Knit a Mini Safari

Sachiyo Ishii was born and raised in Japan. She was a money broker on Wall Street and in London before discovering the joy of handicraft after her second son was born. She learned dressmaking and Waldorf doll making and has been designing and creating dolls and toys ever since. She teaches knitting, doll making, wet and dry felting, sewing, crochet and spinning, among other crafts. She has authored a number of best-selling titles for Search Press and her work regularly appears in knitting magazines. Sachiyo lives in Sussex, UK with her husband and two sons. Visit her website at www.knitssachi.com

LIBRARY JOURNAL, Oct 2023Expert knitter Ishii (All-New Twenty To Make: Flowers To Knit) is known for her tiny knitted designs for things like ocean animals and Christmas toys. This book contains patterns for 20 knitted animals, including lions, elephants, zebras, meerkats, and crocodiles. The book begins with a list of required materials and tools (yarn, needles, crochet hooks, stuffing) and a quick lesson on how to knit that’s geared to more experienced knitters; readers new to the craft will want to consult other works for additional guidance. A chart explains abbreviations, and detailed photographs illustrate how to sew and stuff the projects. There are instructions for making an I-cord, a tail, a mane, and other embellishments. Several of the striped animals (zebras and tigers) require embroidery on the finished creation. Inexperienced knitters may want to work their way up to the more advanced patterns, such as the ones for a gazelle and a monkey. Ishii assures readers the patterns are easy to make, but it takes some finesse to knit with small double-pointed needles and little bits of yarn.VERDICT A delightful book for readers looking to expand their knitting repertoires to small toys.

• ContentsIntroductionTools and materialsBasic knittingSewing up and stuffingBasic embroideryOther techniquesProjects:Elephant, Hippo, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion, Tiger, Tapir, Zebra, Impala, Gazelle, Giraffe, Monkey, Gorilla, Meerkats, Pelican, Parrot, Vulture, Crocodile, Snake, Giant turtle