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Lil’ Hipsters Review – Modern Crochet Patterns for Toddlers
This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Today we’re taking a look at the new book Lil’ Hipsters: 15 Fashion Favorites to Keep Your Baby Looking Stylish crochet pattern book from designer Kristi Simpson and Leisure Arts. Lil’ Hipsters is a pattern book with modern crochet patterns for toddlers. Thanks to Leisure Arts, I have a PDF copy of the book to giveaway to one lucky reader! Keep reading to learn more about Lil’ Hipsters and how you can enter to win a copy of your own.
Thank you to Leisure Arts who provided me this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
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I recently reviewed another pattern book by this same designer recently called Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend which was a fun amigurumi pattern book so I was interested to see what kind of clothing patterns Kristi Simpson had come up with for toddlers. Having a toddler myself who is particularly picky about her clothing (it starts early friends!), I was particularly drawn to this book to see if there was anything that may appease both daughter and Mommy.
Modern Crochet Patterns for Toddlers Found in the Book
As stated in the title, this book has 15 modern crochet patterns for toddlers for a variety of different wearables. The patterns included are:
- Cowl
- Top Down Sweater
- Tunic Top
- Pullover
- Sweater Cocoon
- Side Poncho
- Pants
- Vest with Pocket
- Speckled Sweater
- Cowl Jacket
- Slouchy Hat
- Hooded Vest
- Hooded Sweater
- Shoulder Tie Dress
- Seamless Vest
- Yellow Top
When I first opened the book and saw the pattern for the cowl I was thinking “just stop! That is waayy too cute! I’m totally making one for me!” Seriously. We are getting Mommy and Me matching sets whether she likes it or not. It’s too cute. Some of my other favourites in the book were the Tunic Top, the Pullover (which is a poncho), the Hooded Vest and the Yellow Top. All were really adorable and I’d put my kid in any of them and be thrilled about it.
Sizes
The sizing in the book are specically for toddlers in the 1T – 5T size range. The body measurements for each size are included so there’s no worry if you’re not sure what size to choose as long as you’ve got a tape measure handy. It’s also worth nothing that the patterns are for girls and boys alike with many of the patterns being able to used for anyone.
Yarns Used in Lil Hipsters
As I’m finding with Leisure Arts books, a lot of the important information you’d be looking for is at the back of the book. Stuff like, yarn brands and colours and the reference section. Not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind so you know where to look. I love that they include the yarn brand and colour information in their books because sometimes, you just want to use what the designer used. Most of the yarns used in the book are accesible at your local big box stores and you may already have some of them in your stash. The yarns used in this book are:
- Sugar Bush Bliss
- Patons Canadiana
- Red Heart Soft
- Patons Alpaca Blend
- Lion Brand Jeans
- Patons Classic Wool Worsted
- Sugar Bush Bold
- Lion Brand Comfy Cotton Blend
- Lion Brand Wool-Ease
- Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted
I found the patterns to be clear and easy to follow. The garments are made with simple construction and stitches. All the patterns are rated as easy and I agree with that. I wouldn’t give these to an absolute beginner but if you have the basics of crochet down, you shouldn’t have any issues with the patterns.
This book would be great to have if you find yourself making a lot of baby shower gifts and you want a bunch of crochet patterns for toddlers at hand. I know a lot of people like to make the itty bitty stuff for newborns to give and I get it because I do it too. But since having my own kids, I try to give gifts that are for stages beyond the newborn stage. I don’t give baby blankets, I make lapghans to gift so the kids can keep using that blanket for a long time. And I can personally attest to how thankful a parent can be to find a piece of clothing in the next size up in your closet when you realize your kid has had another growth spurt and nothing fits them anymore. So making some of these patterns as gifts can really make someone’s day and all the more grateful for your lovingly handmade gift.
If you’re interested in checking out Lil’ Hipsters: 15 Fashion Favorites to Keep Your Baby Looking Stylish it can be purchased HERE.
If you enjoy crochet pattern books, you can check out some more of my crochet book reviews on my blog:
- Crochet Hacking Book Review
- Crochet Iconic Women Book Review
- Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend Review
- Modern Tunisian Book Review
- You can find all my crochet book reviews HERE.
