StitchboardMod message #1
Knitting Patterns for Kelly Dolls by KazKnitz
July 28, 2009 at 1:29:31 PM
 
I ordered this book when it first came out.  I was so excited and could hardly wait to get it.  Since I live in the US, there was a bit of a wait, as this book comes from Australia, but I have to say, it was well worth the time it took to ship.

The book has approximately 45 outfits in it (I�d guess more than 50 pieces altogether, since some outfits have more than one piece).  There isn�t anything the author (Karen Kolleth) hasn�t thought of...skirts, dresses, pantsuits, jackets, even hats.  One thing I especially love about this book: there is very little crochet involved.  Don�t get me wrong, I do know how to (and immensely enjoy) crochet, but am often discouraged to find out there are so many crochet embellishments to knitted outfits in "knitting" books. For someone who doesn�t crochet at all, I imagine that can be quite a disappointment, so with this book, someone who knits exclusively has nothing to worry about.  I believe there was only one crochet embellishment in the entire book, perhaps two.

There were very few things I disliked about the book, and nothing at all major.  The patterns are outstanding, the instructions quite clear.  What I would have liked to see were more stitch counts, as some rows didn�t have them.  I ended up having to count and calculate to ensure I wasn�t doing anything wrong.  Another thing in the �would be nice� department is a notation of whether the project starts at the top or the bottom (to give some perspective -- I completely ruined a hooded coat by mistakenly starting it with four rows of garter stitch to counteract curling at the bottom, only to discover when almost completely through that the pattern started at the top), and then some kind of measurement at certain points, to tell me if I�m working too large or too small.  While the author does give a general stitch gauge and talks about making the outfit a second time if it�s too large or too small (rather than a swatch, which would ultimately take more time to accomplish), I�d really like to know a little earlier than when I�m at the end of making this outfit if it�s not right.  And another thing I found myself wishing to see was a needle size conversion for US sizes for each pattern.  While there is a handy dandy guide at the back of the book, often, I just want to get going without having to first flip back to look up the correct needle size.  And one of the patterns had an odd needle size (3 1/4mm) I had to look up online before I could start it.

Again, these are minor points, as this is an excellent, well-written book overall, containing great projects and wonderful photographs.  These patterns practically call me to make them -- they�re so irresistible, I hardly know which one to make next.  I�ve already made a poncho, a cape for a friend�s doll, an adorable �petal� dress, a t-shirt and a karate suit.  With just a few skeins of yarn and this book, my Kelly dolls will no doubt be well-clothed year-round.  I plan to eventually order book 2, as well.  If you�re a Kelly doll fan who loves to knit, I promise, you won�t be disappointed.  Karen Kolleth is definitely a designer to watch.