faces: Pete the Cat, Splat the Cat, Battle Bunny, and Harry the Dog. By changing the yarn color and adding a few details we managed to bring some of our favorite characters to life!

Crochet is a great medium for showing off your personality through your creations. If your little one has a favorite character, why not bring them to life yourself? Our craft section is full of great pattern books that are easily adaptable. Check out our reviews below!

Craft Books

Crochet One Skein Wonders: 101 Projects From Crocheters Around the World edited by Judith Durant and Edie Eckman

In this all-crochet addition to the One-Skein Wonders® series, Edie Eckman and Judith Durant offer 101 exciting crochet projects — including jewelry, scarves, bags, hats, dresses, and home decor items — that each use just one skein of yarn. With projects organized by yarn type and weight, you’ll be crocheting lacy shrugs for the springtime and heavy-duty beanies for the snowy winter months. Whatever your experience level, you’re sure to find a delightfully portable project that suits your individual style. 

Cuddly Crochet: Adorable Toys, Hats, and More by Stacey Trock

Looking for a great gift for a special youngster? Choose from 10 adorable stuffed animals and pair them with 10 practical items such as blankets, hats, and bibs for the perfect baby-gift combo. How about a kissable koala wrapped in a blanket--or a huggable mouse paired with a baby's bib!

 

 

Craft Reviews:

Lucky Dog, Five Hair Scrunchies, Three-Round Scarf

Crochet One Skein Wonders: 101 Projects From Crocheters Around the World edited by Judith Durant and Edie Eckman

Reviewed by: Sue Yee

Overall impression: This assumes you know and are comfortable with the basic crochet stitches and techniques. Includes a glossary of terms, abbreviations, and chart/diagram symbols. A quick review of stitches is included in the glossary.

Projects organized by yarn weight. Patterns include: coasters, jewelry (necklace & earrings); scarves, cowls, shawls, hats, gloves, bags, baby clothes and stuffed animals. The majority of patterns also include a crochet chart/diagram of the stitch patterns.

Patterns are well written and easy to follow, even for a beginner. I was able to make five scrunchies, a scarf that looked pretty complicated, but was fairly easy, and a stuffed puppy.

I’m more of a visual learner, so I found the diagrams to be very helpful when I couldn’t figure out the written instructions.

Patterns are from different designers and a short bio of each designer is included at the back of the book. Bio’s also includes designer’s website, blog site, or book titles so readers can find more of their patterns.

There’s a big variety of patterns, so I was able to choose something that was on my level that I wanted to make. Liked that the patterns are organized by weight, so I didn’t have to search through the entire book trying to find something that matched what I had in my yarn stash. Or find an item/pattern I liked only to find that the yarn I had was the wrong weight. Also liked that I can find more patterns by the designers I like through the info included in their bio’s. 

Think I will be making other projects from this book. (Liked it enough to buy it as an e-book, but I like the physical book better since I can keep the book open in front of me and not have to worry about my tablet shutting down due to no activity.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Kitty

Designed by Deb Richey

From: Crochet One Skein Wonders: 101 Projects From Crocheters Around the World edited by Judith Durant and Edie Eckman

Reviewed by: Amanda Pagan

Overall impression: I agree with Sue. The pattern was surprisingly easy to follow, and worked up very quickly. When I first opened the page to the cat pattern, I was instantly inspired to create my own based off of Pete the Cat by James Dean! 

I had a ball of blue worsted weight yarn left over from a previous project that I used that was probably less than a full skein. I used hook size H for his body, and a size G for his eyes and nose. I have been crocheting for a little more than ten years now, but I have issues with single crochet and usually avoid them when possible. By using a bigger hook I was able to see my stitches clearly, and this was especially helpful when making the legs, feet, and tail because I was essentially crocheting tubes. 

This pattern took me a few days because I have issues with single crochet (such tiny stitches!). The directions were clear and easy to follow. If you are already an advanced beginner, then you should be able to follow this just fine. It works up very quickly, so this would make a fun weekend project. It’s also a great way to use up any leftover yarn you have in your stash. 

Changes:

The pattern recommended using safety button eyes, but since I did not have those on hand and because Pete has such a distinctive set of eyes, I chose to make them using a pattern I created myself. 

If you are looking to make your own Pete the Cat or simply like the look of the eyes, here is the pattern I made up for the eyes:

Pete the Cat eyes 

Row 1: Ch 4, sl st to first st (white)

Row 2: 6 sc in second ch from hook, ch 1, sl st to first stitch (black)

Row 3: 2 sc each into next three sts, 1 sc into fourth st. (yellow)

You might have to play around with the eyes with your hands to shape them. The white should peek out from under the ch 1 in the second row. In the end it should be a semicircle. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hazel the Bouncy Bunny and Kendra the Kitty Cat

From Cuddly Crochet: Adorable Toys, Hats, and More by Stacey Trock

Reviewed by: Amanda Pagan

All of the plushies in this craft book follow the same pattern for their heads, bodies, and feet. Depending on what animal you are doing, you will follow different patterns for their ears and facial features. The pattern itself is super easy to follow and if you like your stuffies squat and full of stuffing, then this is a perfect pattern for you. My plushies came out perfectly huggable. 

I used crochet hook size H and about a skein of yarn leftover from a previous project for each plushie.  

I was inspired by some of the books in our collection and attempted to make my Kendra the Kitty Cat look more like Splat the Cat. For Hazel the Bouncy Bunny, I pulled inspiration from the deadly and fuzzy Battle Bunny!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're looking for inspiration, check your little one's bookshelves!

Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett and Alex; pictures by Matthew Myers but mostly Alex

Alex, whose birthday it is, hijacks a story about Birthday Bunny on his special day and turns it into a battle between a supervillain and his enemies in the forest--who, in the original story, are simply planning a surprise party.

 

 

 

 

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

A nervous Splat finds his first day at Cat School much better than he expected.

 

 

 

 

Pete the Cat: I love My White Shoes story by Eric Litwin (aka Mr. Eric); art by James Dean