Giveaway
Thanks to Leisure Arts, I have a PDF copy of Lil’ Hipsters by Kristi Simpson to giveaway to one lucky winner!
The Lil’ Hipsters Giveaway on The Loopy Lamb is open to worldwide participants (void in Quebec and where prohibited by law) and ends Friday, December 4th, 2020 at 11:45pm Eastern Standard time.
To enter, use the King Sumo form below. If you are on mobile and have difficulty entering, please use a desktop computer to enter. Only the Email option is mandatory – all other tasks are optional, for bonus entries only. Please note that by entering your email below, you are subscribing to The Loopy Lamb email list. We will not send you spam, just notifications about new free crochet patterns, news and giveaways.
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Modern Tunisian Crochet Book Review
This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Today we’re taking a look at the new book Modern Tunisian: 15 Easy Projects Along with Technique Tips and Tricks crochet pattern book from designer Mary Beth Temple and Leisure Arts. Thanks to Leisure Arts, I have a PDF copy of the book to giveaway to one lucky reader! Keep reading to learn more about this Modern Tunisian and how you can enter to win a copy of your own.
Thank you to Leisure Arts who provided me this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
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As the title states, there are 15 tunisian crochet projects in Modern Tunisian. The projects are beautiful and range from small accessories, decor and wearables and the book gives all the patterns an “Easy” rating. The projects in Modern Tunisian are:
- A Poncho,
- A Boomerang Shawl
- A Cowl,
- A Harlequin Scarf
- A Hat & Fingerless Mitten Set
- A Sweater,
- A Wall Hanging,
- A Table Runner,
- A Floor Pillow,
- A Throw Pill,
- A Blanket,
- Some Placemants,
- A Storage Basket and,
- A Tote Bag.
Yarns and Tools Used in Modern Tunisian by Mary Beth Temple
The yarns used in Modern Tunisian range in weights from 2 (fine) to 5 (bulky). The majority of the projects use size 3 (light) to 4 (medium) weight yarns. The book provides the yarn brands and colours that are used in the book at the back of the book in the resource section. The yarn brands used are accessible in many big box stores like Walmart or Michaels and you may already have many of them in your stash. The yarns are:
- Red Heart It’s a Wrap Rainbow
- Premier Everyday
- Lion Brand Vanna’s Style
- Caron X Pantone
- Pantons Classic Wool DK Superwash
- Lion Brand Hearthland
- Lily Sugar ‘n Cream
- Lion Brand Mandala
- Red Heart Unforgettable
- Bernat Roving
- Bernat Handirafter
- Bernat Softee Baby
The main tools and hooks are used in Modern Tunisian:
- Tunisian hooks in sizes 5.5 – 10mm
- Standard crochet hooks in sizes 5 – 9mm
- Tapestry Needle
- Bobbins for Colour Work
- Pillow forms if you’re making the pillows
The above list is not inclusive list of all the supplies potentially needed. Some smaller, various supplies are needed for some of the projects but the above list should be sufficent to get you started with the majority of the projects in the book.
You’ll need to know the basic Tunisian Crochet Stitches: Tunisian Simple Stitch, Tunisian Knit Stitch, Tunisian Purl Stitch and how to decrease those stitches. In addition to the tunisian stitches, basic crochet stitches like single crochet, double crochet and crab stitch are used in the book. There is a very clearly illustrated reference section that the back of the book that helps with these techniques should you need a reminder or refresher.
I really liked the jacket pattern in Modern Tunisian and may actually make it for myself. The jacket pattern comes in sizes small to 2XL. I found the patterns clear and easy to understand even as a person that’s relatively new to tunisian crochet. I enjoyed that the patterns illustrate that you can make some beautiful projects using just the absolute basic tunisian crochet stitches as a beginner tunisian crocheter.
If you’re interested in checking out Modern Tunisian: 15 Easy Projects Along with Technique Tips and Tricks by Mary Beth Temple, it can be purchased HERE.
