Do you know Susan Anderson? Of course you do. She is an incredibly prolific author and designer and all around fabulous woman. And Susan has a new book coming out this month. I have a copy for one of you! Susan's new book is called Topsy-Turvy Inside-Out Knit Toys. That's a mouthful! But a very cute mouthful.
What you can't tell about the book is that it has an interactive cover. You'll have to trust me on this. You pull a tab and the cover photo changes. Those pull tab books were always Julia's favorites. Adults obviously like them too.
Susan's specialty has been designing for kids. She is a mom to four kids and she makes the cutest things. She has a huge fan base and a blog that is very popular. She is great at social media and marketing. She has a very active Ravelry Group called Itty Bitty Knits. I just don't know how she does it all. I can't do it as well as Susan and I only have one child.
All the projects in the book have a theme - they are reversible. There are two different sides to each toy. That's where the genius it. Each project is made in two parts and then sewn together. The toy becomes interactive for kids but let's face it..... these are the kinds of toys lots of adults will love to play with - to tell stories to their children or grandchildren while playing with the toys. And I can see many adult knitters just making them for fun - because they are so darn cute, clever and fun!
There are many levels of difficulty. From an easy "Happy Mouse, Sad Mouse" to the Fox and the Hen - There are lovely photos of kids playing with each of the toys -
Each product shot is accompanied by an "action shot" of the toy flipping. Here is the Fox and the Hen.
I love this little "flower fairy." My niece Olivia would be all over this one.
How about the Chrysalis that turns into a Monarch Butterfly?
For Christmas Toy Knitting - look at the Snowman that turns into a Christmas tree -
I would have loved the two sided doll when I was a kid -
So as you can see, there is tons to experiment with in this book. Just by knitting any of these projects, you would learn so much.
The photography in this book is stunning. But the best thing is they haven't forgotten about the knitter who is going to want to make these projects. They are a bit fiddly. For everyone, there are all kinds of detail step by step photos and explanations of how to put the toys together. This really works. That alone will make you the knitter feel confident that you can make these super cute projects.
There are a total of 12 complete projects which means Susan designed
24 different sides of toys and then sewed them together so they reverse.
There are 17 step by step tutorials and there are a total of 225 color
photos. All for $17.95. What a great value.
And a cute video.....
And a cute video.....
So here is what I have for you today - one lucky winner will win a copy of Topsy Turvy Inside Out Knit Toys.
To enter, answer the following question in the Comments Section:
As a kid, my favorite toy was..... This can be a handmade toy or just something you remember that was special about your childhood.
Contest is closed - I'll pick a winner later on in the day today. Thanks everyone for entering.
The winner is Debbie who wrote: My favorite toys as a child were always "real life" baby dolls -- the Madame Alexander ones, and Thumbelina! I think this love fed my desire for a big family, which I'm happy to say has been met -- if you count four kids as a big family!
I would love this book! Thanks for hosting the giveaway.
I have emailed her and the book will go out when I receive her mailing address.
One of my favorite toys was the Chrissy doll. My sister had Velvet. I always enjoyed pulling their hair to make it longer. I think you had to press in a button on their belly to either shorten it or make it longer. Was a long time ago but fun.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was "Froggy" - the frog my Grandma crocheted for me. Together we crocheted clothes for Froggy too. I have the original crochet pattern and have also made many of these same frogs. It came from a McCalls holiday magazine from 1975. I slept with Froggy tucked under my arm even throughout college!
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin, I didn't have many toys when I was a kid, but I remember getting a Betsy McCall doll for a gift and was thrilled--a new doll, not a hand-me-down from my big sister! I mostly made things to play with from acorns, twigs, popsicle sticks, etc--even then I loved to craft!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the question, it brought up some fun memories...
Carol PErecman (ceejay on ravelry)
My favorite toy was a mouse/pillow that my grandmother made for me. I think it was corduroy with a fake-fur tail. I carried it everywhere until a wandering dog came and snatched it out of my hands. My sister and I chased the dog until he crossed the street and was gone. We were absolutely not allowed to cross the street! Goodbye forever, Mousey!
ReplyDeleteI had three: 2 Madame Alexander baby dolls that were given to me at birth, and a stuffed lion cub I received when I was 10. The three were my best friends for many many (many!!) years.
ReplyDeleteThe best part? My children play with them, now! :)
My favorite toy was a doll. I named her Candy and played with her till her hair fell out. After I was married, my mom dug Candy out of the closet, made new clothes for her and re-wigged her. Was so wonderful to have her back in my life. She was, eventually, given to a little neighbor girl, who like me, loved her. Rav ID is JMGuitar
ReplyDeleteI had a hand puppet that was a shark... His name was sweet tooth. Love the silly toys. Rav I'd berrygal
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a yellow and green dump trucks Mom bought for me and my 2 sisters.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toys were my stuffed animals - I still have my pink teddy bear (*ack!* that sounds way more girly than I was as a kid) that I named Boo-Boo.
ReplyDeleteRav ID: amacnevin
My favorite toys were my Breyer horses. Oh, I spent hours with them, imagining!
ReplyDeleteAs a kid my favorite toy was the sock monkey. It had so much character and just the right size to carry everywhere, and tuck in under the covers at night.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking forward to the release of this book by Susan. It certainly has captured my imagination!
