What better way to spend a winter day than to read a book about making warm and cozy items out of yarn? Better yet, why not learn how to knit something out of yarn while you read a yarn? The following books are sure to inspire craftiness and provoke laughter on cold, wet, end-of-winter days:
Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep: A Yarn About Wool, by Teri Sloat
Spring is just around the corner and Farmer Brown is shearing his sheep, but it is still cold outside and the sheep would like their wool back! Join the sheep in their quest as they journey from place to place, watching their wool be washed, carded, spun, dyed and knit into something surprising.
Knitting Nell, by Julie Jersild Roth
Shy Nell’s knitting needles never stop. She quietly knits as she observes the world and creates gifts for people who need them. When a sweater she has made wins a prize at the fair, people start noticing how amazing Nell is. It isn’t long before Nell finds her voice and begins teaching all of her admirers how to knit.
Knitty Kitty, by David Elliott
Knitty Kitty knits, clickity-click, making loving garments to keep her kittens warm on cold days. Charming illustrations and a simple story that asks the reader to guess what Knitty Kitty will craft next makes this a perfect knitting story for toddlers and young preschoolers.
La Sorpresa, by Sylvia Van Ommen
This wordless picture book story about a sheep that makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to present a friend with a very thoughtful gift will put a smile on faces, young and old.
Milo Armadillo, by Jan Fearnley
Tallulah wants a pink, fluffy rabbit for her birthday, but she cannot find one anywhere. Grandma comes to the rescue, promising to knit the much wanted pink, fluffy rabbit but, when she runs out of pink yarn, something very different emerges and Tallulah is not sure that she can adjust to her new friend.
Mr. Nick’s Knitting, by Margaret Wild
Mr. Nick and his friend, Mrs. Jolley, are daily knitting companions on the morning train. When Mrs. Jolley becomes ill and is hospitalized, Mr. Nick uses his knitting skills to craft a very special gift to cheer her up.
The Red Wolf, by Margaret Shannon
Princess Roselupin’s father keeps her safe in a tower where she is very bored. On her 7th birthday, Roselupin receives a mysterious box of yarn and decides to knit herself a wolf costume – which is her ticket to freedom! After reading this witty tale, embellished with jubilant illustrations, you may ponder what you would knit and for whom would you knit it…
A Symphony for the Sheep, by C. M. Millen
Beautiful colored woodcut illustrations, by Mary Azarian, celebrate the task of transforming wool into sweaters. Set in an Irish countryside, the story is told in verse, mimicking the rhythms of shearing, spinning, weaving and knitting – a perfect read for St. Patrick’s Day and Irish fisherman sweater aficionados.
Books that teach knitting:
Kids Knit: Simple Steps to Nifty Projects, by Sarah Bradberry
Easy-to-follow instructions, clear photographs and expert tips for starting and finishing knitting projects make this a great choice for both beginning and more experienced knitters. Patterns for twenty enticing projects are included.
Kids Learn to Knit, by Lucinda Guy and François Hall
The basic tools, materials and techniques for knitting simple projects are introduced in this illustrated book for very young knitters.
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