If you enjoy crochet pattern books, you can check out some more of my crochet book reviews on my blog:
- Crochet Hacking Book Review
- Crochet Iconic Women Book Review
- Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend Review
- Making with Meaning Review
- You can find all my crochet book reviews HERE.
Giveaway
Thanks to Leisure Arts, I have a PDF copy of Modern Tunisian: 15 Easy Projects Along with Technique Tips and Tricks by Mary Beth Temple to giveaway to one lucky winner!
The Modern Tunisian Giveaway on The Loopy Lamb is open to worldwide participants (void in Quebec and where prohibited by law) and ends Friday, November 20th, 2020 at 11:45pm Eastern Standard time.
To enter, use the King Sumo form below. If you are on mobile and have difficulty entering, please use a desktop computer to enter. Only the Email option is mandatory – all other tasks are optional, for bonus entries only. Please note that by entering your email below, you are subscribing to The Loopy Lamb email list. We will not send you spam, just notifications about new free crochet patterns, news and giveaways.
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Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend Review
This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Today we’re taking a look at the new book Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend crochet pattern book from designer Kristi Simpson and Leisure Arts. Thanks to Leisure Arts, I have a PDF copy of the book to giveaway to one lucky reader! Keep reading to learn more about this Besties and how you can enter to win a copy of your own.
Thank you to Leisure Arts who provided me this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
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Patterns in Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend
Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend contains 7 crochet doll patterns modelled after the designer’s aunts. Each doll is given a unique personality and style. The patterns are designed in a way to allow you to mix and match the pieces in order to create your own unique doll. Instructions/guidance is given at the beginning of the book to help you through the customization process to design your own doll using the patterns in the book to help set you up for success. The doll patterns are:
- Fashionista Faye
- Night-Night Nancy
- Wistful Wanda
- Lovely Debbie-Lyn
- Casual Kaye
- Dainty Dana
- Modest Mary-Ann
Each doll has a unique outfit to match their personality and style. The clothes are either created using colour changes on the body of the doll or added to the doll separately but are not able to be removed or changed. The ability to mix and match the doll pieces is a great alternative though to having removeable doll clothes.
Yarns Used in Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend
If you’re matching gauge, the dolls all measure 16″ tall. The yarns used in the patterns are worsted weight yarns (one pattern uses a small amount of bulky weight yarn) with the brand names and colours given at the back of the book. Brands used in the book include:
- Premier Yarns Everyday Worsted
- Red Heart Soft
- Lino Brand Vanna’s Choice
- Caron Simply Soft
- Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca
- Red Heart Hygge Fur
These yarns may already be in your stash and if they aren’t available locally, you can easily substitute them for another comparable worsted weight yarn.
The patterns are graded as easy and should be accessible to most crocheters. A range of different stitches and techniques are used in each pattern and are clearly explained for each pattern.
The dolls are all very cute and offer a great range of options for creating your own doll by mixing and matching the pieces. A lot of detail is put into each doll and with the mix and match option most people should be able to make a custom doll for the little one in their life.
If you’re interested in checking out Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend by Kristi Simpson, it can be purchased HERE.
If you enjoy crochet pattern books, you can check out some more of my crochet book reviews on my blog:
- Crochet Hacking Book Review
- Crochet Iconic Women Book Review
- Making with Meaning by Jessica Carey
- 3D Granny Squares Book Review
- You can find all my crochet book reviews HERE.
Thanks to Leisure Arts, I have a PDF copy of Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend by Kristi Simpson to giveaway to one lucky winner!
The Besties: Every Girl Needs a Friend Giveaway on The Loopy Lamb is open to worldwide participants (void in Quebec and where prohibited by law) and ends Friday, November 13th, 2020 at 11:45pm Eastern Standard time.
To enter, use the King Sumo form below. If you are on mobile and have difficulty entering, please use a desktop computer to enter. Only the Email option is mandatory – all other tasks are optional, for bonus entries only. Please note that by entering your email below, you are subscribing to The Loopy Lamb email list. We will not send you spam, just notifications about new free crochet patterns, news and giveaways.