Thanks for the giveaway,
Bordergirl on Ravelry
My favorite toy was a stuffed koala bear that I used to carry around with me all the time. I still have a soft spot for stuffed bears :^)
ReplyDeleteAs a child, my favorite toy was a doll my grandmother made. Her name was Mary Lou and she went everywhere with me until I was grown. My daughters each had the same doll. As a child I also had a doll that flipped over and became a different doll like see tipsy turvy dolls, but mine wasn't knit. I would love to make these for my future grand kids.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite was my Thumbalina doll. When you turned the dial on her back she moved like a real baby. I have Susan's other books so this would round out my library!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite toys was my Bride Doll. My mother knit her a cardigan with tiny pearl buttons and made her
ReplyDeletea velvet coat. I still have the doll and her clothes - Susan Anderson's books are wonderful - a great giveaway
Leda
My favorite toys growing up were my Tiny Tears and Ginette baby dolls. My mother knitted and crocheted sweaters, hats and blankets for them. Being an only child, these dolls kept me company for hours on end. Many thanks for opening your home and life to us on your blog. I look forward to each new entry.
ReplyDeleteEsther Rav ID: emrubin
Amazing book, and giveaway! I loved my "Easy-Bake oven" as a child, but the toy that spent the most time w/me was a handmade "Raggedy Ann" doll. Her yarn hair and hand-stitched clothing...my favorite!!! jaydawnrn on Rav
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a Mary Hoyer doll that my mother crocheted clothes for.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite was my doll "Lisa". My grandmother sew dresses for the doll and I my daughter also played with Lisa when she was a little girl.
ReplyDeleteelainesbild@yahoo.se
As a kid my favorite toy was Raggedy Ann. I remember how soft she became from being handled so often. I also remember my grandmother sewing the legs back on a few times as my borther and I had a tug of war with them!
ReplyDeleteLee (mamagiff on ravelry)
My favorite toys were Tinker Toys, Legos and Lincoln Logs.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy when I was a child were fashion plates...where you would run a black crayon over a plastic plate with various skirts, tops, hats, shoes/boots, etc. I would spend hours using colored pencils filling in the plaid textiles and creating cute outfits.
ReplyDeleteI love Susan B. Anderson! I have all of her books and hope to add this one to my library!
Knitknock17
My favorite toy was my stuffed frog Jaba. My cousin gave it to me when he came back from the Peace Corp. Jaba and I stayed together for many years and had many adventure together
ReplyDeleteYes, she is a genius and her patterns are so easy to follow. As a child, I had a doll that I was fond of and played with for years. Melanie1 on Ravelry.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin, my favorite toy was a stuffed dog named Morgan. He was a hand-me-down from my sister first, then my brother. By the time I got him, his fuzzy body was mostly loved off. I wish I still had him, I would have loved to have shown him to my girls, and shown how much a toy could be used, and loved. Thanks for the great give-away!
ReplyDeletesaradenbo on ravelry
My favorite toy were my Barbie dolls because I liked knitting and crocheting clothes for them.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite doll was a baby, about 25 cm. tall. The dolls at that time were quite hard and not out of soft plastic like in later days, but I loved her dearly !!! My mom who always made my cloths, made some for that baby as well. When I sterted sewing myself (on quite an early age) I made a little jumpsuite for her ;-)
ReplyDeleteAs a grown up I started to make Waldorf dolls, for in my class room ánd for my daughter and later granddaughter .... and they're still around !
I LOVE the knitted reverse dolls !
Great book, Kristin !
My favorite toy was the troll house and trolls that kept me occupied for hours. Barbies? Not so much, I was a tomboy and therefore a troll girl!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a doll who's hair could "grow" with a twist of a knob! I love Susan B. Anderson and would love to have her new book. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteShing
I was not much of a doll lover as a child, though I did have a Thumbalina doll that I loved. But instead of dolls, I loved playing with my race car tracks. I would love to add this book to the rest of Susan's books I own. Great grandma gifts!
ReplyDeletei won a 'larger than life' Easter bunny at our local grocery store when i was in 3rd grade!! my dad brought it home before we went to Easter vigil mass... it was as big as i was at the time!!
ReplyDelete^)^ linda
lbquilts on rav
My favorite toy was a Crissy doll which I still have. It was the last doll I was given. So thrilled Susan Anderson has released a new book! vivianos3@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI loved that weaving loom that used loops of fabric to make pot holders. I guess I've always loved making things!
ReplyDeleteBuster, my teddy bear. He had been bought for my Mum when she was 5 and consequently his paws had been patched many times by the time he came to me! My Mum made him various sets of clothes and he had to accompany me to bed every night.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was my Barbie doll because my mother made her clothes! She even made a dress out of leftover fabric from MY favorite dress! I still have that doll and her clothes - my daughter played with it!
ReplyDeleteshortoldlady56 on Ravelry
Baby Thumbelina. She slept safely in a shoebox.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy growing up was my Wish Bear from the Care Bears. I still have him and now my son loves him too.
ReplyDeleteHeather
heatherg7 on rav
My favorite was a Miss Piggy puppet my dad got for me during a business trip.
ReplyDeleteRav ID: fabiknits
My favorite toy was a doll that looked like a newborn baby. It was so ugly! I'd love to have Susan's new book. I follow her blog.
ReplyDeletelove this book! I am a big fan of Susan!
ReplyDeleteJennifer Rav ID: jenb69
I received a trunk full of vintage Barbies left over from my half sister and her stepsisters when I was six or seven. We're talking original, fuzzy-haired Barbie and Ken...complete with the famous Solo in the Spotlight dress. I played with them every day until I was twelve, and wore out every single one.
