I hoped to try my hand at some of the patterns before submitting my review, but none of my knit worthy people needed baby knits so my best intentions failed. Great pattern ideas, good layout and well designed makes this my kind of knitting book.

Melissa Leapman is one of my favourite knitting designers and instructors; her cable books - [book:Continuous Cables: An Exploration of Knitted Cabled Knots, Rings, Swirls, and Curlicues|3493921] and [book:Cables Untangled: An Exploration of Cable Knitting|725854] - have been the foundation of my cable knitting journey so far.

When I saw an eARC of her new book available on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to review.

As the title indicates, this is a collection of quick knits suitable for even an adventurous beginner knitter. Projects range from cute leaf-shaped teething ring adornments to animal loveys to sweaters and blankets.

Helpfully organized by the time needed (Under 5 hours, 5 to 10 hours, 10 to 20 hours and 20 hours +) there are lots of cute ideas to whip up for baby showers and gifts. As Leapman notes, the small size of most projects also makes them easily portable and perfect for working on the go, if you are the type of knitter who likes to always have a project near at hand.

My favourites include the Clownfish Teether, Honey Bunny and Giraffe Blankie.

The only thing I'd change is including the yarn weight number for the selected yarns used for easier substitution. I was also puzzled to see wool mixes used for knits like the loveys that need to be sturdy and washable, as I would have thought an all acrylic yarn would be more suitable.

Overall a fun book for anyone knitting looking to knit baby items!

This book provides exactly as much help as advertised. I got my hands on this book just around the time I delivered a baby myself, which meant I could not get around to doing all the projects in the book. I made the hats and used them for the first month or so. The time it took to follow the instructions (which are basic enough for beginners) was close to what was predicted in the section.

Each section of the book comes with the approximate time it would take to make the project. Given the concept, some of the quicker projects are obviously chunkier than the latter ones. I made the mistake of using double threads instead of the right size in the pattern, and after a couple of washes, it became too tight to use. Which is obviously my mistake and not that of the book.

I would have been able to provide a more thorough rating if I had the opportunity to do more projects, but my access to the book ran out, and I could not make any more. I would recommend this to people who are on the lookout for baby/kid knit projects. There are a range of projects from toys to sweaters.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own experience with the book.

Projects in the Insta-Knits books are presented by the time it takes to knit them. Otherwise there is nothing special going on. Baby knits are generally pretty quick anyway and I didn't care for any of the designs in this book. I think you should go with designs you like.

A great book for easy and quick knitting project to make for babies or children. The book has been divided into projects to make under 5 hours. projects to make between 5 and 10 hours, more projects that take 10 to 20 hours , and finally project that take more than 20hrs. The items are easy to make, with simple instructions and make great gifts for baby. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DR

The patterns in InstaKnits for Baby are great for beginner knitters with simple patterns and no complicated lace work . A collection of 30 fresh and easy to knit patterns with the majority knitted in #4 yarn (10 ply) and #5 yarn (12 ply).

I liked that the patterns are organised into time to knit sections. If you just want to knit something quick for a newborn you can browse the knit in less than 5 hours section.
Sections: less than 5 hours, 5-10 hours, 10-20 hours, 20+ hours.

Almost half of the patterns included take less than 5 hours. That's insta-knitting!
There are patterns included for tops, toys, bibs, lovies, socks, booties, hats and blankets.

Pages of knitting tips, explanations, abbreviations and techniques with photos make InstaKnits for Baby a valuable resource for beginner knitters.
Being a seasoned knitter and not particularly liking the thicker wool for baby knits the book only had about two items that appealed to me personally.

As a knitter I loved "Insta-Knits for Baby" by Melissa Leapman. I have been a fan of Melissa's patterns for years and this book is no exception. Knitting for babies is always enjoyable and I love the "fast" projects, especially for last minute gifts.

Some cute baby knitting projects. Not quite "insta" but fairly quick projects organized by time requirements.

Quick knits that are very cute! I have a few friends having babies this year and this gives me some great ideas, the patterns are grouped by length of time to complete them which is quite helpful.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy

This is a great resource for quick knit baby gifts. The book includes all sorts of projects from blankets and bibs to sweaters and loveys, and so much more. The photos are wonderful and the patterns seem to be well written. I'm looking forward to making several projects as gifts soon.

I love that each project also lists the time it will take to knit each project, so that you can choose according to how much time you have.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great collection of patterns to knit for baby.

With a little on the way I was excited to have a look through here and maybe find a project. I found a lot of the patterns to be kind of old fashioned looking, nothing caught my eye as something I wanted to try.

Leapman is back to thrill knitters experienced or otherwise with a brand new collection solely for babies. There’s everything one could want from hats, bootees and toys to blankets, blankies and sweaters. Moreover, they are in bright eye popping colours.

Not having knitted for a while I still found the patterns easy to follow. A newbie knitter would enjoy them and gain much needed experience and speed. Besides Leapman has organised the patterns into sections by the time it might take to knit the article. The patterns range from new born to 24 months. They have interesting names like Honey bunny. Comfy hoodie, Confetti and so on.

This is definitely a keeper for a knitters’ library. Thus a great gift for that knitter acquaintance or family member. Those who love handmade will be enamoured by the patterns in this book.

InstaKnits for Baby is an attractive and quick-to-knit collection of baby things by Melissa Leapman. Released 5th Dec 2023 by Rowman & Littlefield on their Stackpole Books imprint, it's 168 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

The patterns are simple and most don't take a large time commitment. The books patterns are arranged by rough time estimates for completing each project: from under 5 hours to around 20 hours (or more). Each tutorial is accompanied by clear step-by-step photos and easy to understand instructions. Nearly all of the projects are beginner-friendly and perfectly doable by anyone. Many (most) of them use very little yarn and would be great for using up odds and ends which every knitter has lying around.

