View source for InstaKnits for Baby by Melissa Leapman

{{infobox1
|title=InstaKnits for Baby
|author=Melissa Leapman
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Crafts
|summary=A collection of knits for baby, divided by how long you have available to do the knitting.  I'll leave it up to you as to whether or not it worries you that the projects are 'social meadia ready'!.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=144
|publisher=Stackpole Books
|date=January 2024
|isbn=978-0811771740
|website=https://melissaleapman.com/
|cover=0811771741
|aznuk=0811771741
|aznus=0811771741
}}
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.

If you are just starting to knit, you might find [[Super Easy Knitting for Beginners by Carri Hammett]] useful.

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