ReplyDeleteRav ID - Embellished
My favorite was my Betsy Wetsy doll. Loved her. kathy
ReplyDeletelongkathy27@yahoo.com
I can't wait to add this book to my collection! Susan is so talented. My favorite toy was a play barn. I used it all the time!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite was Barbie, I must of had a dozen of them, but my 1st was always my favorite.
ReplyDeleteashefamily@yahoo.com
As a kid, my favorite toys were Tiny Tears, Barbie & friends, and my Breyer horses. My mother & grandmother made a lot of clothes for all the the dolls. I also had a doll made by my great-grandmother-She was a ' topsy-turvey' with two heads! Still have them all. Thanks for the chance to win one of Susie's new books!
ReplyDeleteRav ID: LannieK
My favorite toys were my Barbies. (I'm sorry to say that given what the Barbies of today look like, but back then they were much more well made and didn't seem to symbolize such air-headedness.) I spent hours playing with them when I was younger and making clothes for them when I got a little older.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sponsoring this giveaway.
Wil4ds on Ravelry
My favorite toy was a doll that was a little girl on one side and then flipped to her nanny on the other side. My Nana who live din North Carolina gave it to me. I would love-love to try knitting one of these. Kristin
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, my favorite toy was a big plastic case of 112 crayons. I used to love to dump them all out and then sort them by color. I still love to organize things!
ReplyDeleteDolls! All dolls but my favorite one was the large dancing doll, blonde braids, and music box and straps to put over your hands and feet. She was wonderful!
ReplyDeletePatty
pclark204@comcast.net
My favorite doll was a Barbie and I had this particular tiger I wouldn't part.... I still have both of them! Love the book and hope to win...
ReplyDeleteDebbie1085 on Rav
As a kid, my favorite toy was a giant teddy bear. When I first got it, it was actually bigger than I was. I used to sit in his lap and read books. I loved that bear. His name was Charles.
ReplyDeleteI also used to have a topsy-turvy doll when I was young. Much like that last one you posted. I'm dying to knit one!
I haven't thought about this in So long but one of my favorite toys was "the clacker". It was two acrylic balls on a string and one would clack them together in different ways. There were all sorts of tricks one could learn. They broke one day and I was very sad but soon acquired another set even the clacking rhythmic noise drove my parents batty....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memory and the opportunity to win that great book!
Lisaj on ravelry
My favorites were several story book dolls that I took to my neighbor friends house and along with hers we laid on our stomachs under a grandpiano and made up elaborate stories.
ReplyDeleteJoy
As a kid, my favorite toy was... Well the first thing that comes to mind is a big hard apple with a bell in it. It was 6" in diameter I think, and I'm told that my first word came when I was playing with it. "Aahh-pull!" Thanks for the giveaway! What gorgeous and delightful toys to share with kids and adults alike.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was the wooden Labyrinth game, where you guided a metal ball through an elaborate wooden maze using hand controls that allowed you to tilt the board to avoid the holes strategically placed along the maze. I played with that thing for hours - and years!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite toys was a hand puppet - a fox, named Foxy (very original eh?) I still have it over 50 years later, a little worn but still loved.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a Tammy doll. I made her lots of clothes and she went on many adventures.
ReplyDeleteIt would of had to of been my Terri Lee doll and all the wonderful hand made clothes my dear Fernie made for her. And I still have her!
ReplyDeleteI remember wanting a Baby Christy Doll so bad. I begged and begged for it. She had hair that grew. Thinking of it now, it was actually a little creepy. She had this hole in the top of her head where her hair came out and you could pull on it and it grew into a long pony tail. Well, I did get that doll and I was beyond excited. I wonder whatever became of my doll. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying these comments about everyone's toys, many of them bringing back fond memories. One of my favorites were the Jane and Johnnie West figures and their horses. Sooo many hours spent playing with them with my sisters. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteKathy
Circleville, Ohio
Oh, there are so many cute toys that I could make for so many of my little people. Love this book!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a child was a teddy bear who I named Peach Takey. I had many "takeys" but peach takey was my bud. He had an unfortunate accident involving the mouth of my boston terrier and I carried his severed parts in a pillow case until my mom repaired him with a t-shirt of fun fur. I still have him and my toddler plays with him sometimes though he is definitely worse for wear. Thanks for the chance to win the book. I love all things Susan B. Anderson!
ReplyDeleteRavID: Eenae
my favorite was a matted, beat up, little pink bunny with an ugly flowered fabric shirt. It was the 70's. My brothers picked it for me and gave it to me when I came home from the hospital as a newborn. I created the matted, beat up mess that it became, but I don't remember it ever being clean, fresh and new. I still have it in a box in my garage somewhere.
ReplyDeleteknitschmidt on ravelry
Mine was a baby doll with painted on hair, 1950's era. My Mom made clothes for her, but I don't remember what I named her.
ReplyDeleteRav ID
My favorite toy was a stuffed dog. He had to be with me when I went to sleep. One vacation, after we had left a motel and traveled awhile, I realized my friend wasn't with me! Bless my dad's heart, he turned around and we found him in the sheets. I still have him and he is well worn, just like the Velveteen Rabbit.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite childhood dolls was a reversible doll. It was Little Red Riding Hood on one end, and it reversed to either the Big Bad Wolf or the Grandma.
