Sue Stratford
Search Press
5 March 2012 / ISBN 9781844487745
Non-Fiction/Knitting
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Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
Meerkats are everywhere these days; from TV adverts for a certain
bank to the (mis) adventures at Meerkat Manor they seem to have
charmed us. Here is a whole book of patterns to knit those furry
fun-loving beasties for all those around you who have gone meerkat
mad
Meerkats, as Bill Nighy has told us are 12 high but if this seems
a lot of knitting don't worry, the beasties in here are 5½
for adults and a wee 2¾ for the youngsters. They appear in
a wide range of costumes for various occasions as well as just for
fun, and a section on how to make the basic bare body is at the
beginning. This book is suitable for improvers onwards; it involves
knitting with double yarn but the stitches are mostly the basic
ones and the projects grow fairly quickly, which is encouraging.
The patterns here are in word form rather than charts and are nicely
laid out to be easy to read. They are also handsomely illustrated
with the finished items in various poses and with funny captions.
There are no staged diagrams on what the projects look like while
being made, but provided you can follow a basic pattern this should
not be too much of a problem. Meerkats are shown sporting bride
and groom outfits, as babies with a miniature teddy, dressed as
Santa, a punk rocker, vampire, graduate, a day at the seaside complete
with cute duck inflatable and my own favorite the Bollywood wannabe
star in her sari. All the characters (there are more) are shown
as thumbnails at the front on a double page, making it easy to choose
the right one without too much hunting, a great Search Press feature
in many of their books. Small projects like these are wonderful
for making quick presents, stocking fillers, party prizes, and cake
decorations, so this handy book ought to get plenty of use.
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