She sent me a copy of her latest book, Knit a Monster Nursery, and I curled up with it last night. It couldn't have been any more fun!
It opens with a pretty substantial discussion of special tricks and tips for knitting monsters. It tells you about gauge, yardage, cast ons, sewing up, stuffing, eyes, mouths....all specific to monsters. If you love knitting them, this section alone is worth the price of the book. Trust me, it's going to make your life so much easier.
The next section talks about more than just knitting. It's a peek behind the curtain at Rebecca's thought process when it came to decorating the nursery for her kiddo. She discusses her starting point (a piece of fabric) creating wall art, her choices for accessories and furniture. Since her background is in design, she is able to bring far more to the table than only knits and monsters.
But, at the end of the day, the book is call Knit a Monster Nursery, and there are going to be lots of knits and lots of monsters. I think my favorite thing in the whole book is the Monster Pocket Sweater.
The first thing I like about it is the stripes. More often than not, I'm in a striped shirt of some sort. (Just ask around.) The other thing that I really like is the fact that it has a pocket that is big enough to hold a tiny monster. Perhaps one that you will find on the Monster Mobile?
There's also these super cute tissue and wipe covers. You know, I always made fun of the crochet tissue cover in my aunt's house when I was growing up, but somehow when you add a zigzag mouth and some safety eyes, the concept takes on a whole new life.
The last photo I'm going to share is the Monster Chair. I just love this. That Presley has it made
The book has tons more stuff. There are more than 25 projects in all. Swings, bookends, pillows, blocks, rattles... The list goes on and on.
This one is a keeper. There's plenty of great stuff for you if you are planning nursery, but it's also great for showers and gifts and just cute stuff that we all can use to brighten our lives. Honestly, who couldn't use a monster or two?
Rebecca and Martingale were nice enough to send a copy for me to give away. So leave a comment telling me what monster you remember most vividly from growing up. (We'll close the comments Sunday at midnight and we'll pick a winner on Monday.) I'll start. The monsters that I remember are the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz. They scared the pants off me. Kudos to Mrs. Danger for creating happy fun monsters. That is how it should be!
I remember the monsters from Where the Wild Things Are. We frequently brought that book home from the library and Mom would read every night.
ReplyDeleteI always loved the big red monster from Bugs Bunny, His name is Gossamer!
ReplyDeleteThese are so cute, I know some grownups who would like to have a room like that!
The monsters I loved best were from Emmit Otter's Jug Band Christmas and they were the River Bottom Nightmare band.
ReplyDeletethat would be a Where the wild things are, monster. I love them then and now. Rebecca's are soooooo Cute!
ReplyDeletemy first introduction to monsters was a great one. it was "The Monster at the End of This Book" with Grover.
ReplyDeleteI have since introduced this book to my own kids who love it just the same.
=)
Mine were Grover and the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.
ReplyDeleteCookie Monster, of course! But really all the Muppets and Sesame Street characters.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, a monster from when I was little? That'll take some thinking cuz it was a LONG time ago! LOL! :) Does the host of a local scary movie show count? If so, Sir Graves Ghastly--he introduced scary movies on Saturday afternoons (I think) here in the Detroit area. If not, I loved the Bugs Bunny monster--the big red furry one. :)
ReplyDeleteMy first "monster" - isn't that a broad term - that I remember was King Kong. He was portrayed as a monster, and I remember being little and crying for him at the end of the movie.
ReplyDeleteRebecca Danger is my hero. She can bring monsters to my house anytime she likes. Her patterns are awesome, and well tested and written. This is a great book, one that I think I'll actually purchase!
My mom always said "good night, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite" when she tucked us in. Well, my older sister told me our Uncle Dave, who lived with us then and was in the next room, was a bed bug so I thought he was going to come over when I was sleeping and eat my hands. I don't know why I thought it was my hands but I did and to this day still sleep with my hands under my pillow. Does that count as a "monster?" : )
ReplyDeleteI adore monsters! I guess my first monsters were probably Grover and the Cookie Monster, but I'll echo also loving the big red furry monster from Looney Toons. Great book!
ReplyDeleteThere was a monster movie with Fred Savage that I remember my sister and I renting and watching practically every day one summer. It was such a goofy movie, I have no idea why we loved it so much, but that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about monsters.