ReplyDeleteMy most beloved toy was my Tiny Tears doll. She had a flannel nightgown that my Mother made. She also had a coat and hat set that my Mother knit.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a little girl was my Dawn Dolls. They were a tiny version of the Barbie Doll. They were marketed as fashion models and the clothes were so fun. I still have them! I love Susan's books and would love to add this one to my collection!
ReplyDeleteRav ID kholden62
My favorite toy was my bride doll. My grandmother made her clothes from scraps from the dresses she made for my great grandmother. The first dresses I designed were for her. She stills sits on the shelf in my home office over 50 years later.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI remember playing with a topsy turvy type doll. It was made from material not knitted. It was Little Red Riding Hood that turned into the Wolf when turned upside down. I also remember getting to play the part of Little Red Riding Hood in second grade. I have five young grandchildren (including 17 month old twins) who would love Susan's designs. I love knitting for my grandchildren. Thank you for this opportunity.
My one and only favorite doll was a Sparkle Plenty doll, she was from the Dick Tracy comic strip that was in the newspaper, of course I am talking about 1951!
ReplyDeleteI had a small white joined teddy bear named Barry. He is lacking most of his fur, has only one eye, and had to have replacement paws or he was going to lose his stuffing. I don't remember not having him. My guess is he was a gift from my aunt. He always was a bare bear and his lack of fur is a tribute to how much I loved him just as a simple bear. gnlmutti at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteA few well-chosen toys are essential to a happy childhood, aren't they? Susan's book/video remind me of the best of what a toy can be.. delightful, imaginative, something to love. My memory goes back to several treasured items, but if pressed to chose a favourite, it would have to be my sister's Fisher Price Little People Schoolhouse. Hours of imaginative fun!
ReplyDeleteLeda Loux said...
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite toys was my Bride Doll. My mother knit her a cardigan with tiny pearl buttons and made her
a velvet coat. I still have the doll and her clothes - Susan Anderson's books are wonderful - a great giveaway
Leda
RavID ledaloux (forgot to post it)
I remember a reversible doll that was Little Red Riding Hood, and I think she changed into the Grandmother. It would be pretty cool to make one that changed into the wolf!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting about this book - if I don't happen to win the giveaway, I'll definitely buy the book. (But I'd really like to win!)
My favorite was a doll. She was called a three year old doll, being the size of an actual three year old! I so cherished her, we just played and played. She stands in my closet now, she brings back such fond memories.
ReplyDeleteNancy
nparis62050@gmail.com
My favorite was a kitchen set my great grandfather built. My sister and I played with that for hours "cooking" for everyone!
ReplyDeleteThis book is wonderful! I just love it!
My favorite toy was a Snoopy dog.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, my favorite toy was.....my doll's velvet pants. I just loved that velvet feel! **morna
ReplyDeletemorchild_28803@yahoo.com
My favorite toy was, and still is, my Tiny Tears doll. She went everywhere with me, and proof is the wear and tear of her body. I still have her where I see her every day :-)
ReplyDeleteZowmom on Ravelry
My favorite toy was a Kewpie doll given to me by my favorite babysitter, an older woman who had no children of her own. It was so much my "lovie" that Lil had to replace the doll's fabric head/cap when I loved it into shreds!
ReplyDeleteI remember my dad in the backyard sawing & pounding. I didn't have a clue what he was doing. It wasn't too long when he had us up & trying to walk on stilts! All the neighbors came around, kids & adults, to give them a try.
ReplyDeleteThanks for helping remember that.
It has to be a softie doll that I slept with every night and who I named Pammy Pink. She is wearing soft, fuzzy jammies with a hood, and her eyes are closed. She is a very simple doll. My daughter (who is grown) owns her today. She is now kind of grayish pink, being 55+ years old!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun way to enter for a drawing! My favorite toy as a child was a Thumbelina doll, she had a 'wheel' on her back that you turned and she would wiggle and squirm like a newborn.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, my favorite toy was the cloth version of the inside out toys. Mine was not really an inside out but a topsy-turvy doll. I think my mother knew the person who made it since it was customized to be an African-American doll when those weren't that common in the 1960s.
ReplyDeletenoallatin on ravelry
My favorite toy was a small stuffed dog. He went everywhere with me. Thanks for the book give-away!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid my favorite toy was a Punkin Head. Well, he was one of my favorites. I feel guilty ignoring the others! Punky was made by the T.Eaton Company, as a mascot. He was a mohair bear, with golden glass eyes and very soft fuzzy bear ears. He had felt shorts and hard soles on his feet so he could stand, kinda. But the best thing about Punkin Head was his hair!!! He had a big tuft of pale blonde fluff out the top of his head! My Punky used to have his hair fuzz combed every day, never a bad hair day for him. I lost one of his eyes in the sand pit once, and my dad combed that sand for hours before he found it and I could stop crying. Punkin's feet wore out from walking, and my mum made and stitched new felt soles for him so he cold continue to walk. Several times. I loved this special bear hugely, and am still sad that he was lost in a basement flood. An undignified ending to a dear friend. sammatravelry
ReplyDeletemy favorite was a stuffed baby calf called Beauregard!
ReplyDeleteI really cannot recall a favorite toy. So, I'd have to say my favorite "toy" was the world that surrounded me. By my home there was a wooded area...one area I called the little woods...the other was the big woods. I spent countless hours wandering in the woods, picking fresh raspberries, nuts, building forts in the spring/summer...in winter the farm field next to the woods was a natural ice skating area.
