Knitting/crochet books/magazines for preteen

April 6, 2016 5:53 PM

I'm looking for a knitting or crocheting book or magazine for my 12-year-old granddaughter. She already does basic knitting and crocheting. I'm looking for something that will give her directions for projects and help her to expand her skills. I've seen Kids Knitting suggested in a previous AskMe, but I'm wondering if there are other books that would be good. Is there a magazine subscription that might be better? Her parents are very religious, so famous knitting book with the word "bitch" in the title is out.
posted by FencingGal to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (15 answers total)

Best answer: Vogue knitting makes made a magazine called "knit 1" that is youth-focused. Unfortunately it seems not to have survived. You might want to peruse books on purlbee - a more high-end/chic knitting shop with a blog. Their book "25 quick knitted gifts" is also very straightforward and simple projects, although the yarns they call for are very expensive (though you can do patterns with cheaper yarns, it still might feel intimidating to a teenager).
posted by bluedeans at 5:56 PM on April 6, 2016

Best answer: Vogue also has a series of little books called Vogue Knitting on the Go for scarves, hats, socks, shawls, baby blankets etc. The patterns range from beginner to expert but the general idea is projects that are self-contained, so not terribly intimidating.

I also love the Purl Soho Knitted Gifts book - the projects are divided by hours it takes to make a project. It's probably my most referred to knitting book. There is a basic hat pattern that I've used with all kinds of yarn, it's practically fool-proof. Your grand-daughter might as well get used to the idea of substituting yarn while she's young!
posted by maggiemaggie at 6:16 PM on April 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Is there a yarn shop near you? If so, I'd walk in and flip through a few books and magazines and see what may appeal to her and be OK with her parents.
posted by smorgasbord at 6:17 PM on April 6, 2016

Best answer: Knitting Pretty by Kris Percival.

I also really like Kids Knitting by Melanie Falick.
posted by bibliogrrl at 6:27 PM on April 6, 2016

Best answer: How advanced is she? Does she have geeky interests? I really like the Custom Knits books by Wendy Bernard and Knitting from the Top Down by Kristin TenDyke. There's also Not Another Teen Knitting Book, which has beginner-friendly garment patterns.
posted by pxe2000 at 6:30 PM on April 6, 2016

Best answer: Vickie Howell has a couple of teen knitting books (called Not Another Teen Knitting Book and Step it Up Knits), which are pretty good (the first one is out of print, but copies are cheap on Amazon).
My teens and their friends liked Shannon Okey's KnitGrrl books .
I've heard good things about Teen Knitting Club, but haven't actually looked at it. (FWIW, I don't like the SnB books-- they try too hard to be hip and trendy, if you know what I mean).
posted by jlkr at 6:41 PM on April 6, 2016

Best answer: I really like all the Harmony Guides for yarncrafting, here's just one: Crochet.
I also really like Edie Eckman's books.
There's always amigurumi, here's a magazine devoted to that.
posted by ApathyGirl at 6:51 PM on April 6, 2016

Best answer: Some of my favorite crochet books are for making toys. Amigurumi specifically. You learn all sorts of joins, new stitches, even how to make little clothes for your toys. Plus stuffing, minor sewing, weighting, that sort of thing.
posted by xyzzy at 6:53 PM on April 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I've enjoyed my Suzann Thompson books a whole bunch. I have both Crochet Bouquet and Crochet Garden. They include projects you can do with the flowers after you've made them and lots of ideas to expand upon. Most of the projects use relatively small amounts of yarn and there are usually good guidelines for choosing yarn from your stash that would be appropriate or adjusting to different types of yarn and what to expect, unlike garment patterns which change drastically depending on the yarn and use tons and tons of it. They have a good range of difficulties so your grandkid can build on her skills as she goes and learn a lot of new stitches pretty effectively.
posted by Mizu at 7:18 PM on April 6, 2016

If the title is the only problem with an otherwise great book, get a paperback copy and take it to Kinko's to have the spine cut off, cover removed (maybe replace it with cardstock for durability), and the remainder coil bound. Bonus: it will lay flat and can be easily left open at a specific page. Should cost well under ten bucks.
posted by teremala at 7:45 PM on April 6, 2016

Best answer: Knitty is an online free knitting magazine that allows you to view their patterns organized according to difficulty. They're seasonal and have been running for about 10 years now, so there's a pretty big selection of well made and tested patterns with a lot of secondary help sensibly archived.
posted by zinful at 7:55 PM on April 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Mollie Makes is British and it usually has some crochet/knitting projects - I think the same publisher does Simply Crochet. Also British is Pom Pom Quarterly. Like Purl SoHo (which I also like), you may be able to browse and find some things on their website.

All About Ami recently designed a fox for a book that does exactly as you describe - projects with lots of explanations that increase in difficulty. There are no Amazon reviews, but here is Ami's review. (Ami's blog has some simple projects as well, and she is mildly Christian if that helps.)

Mon Petit Violon has some nice projects and free patterns listed on her blog.

KnitPicks has a lot of books, project kits, and a "month of dish towels" type things. There are also subscription services that do yarn, yarn + projects, etc. that could be fun for her to join.

And Ravelry, of course. Does she have internet access?

If I remember being 12 correctly, the problem with books like "Kids Knitting" is that at 12 I really didn't consider myself a "kid" anymore!
posted by jrobin276 at 7:56 PM on April 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

There are hundreds of great books out there that don't disrespect the reader with insulting language, and all of the magazines are fine. I recommend magazine subscriptions since she is still new, because they will expose her to many different styles of crochet and knitting.

I apologize for not having the names of my favorites handy, I can't lay my hands on them right now. My favorite books are the ones that have tons of different stitches in them, and there are many great ones out there.

If you have time, go to a bookstore or craft store and get all the magazines you see, and then let your granddaughter choose which ones she wants a subscription to.
posted by myselfasme at 5:57 AM on April 7, 2016

Best answer: In my library's YA collection, the most popular teen knitting books are Knitgrrl and Teen Knitting Club.
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:15 AM on April 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You might also want to check out Interweave Knitscene magazine--not Knits, but the sister mag. The patterns are geared to younger/newer knitters, and are a little trendier and easier. There's also a Best of Knitscene book available.
posted by pxe2000 at 3:58 AM on April 8, 2016