Knit a Fantasy Story

Oct 06

A magical book with pretty amazing projects to make for yourself or your kid.

Knit a Fantasy Story is in fact a collection of three different volumes written by Jan Messent from the Search Press Craft Library series that were previously published separately under the titles The Knitted Farmyard, Knit an Enchanted Castle and Knitted Gnomes and Fairies. It was already put together in one big book in 1989 for the very first time.

If I had seen this book as a kid I'm sure I would be so excited about the designs that I would have learned to knit right away! Or else I'd have nagged my mother or grandmother to make something like this for me to play with!

In Jan Messent's Knit a Fantasy Story you'll learn how to create a fairytale world and their inhabitants by using a minimum of materials. If you love fantasy, miniature worlds or just playgrounds for your kids you'll be absolutely delighted by this book. Whether you prefer farm people, knights, princes, princesses, unicorns, dragons, fairies or gnomes there is a little something of everything to suit, hopefully, everyone's taste.

The projects are made with small oddments of yarn, small pieces of cardboard and wire to set up the body of the person or animal. Modern techniques these days use mostly just stuffing because it is safer for little children but if you're older the wire and cardboard method is something different to try out. I've seen old French knitting and crochet magazines use this method as well. It gives your work a nicer, firmer, steadier form.

I personally loved the farm scene the most, although I thought it was a bit of a pity that for example the dog was pictured as a crochet piece while the instructions were for a knitted dog and it was nowhere being pictured in its knitted form and the one I made didn't really look like the crocheted version. Of course the name of this book is Knit a.. but it couldn't do any harm to include the crochet pattern if it was pictured crocheted because after all you want to make the exact thing that is on the image, at least I do.

As a beginner I would have liked more step-by-step (illustrated) instructions sometimes because I got stuck in the end and didn't know what it was exactly that I had to do. But I'm sure that if you are more experienced with all the terms you'll manage perfectly! Jan Messent's works are always based partly on your own imagination which is probably why not everything is explained in such detail. Deserves to be called a classic .

Oct 06

This jolly book would be an inspiration to any youngster wanting to learn to knit. Mums and grandmas would enjoy tackling these simple figures and creating a personal fantasy landscape, either alone, as a surprise present , or with the help of the children. Castles, people, dragons, horses and even an allotment or garden are explained clearly with illustrations about constructing the figures set out in easy to follow diagrams. Jan Messent has continued the development of her love for knitting in this book of simple ideas to delight children. If you have ever wanted to knit a knight, here is your opportunity!

Nov 06

Here is another Search Press book that has been so well-loved that it has been re-issued as a classic. First published back in 1989, this book will enable the intermediate knitter to do just what the title implies - knit a fantasy story! Pick up those needles and make dragons, princesses, knights on horseback, unicorns and castles to delight your family and friends.

This is another one for that overburdened coffee table, but at the same time it is a highly informative primer with all the instructions that will enable the reader to make all these lovely figures. Ideal conversation pieces ensuring that it is not just your coffee table that guests will notice but wherever they are displayed, these are not toys suitable for small children. They have wire frames - easier than it sounds to make these - but older children would enjoy their bendy pose-ability.

Everything is explained in here, and there are lots of helpful diagrams as well as a list of stitches (nothing very complicated) at the front so you can bone up on them before tackling anything. This is not a book for beginners, but you don't have to be too experienced to tackle these little figures that make up encouragingly quickly, and once made up they just look so advanced! The book is divided into three separate sections and the fantasy part does not apply to the whole, as the first project is a fairly modern knitted farmyard complete with base, but the second section is the enchanted castle with all that implies, and the third is an enchanted forest of fairies, gnomes, elves and trees. At the back is a helpful page showing casting on, knit and purl which implies that even a beginner could have a go (not impossible) and at the front is a list of abbreviations and symbols, as well as some of the items you will need apart from just the yarns. This really is a lovely book which deserves to be a classic - another one for the keeper shelf.

No. 114, Dec 06

...has chapters entitled Farmyard Fantasia, Enchanted Castle and Magic Forest, so whether you want to make a dog or a unicorn, a knight or a wizard, trees or toadstools the instructions are there, you just need to add the yarn and your imagination.

Jan 07

Were you inspired by our Knitted Garden? Then why not have a go at something on a smaller scale and knit your own fantasy world? There are three worlds to choose from in this book - Farmyard Fantasia, Enchanted Castle and Magic Forest.

Each of these settings can then be filled with a huge variety of characters and animals that have been intricately designed by Jan Messent.

Instructions for all three themes begin with how to make each basic diorama. And whether witches and wizards, unicorns and fairies, or sheep and cattle are your thing, there's a pattern here for them all and more. One of our favourites is the cute dragon with scallop stitch scales.

In fact, well-chosen stitches on most of the patterns really bring the figures and sets to life. With full making up instructions and technique tips this book has a lot to offer.

Jan 07

Start saving your odds and ends of yarn now so you will have plenty to get started on this adorable collection of playtime characters and scenes. There are three fairytale landscapes to knit that can be combined to create a magical world with a farmyard, enchanted castle and magical forest. They have so much detail and scope for play that just one of them will keep a child enthralled for hours. The farmyard has a canvas rug base that has pom-pom trees, ribbed ploughed fields and fluffy meadows. There are patterns for a church, barn and cottage too. The landscape is filled with an assortment of knitted animals as well as a farmer and his family. There are sheep, cows, ponies, ducks, hens, pigs and rabbits that would also make lovely toys in their own right. There is an impressive castle with a knight and horse, a prince and princess, a wicked witch and a wizard. This is surrounded with magical trees which makes up the enchanted forest, home to a slection of fairy folk including elves, gnomes and even a dragon too! The characters and settings have full instructions and use elementary knitting techniques. As the toys are fairly small, experienced knitters will have a whole story book of toys in no time!