ReplyDeleteemail: tyme2play@yahoo.com
Thanks for the opportunity to win this fabulous book.
Connie
My favorite toy was a doo. I named her Ida baby after my adored great Aunt. My mom crocheted me a dress and made a wee one for her. I have the photograph and the dresses but my dolls hands wore out from me holding her hands. I would love to have this book to knit a doll for my grand daughter and a toy for my grandson,
ReplyDeleteEmail: lareyno.com
Make that doll, not doo and I even goofed my email.
ReplyDeleteEmail: lareyno@comcast.net
Make that doll, not doo and I even goofed my email.
ReplyDeleteEmail: lareyno@comcast.net
As a kid my favorite toy was probably my Candi doll. I had the blonde one and I also had another doll that was an African-American and I could flip her hair from black to red...I loved those two dolls...and I would make clothes for them...
ReplyDeleteI remember spending hours ironing the skirt for a 3foot tall doll I had. The skirt was purple corduroy, but the heat of the child's iron turned it reddish purple and I was in love with that color change. It was not a designed feature I am certain.
ReplyDeleteAlso I had a Barbie (didn't we all) and the first knitting I did was patterns for skirts and tops for Barbie.
I'm HelenMatheyHorn at Ravelry. :)
One of my favorite toys was a dollhouse. As a child of the late 50's/early 60's, it was metal with plastic furniture and the walls were printed with the room details. Eventually, I would yearn for a wooden one that I could paint and decorate. I love all things miniature, including knitting ornament-sized sweaters for Christmas gifts and a spate of cross-stitch projects on high-count linen. I don't have the dollhouse of my dreams yet, but am edging up on retirement and it is still on my "bucket list!" I'd love to have Susan's book -- I want to make the fox/hen for a friend who has chickens :)
ReplyDeleteOnce Christmas, my aunt and cousin gave me a doll we called the Littlest Angel. (Probably from a tv movie?) She is probably 12" tall. They had lined a basket with quilted fabric. She came with a ton of clothes: robe and nighty, dresses, skirt and top.
ReplyDeleteShe was very special and I did not share her with my kids. She's up in the attic somewhere.
I'd love to make special knit toys for future little ones in our family.
Rav: DC Alane Knits
The toy I remember was a stuffed Bugs Bunny, probably 2 or 3 feet tall. And it talked! Like "what's up doc", but that was in the old days when you had to pull a string to make your toys talk.
ReplyDeleteI would love to own this book! I have 3 of her others. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI had a black dog with yellow spots, a loyal companion!
ReplyDeleteRLake rav ID
knitter1962@gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway,
I always loved toys to put together like crazy Ike's. now I love dolls as a grand ma.
ReplyDeleteSuch fun to read about favorite toys I remember. I had a stuffed owl that I slept with. I hadn't thought about him in a very long time! Thanks Kristen! jensknits on ravelry.
ReplyDeleteI want to knit these SOOOOO much for my daughter! Thanks for hosting this giveaway--I love everything you and Susan do :-)
ReplyDeleteprincesspeanutsmommy@gmail.com
My favorite toy was my Toodles the jointed toddler doll. I took her everywhere with me. You could pose her and she was a drink and wet baby.She had diapers. She was almost the size of a real baby!
ReplyDeleteThese toys are adorable - I've been knitting hedgehogs, and people started buying them for pincushions. I always played with dolls, but didn't have any special one. Always wanted a tiny tears, but Santa didn't bring it.
ReplyDeletekpgerber54 One Christmas I received an honest-to-goodness real Lamb Chop puppet. I thought she was the most precious cuddly thing in the whole world. What a talent you are, Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a kid was Lego. Even now I spend a lot of time playing with my kids Legos. I'd love to win the book! I showed my kids the preview and they have already requested everything in the book. My ravid is Allie1
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was my Malibu Barbie doll. I still have her. My ravid is Donna-Knits.
ReplyDeleteDonna G in VT
So many favorites! The best was probably my Mother's (she was born in 1900) threadbare dog named Tighe which had been a gift to her when Buster Brown & his dog Tighe were much in the news. Such a sweet face & so in need of love & care, given his much handled & played-with state. I spent wonderful hours in pretend rescue scenarios.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say dolls and hockey sticks tied. Dolls, because I could make clothes for them, and hockey sticks, because that meant games out on the street. Bmiller12@me.com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was aLittle red spinning wheel. It had a little i cord maker on it for the yarn. It took me 40+ years to get the real wheel but the seed ws planted with this toy.just looked and there is a toy one on EBay
ReplyDeleteWe didn't have much money for toys when I was growing up. I did find a doll, minus hair and pretty much beat up, and I thought she was the most beautiful in the world.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite was Bunna, a stuffed green bunny that I've had since birth. She is small and was perfect for my baby hands, but stayed with me through childhood, when I made outfits for her out of mateless socks and decorated her ears with scrunchies. She is still kept in a safe place in my house (even though she and I both recently turned 26).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity! My ravID is kait-knits.
As a kid, my favorite toy was the Baby Alive Doll (I think that's what it was called). You could feed it colored baby food and then you got to change it's diaper. Thanks for the chance to win this book!