ReplyDeleteSweetums & Anumal from the Muppet Show. I've always loved them.
ReplyDeleteI remember the monsters from my closet...and underneath my bed!
ReplyDeleteThese projects are AWEsome. Can't wait to make friendly monsters. :)
Does Jaws or Godzilla count? They were the ones that scared me the most.
ReplyDeleteBut the cute monsters in this book probably won't be nearly as frightening.
Telly Monster was the first "monster" I really remember, thanks to all of time I spent watching Sesame Street when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteEven if I don't win the book, I intend on purchasing it for my eventual nursery -- it's such a cute concept!
Nothing stands out in my memory as very specific, monster wise. I was one of those children who tried to frighten everyone else by telling scary stories but I don't remember having a personal fright.
ReplyDeleteKay
The first monster I remember would be King Kong.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun looking book.
Nothing compares to the monsters that grew in our imagination after watching the Wizard of Oz! What a great book!
ReplyDeleteI know I'm showing my age, but it was (and still is!) the Creature from the Black Lagoon....
ReplyDeleteNot really a monster but E.T. scared the crap out of me when I was a kid :)
ReplyDeleteDracula! For months I couldn't sleep without having the covers pulled up over my neck and the windows closed. LOL Thank goodness, todays monsters are much less frightening.
ReplyDeleteI remember the monsters of Sesame Street. I loved The Monster at the End of This Book, your furry, ol', loveable pal, Grover.
ReplyDeleteFlying Monkeys from the Wizard of Oz always scared the snot out of me. I love this book and would be SOOOO appreciative if I won!
ReplyDeleteI am totally in LOVE with the images you show from this book. I have a nephew due to be born in the next couple of months that due to circumstances may become a HUGE part of my day to day life, and I am envisioning having a really awesome loving monster space set up for him. So, whether I win it or not, I will be getting a copy of this book:)
ReplyDeleteAs far as the monsters that stood out from my childhood, the ones in my dreams are the most memorable, as I had (and still have) a very active imagination! But the ones that others would be familiar with.....of course the muppets and sesame street monsters hold a huge place in my heart, but I so adore the monster from Rainbow Bright, Lurky! I was a little older at this point and my sister (who is having the baby) was into Rainbow Bright and I just always adored Lurky for some reason. I even knit one for a swap a few years ago:)
Love all the cute monsters in this book!
ReplyDeleteThe monster i remember most from my childhoos must be the one who plays the drums in the muppet show. I can't remember his name ;)
I adore every creation I make from the amazing patterns that Rebecca puts out...And everyone who sees them immediately wants to hug them..I would love to have this to create more smiles on the faces of folks around me..What an amazing book!
ReplyDeleteI neglected to say that my favorite monster from childhood wasn't really a monster at all, but I adored the Cowardly Lion, followed closely by Scarecrow...When you are young and shy and feeling unsure about things, it was amazing to see creatures on the big screen that felt like you sometimes did :)
ReplyDeleteI loved Oscar the Grouch, or Animal from the Muppets.
ReplyDeleteknitterlydesigns on Ravelry
Godzilla!
ReplyDeleteThe Eloi from the "Vijllage of the Damned". I can still see them.
ReplyDeleteMy first favorite monster is Sesame Street's Grover in The Monster at the End of This Book.
ReplyDeleteFrankenstein was my favorite monster. Scary but sweet!
ReplyDeleteI love the colors in the Monster Nursery!
I love Rebecca's monsters. With 2 two-year old grandsons, I will have a great time knitting my way through this book. Thanks for the chance to win it.
ReplyDeletemuttiruth on Ravelry
Oscar the Grouch. He used to scare me and I would peek over the back of the couch when he came on. My mom tried her best to convince me he was just a puppet, but I knew better. He might come live in MY garbage can so I was very cautious of metal cans for a long time. Rebecca's monster are WaaaaY cuter than Oscar.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to ditto others with the monsters from Where the Wild Things Are.
ReplyDeleteI remember being really scared of the creatures at the end of the movie Labyrinth. My favorite likable monsters were all the creatures from Fraggle Rock.
ReplyDeleteI've knit 2 monsters from Rebecca's first book and I love them. I have plans to knit quite a few more
The ants from Them!
