When I shared a copy of Itty-Bitty Hats, my first book, with a dear friend of mine, she turned to me and said, “You have a voice!” I loved that reaction, and this comment has resonated in my thoughts for a long time. I know that I have always had a strong voice when it came to my own knitting, but I began thinking about every knitter’s voice. Each knitter has a distinct perspective about his or her knitting. Knitters share their viewpoints with others through the choices they make when working on a project.
These choices are initially fairly basic: which projects to make and which yarns to use. Adding a personal twist to a pattern through color choice or other variation can make a project different from anyone else’s. Even if you don’t make any changes to a pattern, no two handknitted items are the same. I thus want to encourage knitters to jump into Itty-Bitty Nursery with abandon. Don’t hesitate to make these patterns your own through your choices. This wonderful act of baby knitting is an expression of your knitting voice. There is no better way to send a message of love to a baby.
I have dreamt about a fantastic knitted nursery forever, and so I let my imagination and needles run wild for this collection. Making lists of every baby-loving item I could think of, I then knitted them like a tornado until I had enough projects, and even some extras. The promise of Itty-Bitty Nursery is that you can knit up an entire nursery with clothes, toys, room adornments, blankets, pillows, and baby accessories, the type of nursery where we want every baby to live and grow. Now, even I know that not everyone has time to knit every project offered here, but this is where your own knitting voice comes into play. Pick the projects that speak to you, the ones you ooh and aah over, or simply the goodies you are just itching to start. These are the gifts that will best express your joy and love for the new baby in your life.
In this collection I have offered a variety of projects for every level of knitter, including the most inexperienced. There is a chapter that uses only garter stitch squares, the most basic starting point, to complete a wide variety of projects that are truly beautiful. For all levels of knitters there are toys for any age child (as well as adults), lovely blankets, a pure-white layette set, whimsical pillows that could be used anywhere in the house, a felted bag for Mom, and so much more. Even my older children are excited about many of these projects. When selecting the recipient of your next project from Itty-Bitty Nursery, keep all ages in mind. Many of these designs are not just for babies!
But, of course, all babies deserve a knitted nursery of their own, even if it contains only one or two knitted items. Knitting is an act of pure love, and who better to shower this love on than a baby?
Peace, love, and knit for beautiful babies everywhere!
