Fully Woolly by Ellen Warwick (Kids Can Press, ISBN-10: 1-55337-798-2) is the latest fun-filled book in the Planet Girl craft series. Filled with colorful projects and nifty ideas, girls ages 10 and up will love the thrill of crafting their own winter accessories, jewelry, and felted cushions.
The Projects
Each project in Fully Woolly uses either wool yarn or wool fiber. For the first project, Gumball Necklace, girls will learn how to use soapy water to shape wool fiber into balls that are then used as beads on a necklace. Later in the book, girls will learn how to make their own, unique artwork using wool fiber in Woolly Wall Art.
The crochet projects are just as fun as the fiber art. There are instructions for crocheting a zippered pouch, an awesome choker, a skullcap for keeping warm and looking fashionable, and a circle bag. For extra crochet help, there are instructions at the back of the book that teaches girls how to do chain stitch, single crochet, and double crochet. For the circle bag, the book includes detailed illustrations and instructions on crocheting in rounds.
There are lots of projects for young knitters as well. Find out how to knit beads for a necklace and then knit matching bracelets by making I-cords out of leftover wool yarn. Winter projects include making a striped, gathered scarf (a great gift item) and a pixie hat with earflaps. A beaded knitting project is also included, the Beaded Beauty Bracelet, which introduces knitters to knitting with beads. The Felt-Fabulous Cushion and the Funky Felted Journal, on the other hand, are great beginner’s lessons on felting. For struggling knitters, there are illustrated instructions at the back of the book to help with casting on, knitting, purling, and making increases and decreases.
The more unique projects don’t require crochet or knitting skills. For example, the Woven Wonder Scarf is a simple, yet unique, scarf made by weaving bulky weight yarn. Another project shows girls how to make a fashionable messenger bag out of old sweaters (the uglier the sweater, the better). There are also ideas for decorating knitting needles and instructions for making a knitting needle roll out of denim.
Highly Recommended
Ellen Warwick, author of Injeanuity and Stuff to Hold Your Stuff, has once again created a book that girls will love. The wool crafts are easy to make and fun to wear, and girls will also love being able to make their own gifts for everyone in the family.
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