Four stars. These would also be great for charity knitting projects, gifts, maker's groups, etc. (Limited reproduction allowed by the author/publisher, but commercial production in large scale expressly forbidden). There are a number of soft cuddly stuffies included which is a nice bonus.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

InstaKnits for Baby by Melissa Leapman is a solid book of knitting patterns for little ones.

The book is broken down into sections based on how long a pattern takes to knit. Do you only have a few hours? Try a pair of booties or a bib. Have 20-30 hours? There are several blanket patterns here.

I saw quite a few patterns I wanted to try, and cast-on for one of the blankets that has a slip-stitch pattern. I found one error in the chart for that one, but that could have been fixed for the final version of the printed book. The pattern has been very easy to follow, and my version looks just like the one in the book.

There is a good chunk at the back of the book that explains all of the different types of stitches and terms used throughout. Though I consider myself an advanced knitter, crafters of any skill level could find gems here.

I did end up ordering a print copy of this book because I want to knit several things out of it!

This is a great book with a lot of playful patterns that would make great gifts for expecting parents. I like the way this book was divided and think a lot of knitters will enjoy working on these projects.

Love the playfulness of these patterns, and especially how they are divided into time sections. As we know knitters are generous with our craft abilities, but hopeless at keeping to time restraints, but this book does help.
I knit for a local charity, and I am always looking for patterns that are fresh and quirky. A pattern has to hold my interest, mainly because you can get bored with run- of- the- mill projects, they seem to be worthy but take so long to complete. My sixth Grandson is due next year, so, I have really enjoyed looking at this book whilst deciding what to do for the new baby. The Just Ducky blanket and the Giraffe Blankie is on the to do list, the Teddy Lovey might enter the ever growing list of WIP’s that most knitters have!!
The wool terminology is becoming more familiar over here , I use the Yarnsub website if I can’t find the suggested yarn. Charts and working in the round are not my favourite methods, I do prefer to read through a pattern and then rewrite it before I start knitting. I found the vocabulary list and abbreviations very helpful. The photos of the various techniques used are really excellent.
I’m looking forward to the completed book being on sale, it will make a lovely crafty present for my friends. A four star rating.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Globe Pequot and Stackpole books for my advanced digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave a copy of this review to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

Quick knits that are super cute! I have a few friends having babies this year and this gives me some great ideas!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

OK - time to come clean. I'm from the generation that knew that anything which began with 'Insta' required the addition of boiling water, a quick stir and rapid digestion. You could then dash off to do what you had to do. Times have changed and that's not a bad thing. Those meals were disgusting!

Melissa Leapman's InstaKnits for Baby gives us a collection of knits from toys to blankets. Some will be quick knits - others are of the 'long, cosy afternoons in front of the fire' variety. The projects are divided by the time they'll take to complete - less than five hours, five to ten hours, ten to twenty hours and more than twenty hours. All the projects are attractive, modern and useable. I perhaps show my age when I wonder about 'social-media-worthy projects' but that's me being picky.

Techniques used are - for the most part - basic and there's a resources section at the back of the book which will fill in any blanks. I wouldn't quite say that it's a book for the beginner but it's certainly one to turn to once you've got a few of the basics under your belt and know which end of a knitting needle to point at the yarn.

In the 'under five hours' section, I loved the preppy socks. They're the real deal with properly shaped heals and toes. Not many socks stand much chance of staying on tiny feet but these have a better chance than most. You will need to be able to use double-pointed needles as the socks are worked in the round from the top down. I liked Just Ducky too - a cuddle blanket, which will take you about four hours to knit.

In the five-to-ten-hours section, there's a Teddy Lovey - a larger version of Just Ducky, which will take about nine hours. You can imagine a screaming match, five years down the line, when it's pointed out that taking this to the first day of school is perhaps not a good idea. Honey Bunny, on the other hand, is likely to sit on the bed until a child is well into their teens. It's well worth the investment of 6½ hours of your time. If you've got ten hours, the naptime blankie is gorgeous. It's essentially a yard-square mitred square!

If you have a little more time, the confetti jacket is gorgeous with sizes from 6 months up to 24 months. The colours shown are a little girly but the style is suitable for a boy or a girl. I was delighted to see the Snug as a Bug in a Rug Bunting - essentially a sleeping bag for the first three months of life. I made one for my daughter and it was a godsend. The sunny topper is ideal for slipping over a babygrow and the colour chosen is perfect.

For knitters with 15 to 19 hours to spare, the My Teddy Sweater is beautiful, with most of the pattern in reverse stocking stitch. If your time isn't limited, there's a lovely giraffe blanket which will take about 21 hours and my favourite - the all-heart blanket which is going to take 37 hours to complete. It's a fun book and I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

I always love looking through knitting books with patterns for babies and kids. The prospect of small, portable projects always takes my interest.
These patterns are not the most modern and not many have taken my interest to make however the wrap cardigan and the koala lovey are two projects that went directly onto my queue of what to knit next.
It did however irritate me a little bit that the koala version was not directly behind the bear version! I feel like these should be closer together or at least a note to the koala version at the end of the bear?

Insta-Knits for Baby is a beautiful collection of patterns that are ideal for every experience level. I really loved how the patterns are divided by the number of hours it takes to make, I've never seen that done before and it's really helpful. These are cute and accesible patterns and I can't wait to cast on several of them!