Twenty to Make – serie

We all love Christmas! This gorgeous little knitting book by the ever-popular Sachiyo Ishii contains irresistibly cute knitted Christmas toys for knitters of all abilities. All the projects are accompanied by a clear, easy-to-follow pattern and fun photography. There is a useful page of basic techniques at the start of the book, including making up, stuffing and simple, decorative surface stitching. These lovely mini knits range from a polar bear, angel, penguin and robin to a Christmas pudding, bauble, snowman and Santa with his sack – and many more cute and quirky Christmas ideas, all bursting with character.All the projects are beautifully made and exquisitely designed, and very easy to make. They make perfect gifts and will delight young and old alike.

Novelty knitters will love this collection of mini Christmas projects to knit ready for the festive season. Susan Stratford has designed twenty different projects, with alternatives in different colour schemes. There are mini Christmas stockings, a holly wreath, reindeer, a snowman, a robin, an egg cosy, a star, a Christmas pudding, gingerbread hearts, a mini Christmas sweater and much more. Full knitting instructions are given, and each project is simply photographed so that knitters have a clear look at the design, and also shown in a sumptuous styled photograph, showing the beautiful possibilities of the finished pieces. There are plenty of ideas for ways of displaying the projects. The mini knits will appeal to those looking for ways to finish up ends of yarn.

Twenty to Knit: Easy Knitted Tea Cosies contains twenty fun, colourful and easy-to-knit tea cosies. This book contains a wide range of designs, from funky fruit and friendly owls to contemporary stripes, along with Autumn, Christmas and Valentine’s Day designs. These cute and quirky tea cosies are quick to make and great for brightening up your home or giving as gifts.

Looking for a unique baby gift? Here are twenty gorgeous shoes, booties and pumps to crochet in a range of colours and styles, for both boys and girls. Choose from red strawberry-style shoes with flowery toes, smiley car shoes, Christmas booties and even shoes shaped like frogs! Each pair of shoes requires relatively small quantities of yarn and can be crocheted quickly, easily, and on the go using the clear instructions provided. Each project is accompanied by lists of the materials and equipment required and inspiring photographs. As all babies are different, sizes and age suggestions are given for each project, from birth to twelve months, but general advice is also given at the beginning of the book on how to increase or decrease the size of the projects.

Create twenty unique and whimsical Christmas cross-stitch designs with this latest addition to the Twenty to Make series. Emulate Michael Powell’s distinctive cross-stitch style to make Christmas cards or samplers as special gifts for friends and family. Designs range from festive candle arrangements to vintage winter street scenes, and each design is accompanied by an easy-to-follow stitching guide.

Make your own collection of irresistibly cute knitted animals in soft, fleecy yarn. This gorgeous knitting book for knitters of all abilities by Sachiyo Ishii contains 20 lovely projects including a baby penguin, a koala bear, a guinea pig and a squirrel. All the projects are accompanied by clear, easy-to-follow patterns and photography. There is a useful page of basic techniques at the start of the book, including making up, stuffing, and simple, decorative surface stitching.These lovely mini knits are all bursting with character and feel extra soft and snuggly.All the projects are exquisitely designed and very easy to make. They make perfect gifts and will delight young and old alike.

Frances McNaughton shows how to make 20 cute and funny sugar animals for cake decorating using sugarpaste and a few simple tools and techniques. First we learn about the simple shapes that are the basis for all the animals, and the few basic tools that are needed. Then it is staight on to making elephants, monkeys, pandas, lizards, dolphins, kangaroos and much more. The constituent parts of the animals are shown with the step by step instructions, and annotated for clarity, then each finished animal is pictured in all its splendour. Animal lovers will be thrilled to see any of these appealing creatures on top of a celebratory cake.

All the bears in the book are based on the same, simple knitted bear, instructions for which are provided at the beginning of the book and are easy enough for even novice knitters to follow. There are 20 unique designs, including a hiking bear complete with boots and a backpack, a beach-loving bikini bear, a sweet honey bee bear, and a pretty pink ballet dancer, each with its own knitted outfit and accessories. Every bear has its own special character, and the reader is bound to find at least one they just have to knit. Suitable for adults as well as children, they make ideal gifts, and of course there is nothing to stop the reader creating characters of their own that they can personalise to suit a particular person or occasion.

Michael Powell provides twenty mini cross stitch designs, each accompanied by a full-colour chart, key and general instructions. Each of Michael's unique, quirky contemporary designs measures approximately 3½ x 3½in (9 x 9cm), though the designs come in a variety of formats and include tall, narrow designs as well as borders. All the designs can be worked on 14-count Aida or evenweave fabric.There's a broad range of subjects to choose from, including country cottages, flowers, hearts, and festive Christmas trees, so whatever the occasion, there is bound to be a design that suits it perfectly. There are general instructions and simple stitch diagrams at the beginning of the book, so even those new to cross stitch will be able to accomplish all of the projects, as well as notes on fabric preparation and washing instructions.

Frances McNaughton shows how to make both cute and realistic sugar birds for cake decorating using sugarpaste and a few simple tools and techniques. First we are introduced to the art of making sugarcraft birds, and then the few basic tools and materials that are required are explained. Then it is straight on to making Macaws, Puffins, Pelicans, Robins, Mallards, Owls and much more. The constituent parts of the birds are shown with the step-by-step instructions, and annotated for clarity, then each finished bird is pictured in all its splendour. Bird lovers will be thrilled to see any of these appealing characters on top of a celebratory cake. The designs will also appeal to makers of polymer clay models.

Want to learn how to crochet? Make a granny square! The simple techniques have lasted for decades and now they are trendier than ever. With endless colour and size variations, creating these squares is fun and easy. They can be used like building blocks and combined with other squares to make original projects and gifts or used to embellish larger items.This book will show you how to create twenty different squares, including flower patterns, interpreted in different colours and yarns to create a kaleidoscope of effects. Also included are projects that show you how to make the squares into a simple baby blanket, arm warmers, a purse, a pin cushion, a mug cosy and a stylish pair of boot toppers. DMC yarns as well as fancy yarns are used, all of which are readily available, and both US and UK crochet abbreviations are used throughout.

Learn to make 20 button designs using fabric – as an embellishment to a garment or as a piece of jewellery or accessory. Gina Barrett uses techniques such as stitching, embroidery and beading, and provides shaped templates for those projects where the reader may need more assistance.The buttons are all worked at a small size, so will require limited materials and thread for a polished finish.There are no complex button-making techniques here; all the buttons can be created by the reader at home, following Gina's straightforward instructions and stitch diagrams.