ReplyDeleteThose flying monkeys were really scary monsters.
ReplyDeleteMy monsters were not visible or even envisioned - but I knew they had long arms as they could reach out and grap my feet from under my bed...hence, I had a running start to get into bed, so that I could jump from the door and land in bed...no monsters!!!
ReplyDeleteHmmm I never really had a monster in my mind. I think I was just afraid of the dark though. I am however, still afraid of water monster, even though I am now 33yo! In my mind, any lake or river that is still in the dark has one. They are giant and will come up to snatch me up! I always drive WAY. TOO. FAST. passing those areas!
ReplyDeleteThe monsters that, then and now, scare the dickens out of me were the ones that the Jim Henson Creature Shop made for an episode of "The Muppet Show" starring Alice Cooper. Especially the one with the big silver beak and the bandit mask.....shudder.
ReplyDeleteThe flying monkeys were pretty scary! And when I was a kid I liked watching old Godzilla movies on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember any monsters when I was younger, other then the infamous boogie man. Then there's cookie monster, and well, I like his style ;) My Most favorite of cute monsters, Monsters Inc!
ReplyDeleteOh, absolutely all of the monsters in Where the Wild Things Are. I always wanted to go visit and make a terrible rumpus!
ReplyDeleteGodzilla movies with my Grandma were my most vivid memories of childhood monsters.
ReplyDeleteDoes Taz count? I had a Taz doll the size of a toddler. My parents told me he would eat any ghosts that came into my room so I didn't need to worry about the dark.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you! I was sitting in the front row of the balcony in the movie theater and when those monkeys came flying at me I dove down onto the floor. My granny thought I'd gone over the balcony rail! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteFor me it was Gremlins...
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I had a 'favorite' monster, but the one who came to mind first was Cousin It from the Addams family. I loved Rebecca's previous book of monsters - her instructions are so well done, and I was finally able to master the long-struggled-with Magic Loop following her photos - hurray!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Those flying monkeys always made my sister cry!
I don't know if I had a 'favorite' monster, but the one who came to mind first was Cousin It from the Addams family. I loved Rebecca's previous book of monsters - her instructions are so well done, and I was finally able to master the long-struggled-with Magic Loop following her photos - hurray!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Those flying monkeys always made my sister cry!
John Bauers trolls, from, I hade a story book with trolls i Norwegian that was my favorite, with amazing pictures by John Bauer.
ReplyDeletehttp://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland_tomtar_och_troll
Ninnilina on Ravelry
Not a monster, but the first time I remember being really scared was when I watched Michael Jackson's Thriller video on TV. Scared me to death. My mom made me watch The Making Of so that I would understand that it was all just make up.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the monster I remember most vividly was a set of four monsters submerged in a pool from a recurring nightmare. I had to swim from one side of the pool to the other and back - underwater the whole time - and survive.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason David Suzuki was there, showing me a picture of a famous swimmer who had... well now I forget. Had she tried and been trapped by the monsters, or tried and survived?
Anyway. The monster that got me had suction hoses for toes, and my pinky got caught.
I had this dream probably once a year for at least three years. No fun.
Luckily that hasn't scared me off from all monsters. I love the Danger Craft monsters, and I'd love this book! I'm not one to stockpile potential gifts, but I'll betcha that if I had this book I totally would.
Daleks from Dr. Wo used to terrify me! I love it whenever 8 see cuddly knit ones, it makes them so much less scary.
ReplyDeleteTo everyone who mentioned the Grover monster book, thanks so much. I had been trying to figure out a book gift for a friends baby.
I was also really afraid of ET! I'm happy to see I wasn't the only one. I could only get through the first 15 seconds of the movie before having to turn it off. Perhaps I was a bit of a wimp?
ReplyDeleteI love these patterns! The monster mobile is AMAZING! I kind of want one for myself!
I was terrified of vampires when I was a child, thanks to Dark Shadows. I always slept with the covers firmly tucked under my chin to ward off the sinister Barnabas Collins, even in the summer! This book is darling--just love the mobile!
ReplyDeleteI loved all the monsters on Sesame Street - but as far as "Monsters" went I think Herry the Monster was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little monsters were pretty scary things. I love that they have become fun through avenues like Sesame Street and Where the Wild Things Are, among others. And Rebecca's creations are whimsically wonderful! I'd love her new book. :)
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...I guess I would have to go with the Flying MOnkeys as well, or maybe the One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater!
