Pet Projects book review

Pet Projects came into the office recently, and I have to admit a high degree of skepticism at first. Does the world really need another book of pet knits? Even if it does, is it really likely that someone who has a horse will also have a dog, a cat, a turtle, a hamster, and some goldfish??
After taking the book home, however, I began to see the light. Sure, you may not have all of those creatures in your life, but you probably know a few people who have one of them. And the projects are cute. Heck, some of them are cute enough to make even if you don’t have a pet.


My favorite project is undoubtedly the recycled plastic bag water lilies. Sure, your goldfish might like them, but they’d also make a great centerpiece, floating in a bowl of water in the dead of winter. And what a great way to reuse plastic bags! (How many plastic bag totes and bathmats do you really need?)


This charming knit blue ribbon is another project that caught my eye; I do indeed know a bunch of horsey people, but I can also imagine giving this to a friend as congratulations for getting into grad school or running their first marathon or just because you think they’re awesome.
Most of the projects are much more pet-centric, of course. There are a bunch of classy dog sweaters, some collars and chew toys (although I’m doubtful they’ll last long), a really nice bean bag cushion, a wire knit bird feeder, and, perhaps most useful, an anti-firework balaclava for dogs (a really cute little hat with knit rosettes over the ears to muffle the scary sounds). I could go on, but if your interest is piqued, you should probably just check out the book yourself!
I also noticed that the authors have a long pedigree themselves: they made the totally hot sheep sweater Princess Diana wore in the early 80s (scroll down the page for a glam shot) and have several pieces of knitwear in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (if you ever have a chance to visit this museum, do it; it’s heaven for anyone interested in fashion, the decorative arts, and design).
Enjoy, you crafty animal lovers!