ReplyDeleteCarlynetz@gmail.com
Noma, my favorite doll was Noma the talking doll. Now remember this, I am on the "eh red, white, and blue health care plan" get it? So Noma was a special doll my dear Dad sent for as a Christmas gift. We lived overseas. I was an Army brat. The doll was about the size of an 18 month old, had hand made doll clothes (Thanks Mom)and traveled all over Europe on vacations. Noma visited Venice, Rome, Switzerland, and Austria. She traveled home to the US on a Navy ship and she saw the Statue of Liberty. My Dad treated us to a trip to Macy's to buy a huge box of crayons, imagine 64 colors and a sharpener! I loved Noma, she retired to a position of honor in my doll collection. Years later, when cleaning out the family home to relocate my mother, there in a special spot, wrapped in her hand knit blanket, all dressed up, and some acid free paper (left from my wedding gown) was faithful Norma...and she still had something to say with a fresh set of D batteries, "Hi my name is Noma, what's yours?"
ReplyDeleteMy first word was tractor, I had a John Deere toy tractor that my kids now play with. They also sometimes sleep with my BB bear, much loved teddy bear that I slept with until I got married:)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a child were my baby dolls. I still have the one my grandmother made me. She sewed her together and painted on her eyes.
ReplyDeletejoanna.mclendon@gmail.com
My favorite toy was a dolly... No special name but I loved her and when I was about ten my older sister sewed her a complete baby layette set for my birthday- she was twelve! I was distraught for a few weeks as the doll was hidden while she worked on the set for her..., it is one of my happiest childhood memory gifts!!!
ReplyDeleteRav- stamura
My favorite toy as a child was my fisher price farm. I have always loved animals and loved making scenes with the people, animals, and barn itself.
ReplyDeleteI had a stuffed dog that I loved. He slept with me and was so well-loved that he fell apart!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was my Penny Brite doll. I remember sewing clothes for her and having a whole wardrobe of clothes for this great little girl. Thanks for the contest.
ReplyDeleteMy furry dog BUFFY. She was hand made by a sweet neighbor lady and I loved them both. amyroz on rav
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin! My favorite toys when I was a kid were my skates and skate key. The skates were metal with metal wheels, and the clamps fit over the edges of my shoes, with the skate key being used to tighten them so they wouldn't fall off. They made lots of gorgeous noise at each crack in the sidewalk!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was books. We did not have them at home but once I was given a library card, I would go there every week to exchange my books for new ones. I would read each one with such delight.
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite toy(s) were stuffed animals. I played numerous games with them and set them up faithfully on my bed for years!
ReplyDeletePlaymobil sets. We had a whole tote full. Camping, farm, Eskimos, the park--so much room for creative play. I have the Grand Mansion set just waiting for my daughter to be old enough to receive it as a gift!
ReplyDeleteRavID: nmujillybean
An orange metal tonka dumptruck I got for Christmas in 2nd grade.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was my troll doll (and I still have it!). I knit all the clothes, made the house and it had all kinds of stuff, the gifties from Cracker Jack boxes!
ReplyDeleteI played for hours with this and amused my brothers with stories and laughing.
As a child, my favorite toy was my Tressy doll, with growing hair! But I also looked forward to Christmas, where we had an elf toy that turned into Santa...just like some of Susan's toys!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a kid was a had stitched doll with yarn hair, I love her.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a fun question. I have enjoyed very much reading the comments. I loved my cuddly sock monkey. My mom was much more into sewing than working with yarn, so we made a couple dresses so Sockie would know she was a girl.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great day too.
Happy Spring to you, Julia, Mark and the sheep. We had 2.5 feet of snow beginning of week. Now the sun is shining and beckoning spring. :-)
Cherie
cherielynne538 on Rav
My favorite toy was my Raggedy Ann doll my Grandma made for me. I would twrill in circles for hours holding her arms.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Leanne
RavId: stileslea
My favorite toy was when we were visiting my Grandma and Grandpa's house and they had a toy farm animal set that we played with.
ReplyDeleteLisa
dlcase1@cox.net
Susan is so talented! :) My favorite toy when I was little was a Madame Alexander doll. Her name was Sugar. She had a cloth body. By the time I was 3 I had pulled all of her hair out because I carried her by her head! I still have her and the hair is Mohawk style! Thanks for letting me share that memory!
ReplyDeleteRaggedy Ann, with her red yarn hair, was my favorite childhood doll. I have just made Susan Anderson's reversible duck-to-bunny toy, and it gets an "oooo!" from everyone who sees it.
ReplyDeleteThank you both for gret yarny adventures!
Ravelry I'd: carolyarbro
My favorite toy as a child were my Breyer horses. ( : Thank you for the chance to win this lovely book! Stephanie (indigodogmt on Ravelry)
ReplyDeleteDolls, all kinds of dolls! But my favorite was my Tiny Tears.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories.
Joanne aka madammarple
My favorite toy was one of those sock dolls that looked like a monkey. That friend went with me everywhere. Such a fun question to ask, and I have enjoyed reading other comments about their favorites. Thanks for the chance to win Susan's book. nanheiner@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMy Spirograph keep me entertained for hours. The designs were ever changing and I loved it.
ReplyDeleteMy Betsy McCall doll. One year my mother sewed a wardrobe of clothes for her!
ReplyDeleteI loved my trolls and trying to make clothes for them. I still see them around at thrift stores and will buy them if unusually cute!
ReplyDeleteI remember my favourite toys were a collection of small dolls no bigger than 3". They went with me everywhere.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a bunny rabbit my grandmother sewed from an old towel, and stuffed with cut up nylons. I still have it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was not actually a toy but the pot holder maker. One had to weave the pieces of fabric to create pot holders. I got such a kick out making something and then giving them as gifts. This probally began my interest in crafts.