ReplyDeleteI suppose it wasn't really a monster, but there was a man in a gorilla suit who would come out and dance on the Red Skelton show when they were doing a musical number, and that gorilla just always gave me the heebie-jeebies! I would get up and go sit with Daddy when the gorilla came out, and that suited us both just fine. It's a nice warm memory now.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite monster was a doll my Mom had that had real hair. The first time I saw her, I picked her up and her eyes opened. I was very young, and that completely freaked me out. She was forever in my nightmares, after that. She was in a cedar box, so cedar always scared me too! LOL
ReplyDeleteGrover! He's awesome and now all 3 of my kids love him. I'd love this book for a nursery for my 7 month old boy. He's using his sister's nursery handmedowns because he was a surprise! :)
ReplyDeleteThe monster that comes to mind is the one in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer....
ReplyDeleteDark Shadows, Barnabas Collins scared the daylights out of me!
ReplyDeleteThe first monster I remember is the one I never saw that lived
ReplyDeletein my closet at night. My favorite monster was Oscar the Grouch
- Champion of the unlovely, and a true individual.
Grover from the Monster at the end of this book!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite monster was Grover from The Monster at the End of This Book, but the monster that really scared me was The Incredible Hulk!
ReplyDeleteThe monster I remember the most is Cookie Monster from Sesame Street
ReplyDeleteThe first monsters I recalled were from Sesame Street. Cookie Monster looked scary and had a deep voice. He always left a mess when eating cookies. The voice didn't help either. Needless to say, Cookie Monster was not my favorite character on the show. It was the big and gentle Big Bird!
ReplyDeleteRav ID: kellknit
My first monster was the Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz from the end of the Dr. Seuss ABC book. I thought he was hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI never saw this monster. He lived under my bed and I was sure he would grab my foot if I got out of bed. I didn't get out of bed. I stayed in and slept! I have twin infant grandsons that would love any of these monsters that I would knit!
ReplyDeleteThere was a monster that used to live in our closet. I never saw it either, but it would make noises during the night.
ReplyDeleteAs a small child, I was scared senseless by The Mummy, as a grandma who gets to watch Sesame Street with my little grand babies, it's Elmo :)
ReplyDeleteMine was the Queen on Snow White, she was quite scary. The witch on Wizard of OZ and those monkeys seem to have frightened many of us as well.
ReplyDeletemonsters under the bed and in the closet at night.
ReplyDeleteThe monsters from Where the Wild Things are were the first ones I remember. And my sister who is due in april got me the monster book for Christmas as a not so subtle way of asking me to knit a bunch off monsters for the baby.
ReplyDeleteI think Godzilla was my first monster from childhood... But I also remember a few times thinking they picked on him after waking him. He was missunderstood - I always defended the underdog!
ReplyDeleteI've just finished two projects from this book, and love them. The first was one of the mobile monsters knitted in some leftover sock yarn and the other was the Monster Snuggle Blankie. How fun! The patterns are easy to read and have left me inspired to take bits and pieces of different monsters and combine them for some really fun creations. I'm hooked!
ReplyDeleteOh, and the "monsters" that scared me the most as a child were the fairies from Sleeping Beauty. Go figure. (please don't consider me for the book since I already own a copy, but I did feel like sharing!)
ReplyDeleteThe monster I love best is Grover from sesame street. I truly believed he was my friend and that he loved me. He still makes me smile today. Thank you Sesame Street!
ReplyDeleteAnd the winner is Fernley Handmade! Cngrats!!
ReplyDeletePlease drop us a line with your mailing address to yarn@lornaslaces.net.
I was always afraid of something reaching up and grabbing me in bed, so my parents would spray monster spray under the bed. Turns out, it was lysol. On the bright side, the underside of my bed was well disinfected.
ReplyDeleteI had a flip book of monsters. It had three sections, one for the head, one for the body, and one for the tail. You could flip and make all sorts of monsters with it. I loved that book.
ReplyDeleteSulley! I love Monster's Inc., even as an adult.
ReplyDeleteOh what fun LOVE LOVE LOVE the chair
ReplyDelete