The Expectant Knitter: 30 Designs for Baby and Your Growing Family by Marie Connolly, Potter Craft (November 11, 2008)

In a world full of books full of knitting patterns for babies, this one is trying hard to be different. Marie Connolly has structured this book in terms of a pregnancy, with the easier projects designed for making during your first trimester when you might be feeling ill and tired, and during your last trimester when you might be feeling round and full of baby, and the more challenging projects to make during your second trimester when it is easier to concentrate and you may be feeling pretty good.

Projects include lots of things for the baby, a wrap shawl for a pregnant mama, and interestingly, a coat for your dog. There are baby blankets and quilts, hats, cardigans and jumpers, and even some toys. There is a nice range of patterns to suit babies in both warmer and cooler weather, from personal experience it is very frustrating to want to make something for my baby, but the pattern or the size is out of season!

It is a little difficult to judge which size to make the patterns in this book, though, as there are only a few child models in the book, and unfortunately many of the clothes are either too big or too small for the model, which makes it awkward to really see how the pattern is supposed to fit properly.

Sprinkled throughout the book are lists of advice for a pregnant mama, including medical and health advice. I could not see any references for any of this information, and it seems that much of it is from the author’s personal experience as a mother. While some of the advice is meant to be whimsical and funny, including instructions to buy extra yarn or snuggle up on the couch to knit baby socks to counter morning sickness. However I am uncomfortable with unreferenced medical advice turning up in a knitting book.

All that said, as a very new knitter I am keen to knit lots for my own baby, and the baby socks, leg warmers, daddy socks and raglan sweater are firmly on my To Knit list!

About the reviewer: Kate is a busy mother of four and has far too many craft projects on the go at any one time. These could include, but are not limited to, crochet, sewing, dyeing, paper making, spinning, felting and bookbinding. Kate has challenges in the areas of finishing things, saying no and craft supplies storage. She makes babyslings in her freetime – find them here.