ReplyDeleteMy wonderful Mom made a Hawaiian yarn doll whom I loved with a passion. Styrofoam head and tassels for her arms and legs, a hula skirt and dark brown yarn braids....to look just like me! My doll made it easier for me to transition to a brand new school as a military kid. Real love was that yarn doll.....
ReplyDeleteAna - anahuron@gmail.com
My favourite toy was a pop-up tree house by kenner I think. It fit my little peoples and had a very cool elevator up the trunk.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a kid was a stuffed toy, a little pig I named Piglet. I took him everywhere with me. I would probably still have him today, but when I was about 14, my mom accidentally spilled some bleach on him while doing laundry, and his well-loved and threadbare skin just couldn't take it...the bleach just dissolved a huge chunk of the fabric, and all his beads came out. Even though I was way too old for stuffies, I was still pretty devastated and missed my good old friend Piglet.
ReplyDeleteEcram on ravelry
I had a topsy turvy doll, one was a Dutch girl with blond braids and white apron, turn it over and the other girl had brown hair with a red polka dot dress. I had many dolls but I always posed this doll every day so one girl could see the sun while the other slept.
ReplyDeletePatonslake
My Barbie was my favorite toy! I love this book, thank you for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was 2 baby dolls and my mother made all their clothes. I still have the dolls and they are pretty worn out.
ReplyDeleteEllen
rav: missellen
As a child my favorite toy was a doll named Betsy. I don't remember too much about her but she was loved. I think she ended up kind of bald. Must have been all the love!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite toys as a child was an easel chalkboard and school desk. I'd come home from school each day and "teach" my imaginary students how to spell and do math!! I loved it!! :)
ReplyDeleteElaine
rav ID: QnElaine
My favorite toy was a stuffed purple monster. When monster inc. came out I had to have one of those toys it reminded me so much of my favorite childhood toy.
ReplyDeleteMy knitting needles!! I learned to knit from my neighbor when I was 8 years old and have been in love with knitting ever since. Maybe I never grew up!! :)
ReplyDeleteDebra
Rav ID: megfriend
One of my favorite toys when I was little, was an Easy Bake oven. I still love cooking, so guess that is where I got my start. Would love to win this book.
ReplyDeleteA simple coffee can. Why? Because all the neighbor kids would play "kick the can" a hide-and-seek game for hours all summer long. It was something we could all do together that didn't cost any money but was so fun, just because we could spend time with each other, hiding from each other and challenging each other.
ReplyDeleteCarol
caknowles@mac.com
My favorite toy was a Felt Board with hundreds of felt pieces in different colors and shapes and sizes. I could make pictures or create a story. I loved how those little pieces defied gravity by sticking to a vertical board. I made one for the little girl across the street when she became a kidney transplant patient and she loves it too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this opportunity. I Love Susan Anderson's patterns!
Rav id -- rbjmnwh
My favorite was my pink dog. I still have him and as battered as he is he still brings back wonderful memories if my childhood. Thank you so much for the opportunity to win this book. I have all of Susan's other ones so this one would be a perfect addition!
ReplyDeleteTbmccarthy on rav
My favorite toy was the child-sized kitchen at my friend's house. Well that or my brother's Davy Crockett rifle. Close call.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a child was my Betsy Wetsy Doll. That is the last doll I had and I still have her.
ReplyDeletemc@acd.net
As a kid my favorite toy was a stuffed dog. One of those pathetic looking ones that has been well loved with completely matted and missing fur
ReplyDeleteMy dominoes were my favorite toy. I spent many hours building things with my dominoes.
ReplyDeleteAs a child my favorite toy was a set of eggs. i played kitchen, farm, store etc....
ReplyDeletewhat a fun memory, thanks,
misha
my favorite toy was my baby doll...rub-a-dub dolly. I actually had a topsy-turvy red riding hood doll that flipped to grandma and with a flip of the night cap, a disguised wolf! still have that one!
ReplyDeleteA stuffed Grover! At one point he was bigger than me! Worn out with love. I also had a little grey elephant Elmer.
ReplyDelete-Jessica MonkeyButtBabies on Rav
As a kid my favorite toy was a chimpanzee dressed in red overalls....his name is Zip and I still have him at 40 years old. :)
ReplyDeleteRavId triciaknitz
I have brand new grand babies that I would love to make these adorable knit toys for. This book looks wonderful and I would love to try all of the patterns!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a tan colored teddy bear my father gave me with a little bell in the ear so it rattled. My mother told me my dad gave it to me when I was born. I still have it but the fuzziness is worn away and he has been stitched up many many times
ReplyDeleteRavelry ID: ollesent
I had two favorite dolls when I was a little girl. One was my tiny tears doll and the other was a life sized doll. Since I was the only girl in the family, the life sized doll was the next best thing to a sister. She had long dark hair just like me. Once I left her on the couch and while I was at school, my mom walked into the living room and scolded the doll, thinking that it was me, for not being at school.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was my Malibu Barbie and the Barbie RV to go with it. Since she was my only Barbie she had to go camping alone though!
ReplyDeleteMy Favorite toy was my Jenny Doll! Thanks for the chance to win :)The book looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteNicoleu0206@gmail.com
I loved my Trolls!
ReplyDeleteChandelle
Slippers44@live.com
My favourite childhood toy was my inside-out awake-sleeping doll! She was sewn, with an awake blonde, and a sleeping brunette. I just am thrilled that Susan has created knitted inside-out toys! I am definitely going to be making some of these. Keep it up, Susan, and thank-you, Kristin, for this give-away!
ReplyDeleteCarole
My favorite toy was my Barbie.
ReplyDeleteThe book looks amazing.Thanks.
my name is Cecilia
muitofrio1@gmail.com
I had a stuffed Snoopy that I adored as a kid, along with my Mrs. Beasley doll, and my Easy Bake Oven!
ReplyDeleteTriciau on Ravelry
My favorite toy was my brown and white teddy bear. I never went anywhere without him.
ReplyDeleteA knitted Grover hat! I carried it everywhere! Lol
ReplyDeleteJen Grant :)
maniloonie@hotmail.com
One of my favorite toys, that I happened to think of this morning while passing one of those large lighted construction signs on my walk with my dog, was Lite-Brite (the sign reminded me of it because it had illuminated dots which make up the letters). I love Susan's books and have 2 already and would love to add this one to my collection!
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, my favourite toy was my beloved teddy bear, which my father bought for me right after I was born. I cuddled the poor bear so much (and for many, many years) that he is almost completely worn out now. But he is still very cute - and still my favourite.
ReplyDeleteI loved my dolls and my stuffed bunny, but my all-time favorite was my farm set. It had a metal barn, plastic fences and hay bales, and a set of rubber animals. I added a silo made from a Quaker Oatmeal carton, and my children played with it, too.
ReplyDeleteEmail: mkb_all@yahoo.com
My favorite oy that i still have was a tiger puppet! I loved playing with him and then i could put him on my bedpost and he would make sure no monster would get me!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a little girl my favorite toy was a doll I named Susie Q. I was lucky that my Mom sewed lots of doll clothes using patterns for toddlers. (rav id LisaknitsinGA)
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, my favourite toy was my bear who I named BedTime. He was given to me when I was in the hospital after having my tonsils removed. I snuggled that bear for probably close to 8 years. I still have him today.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a child was my Baby Beans. It was a beautiful baby doll (why I called her baby beans is beyond me lol!) I did everything with her...we played.....we took naps together....we even got sick together. Well one night she got a little too sick and needed a "bath". Unfortunately for Baby Beans the washing machine was not kind to her. Because I had loved her so much she was so worn out that she didn't make it out the washing machine :( Still miss my Baby Beans! Thanks for a chance to win Susan's amazing book!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a stuffed animal. It was a skun, I believe, like in the Bambi movie. It was holding a little bouquet of flowers.
ReplyDeleteRav ID: smithmks
My favorite toy was my Drowsy Doll. She talked when you pulled her cord. My curious brother cut open her stomach to see how the recorder worked, so my wonderful seamstress mom sewed on a new dress for Drowsy! As good as new!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. I love Susan's toys!
My favorite toy as a kid was my Wrinkles dog hand puppet I named Emily. I still have her. Thanks for the chance to win Susan's lovely book!
ReplyDeletemarilynknits on Ravelry
s a sewn doll made by my mom but as i learned to knit i made sweaters and accessories for her
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a set of Chip and Dale pillows made by my grandmother. I carried them everywhere and there is a studio picture of me with huge tears clutching one of the chipmunks; I refused to let go to have my picture made! I love Susan's books and can't wait to see the new one!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was my glass tea set that matched some of my Mother's Depression glass items. I loved having tea parties with anyone (or, anything) who would attend.
ReplyDeleteI loved the basket of hand-cut architectural blocks made by an uncle for well over a dozens years of childhood. They formed cities and roads for every conceivable imaginary scenario. Best of all was fitting the semicircle backs into the sanded-smooth archways from which they were cut ... so satisfying!
ReplyDeleteI had a doll house with a tiny grand piano. Since I started playing piano when I was 4 years old, this became my favorite toy. I collect miniature pianos to this day.
ReplyDeleterav. id - love2knit4u
Betti
My favorite toy when I was younger was a large stuffed monkey. I packed him around everywhere and he was about half the size I was.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lot of thought has gone into these and has made me look for the upside dolls patterns I have from many years ago, passed to me by my Mum...the dark skinned doll and the light skinned doll that someone thought of such a long time ago and now they are adding all sorts of items..Thank You
ReplyDeleteWas an inside out rag doll. She had a plaid dress and blonde braided yarn hair. Her little face was plastic and I loved her so. I haven't a clue where she went!,,
ReplyDeleteI loved paper dolls as a child, especially a set of the four Lennon sisters. My sister and I would often create our own clothes for them (with tabs). I still enjoy "playing" with paper and creating things with my hands.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy as a child was a baby doll. I really wanted a "Baby Alive," but I got this sweet little doll instead. She didn't eat or wet or do anything special, but I loved her anyway! I still have her...some 40 years later. :)
ReplyDeletekseckels@computerizeme.com
When I was a young girl, around 12 yrs old, my mom bought me my very own singer sewing machine. I loved that sewing machine, my first project was a pillow case. Thank you for this opportunity to win such a cute book! ravid pik2nit
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, my favorite toy(s) were my Carebears. I have a vivid memory of being terrified by a thunderstorm and giving each person in m family a Carebear to keep them safe - yellow was my favorite!
ReplyDeleteMy favorites were my dolls, Kimby & Brenda. It is so precious to watch my daughter play with them now!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite toy was a John Deer baler, the little bales just flew out of it. Greatest toy ever.
ReplyDeleted_karen@hotmail.com